Ingredients
250g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature
150g cream cheese, chopped, at room temperature
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 cups plain flour
2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup flaked almonds
Icing sugar mixture, to decorate
Fruit Mince
1 Granny Smith apple (170g), peeled, coarsely grated
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup sultanas
1/2 cup currants
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
2 tblsps brandy or orange juice
25g unsalted butter, chopped
Method
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Lightly grease 28 holes of three round-based patty pans (1 tablespoon-capacity).
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To make fruit mince, combine all ingredients except butter with 2 tblsps water, in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until the liquid is evaporated and the fruit is plump. Stir in butter until melted. Transfer to a large bowl. Cool.
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Beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a small bowl of an electric mixer until creamy. Transfer to a large bowl. Add flour and almond meal. Mix with a wooden spoon to form a dough. Reserve one-third of the dough. Cover and freeze until firm.
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Roll level tablespoons of the remaining dough into balls. Place in prepared pan holes. Press the dough with your fingertips to line holes to form a case.
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Spoon 1 tblsp fruit mince into pastry cases. Coarsely rate frozen pastry into a bowl. Sprinkle over fruit mince. Top with flaked almonds.
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Cook in a moderately slow over (160C) for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden. Stand in pans for 10 minutes. Loosen edges with a palette knife, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Dust with sifted icing sugar.