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Mini Chocolate Mince Pies

Chef: Julie Biuso, as heard on Afternoons with Jim Mora, Friday December 19 2008

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried apricots, tightly packed, chopped
• 2 Tbs brandy
• 1 green apple
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• finely grated zest 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp mixed spice
• 1 cup (400g) fruit mince
• 50g dark unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 70g slivered almonds, toasted
• 200g homemade shortcrust pastry, or 3 sheets prerolled sweet shortcrust pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• icing sugar

Method

1. Put apricots in a bowl with the brandy and leave them to soften for 2-3 hours.

2. Grate apple and immediately toss with lemon juice. Add to apricots and brandy with lemon zest, cinnamon, allspice, fruit mince, chocolate and almonds.

3. Roll out pastry (if necessary) and line into small muffin tins (or cut two of the pastry sheets into 9 rounds each). Cut out 18 small star shapes from remaining pastry. Fill pastry-lined tins with fruit mince and top with pastry stars. Brush pastry stars with beaten egg.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, in an oven preheated to 190°C (fan bake), or until the pastry is golden. Cool on a cake rack and sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

Julie's Hint: The addition of chocolate adds richness to these pies and gives them an incomparable flavour. They'll keep 3-4 days in a covered container.

Prep time - 20 minutes
Cook time - 15 minutes
Makes - 18
$16.00