Mini Fruit Pies

Preparation 60 Minutes

Cook 15 Minutes

Serves 24

Method

Preheat oven to 180oC

  1. Place all filling ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool.
  2. Place almond meal, flour, sugar into a food processor and process until combined. Add butter and egg mixture and process until a ball forms. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  3. Roll out pastry between two sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Use a round 6cm-diameter pastry cutter to cut 24 circles from the pastry. Line the base of 24-hole non-stick mini muffin pan (or use two 12-hole pans). Fill cases with fruit mince.
  4. Re-roll pastry and use a 4cm-diameter fluted pastry cutter to cut 24 circles for the lids. Brush the underside of lid lightly with water before gently pressing onto pie. Cut a small cross in the middle of each lid.
  5. Bake at 180oC for 15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool and dust with icing sugar before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Ingredients

FILLING

200g Sunbeam Mixed Fruit, chopped

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind

1 tsp mixed spice

1⁄4 cup brandy

PASTRY

1⁄2 cup Sunbeam Almond Meal

2 cups plain flour

1⁄2 cup caster sugar

200g unsalted butter, chilled and diced

1 egg and 1 tbsp water, lightly beaten

Icing sugar to serve

Recipe Collection

Butter Chicken

1. Heat oil in a frying pan over low heat, add onion, ginger and garlic cooking for 3-4 minutes until tender. Stir in spices and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add almond meal and continue cooking a further minute. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a slow cooker.

2. Add the chicken to the slow cooker arranging in one layer and add the passata and water. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Stir in the cream and serve sprinkled with almonds and accompanied with rice and naan bread.

*For a faster cooking time, cook on High heat for 4 hours.

Turmeric Chicken Curry

  1. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add onion, ginger and garlic, cooking over low heat for 4-5 minutes until tender. Stir in spices and cook a further minute.

  2. Add coconut milk, chicken and almond meal to pan. Simmer over a low heat partially covered until chicken is cooked through.

  3. Serve curry sprinkled with flaked almonds, tomatoes and coriander. Accompany with rice and cucumber.

Sunshine Pudding

Prepare a 2 litre pudding basin – grease well and double line base with baking paper circles.

  1. Combine raisins, sultanas, cherries and Cointreau in a bowl and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
  2. Place apricots, apricot nectar, orange juice and rind in a small saucepan and simmer covered for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool and puree.
  3. Cream butter and brown sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
  4. Sift flours into a large bowl, add butter cake crumbs, macadamias, soaked fruit, pureed apricots and butter mixture and mix well to combine. Spoon mixture into the basin and smooth the top. Top with baking paper round.
  5. Take a 60cm long piece of baking paper and foil, layer and make a 3cm pleat in the middle of the sheets. Place onto pudding basin and secure with kitchen string.
  6. Place a wire rack onto the base of a large saucepan, a third filled with water and bring to the boil. Carefully place pudding onto rack, making sure the water comes about halfway up basin. Cover and simmer for 6 hours, topping up water when needed. Remove from saucepan and stand for 10 minutes before turning out.
  7. Serve with cream, custard or ice-cream if desired.

Candied nuts decoration:

  1. Place sugar and water in a medium, heavy-based saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar has completely dissolved. Stop stirring, increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce to medium heat and gently boil until the toffee begins to change colour. Do not stir toffee once it has boiled.
  2. Working quickly, drop macadamias one at a time into the toffee and toss with a fork to coat, remove and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with remaining macadamias.
  3. Decorate the top of the pudding and serve.

Hot Cross Muffins

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease and line a 12 hole muffin pan. Sift flour, mixed spice and cinnamon into a large Combine the egg, milk and butter in a jug. Pour into a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Stir until just combined.
  2. Divide the mixture among the prepared pans and smooth the surfaces. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
  3. Place the icing sugar in a small bowl. Gradually stir in water to make a thick icing. Pipe a cross onto each muffin and set aside until the icing is set.

Choc Date Balls

  1. Place the dates, sultanas and oats in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pureed.
  2. Gently warm the coconut oil and honey in the microwave until oil is liquid. Add to the date mixture with the cacao, water and orange rind. Mix well.
  3. Roll teaspoonsful into balls and roll in pepitas. Refrigerate until required.

Smoked Eggplant Dip

Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).

  1.  Prick eggplant all over with a fork. Place both eggplants over a low gas flame on your cooktop, turning often until skin is charred all over. Remove to a lined baking tray and continue cooking in the oven for 30 minutes or until completely tender and cooked through. 
  2. When cool, peel skin away from eggplants, discarding stems and juices.
  3. Roughly chop the flesh and combine with yoghurt, lemon juice, tahini, garlic and seasonings. 
  4. Combine currants with sherry vinegar and set aside for 10 minutes.
  5. For serving, toss together the drained currants, pine nuts, parsley and seasonings. Spoon eggplant dip into a serving dish and sprinkle with pine nut mixture. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve with warmed turkish bread.

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