An oldie but definitely a goody. The best thing about this fruit mince is that there is no added suet, making it a whole lot healthier than traditional versions that can clog arteries and leave that awful greasy taste in the mouth. The sweetness comes naturally from fresh and sun-ripened fruit so you don’t need to add any extra sugar. Spices can stimulate gastric mobility and digestion.

An oldie but definitely a goody. The best thing about this fruit mince is that there is no added suet, making it a whole lot healthier than traditional versions that can clog arteries and leave that awful greasy taste in the mouth. The sweetness comes naturally from fresh and sun-ripened fruit so you don’t need to add any extra sugar. Spices can stimulate gastric mobility and digestion.

Ingredients:

  • 150g plain flour
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 25g grated Copha
  • 50g Nuttelex
  • Juice of 1/2 orange
  • 1 jar of fruit mince (see below for how to make your own)
  • Icing sugar
  • 1 circle shaped cookie cutter
  • 1 star shaped cookie cutter

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 180°C.
  • In a bowl or food processor, knead the flour, Nuttelex and Copha. When the mix resembles breadcrumbs, mix in the almonds and orange juice and knead until smooth.
  • Wrap pastry in plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
  • Roll the pastry out, cut 12 circles and place in an oiled muffin tin. Roll out excess pastry, cut 12 stars. Chill for 20 minutes.
  • Add fruit mince to each mould. Top either with pastry stars
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, until slightly brown.
  • Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Fruit Mince Recipe

The best thing about this fruit mince is that there is no added suet, making it a whole lot healthier than traditional versions that can clog arteries and leave that awful greasy taste in the mouth. The sweetness comes naturally from fresh and sun-ripened fruit so you don’t need to add any extra sugar. Spices can stimulate gastric mobility and digestion.

Ingredients:

  • 500 g (17  1/2 oz) apples, finely diced with the skin (golden delicious, pink lady) are naturally sweet and delicious
  • 250 g (8  3/4 oz)  raisins
  • 100 g (3  1/2 oz)  cranberries or sun-dried cherries
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 orange (you will need the zest from ½ orange)
  • 500 ml (2 cups / 17  1/2 fl oz)  fresh apple juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

Directions:

Extra Note: This is very simple to make yourself and healthier than buying it from the store. The secret is all in the apples you choose.  Make sure to go for sweet varieties such as golden delicious, pink lady of Fuji as they will create the perfect balance of flavour. You need to keep a watchful eye on your fruit mince and give it a good stir every now and again, making sure the mixture does not stick to the base of your pot.  If  your apple juice starts to evaporate quickly, just add a little more juice or even some water to keep your fruit plump and moist. After about an hour you’ll see your fruit mince creation come to life and the aroma of spices will fill the room and tease your senses. Now at this stage you can also add a generous splash of calvados – which is a delicious French style apple brandy, but it isn’t necessary so you can leave it out if you wish.

 

  1. Combine the apples, raisins and cranberries into a pot.
  2. Add the apple juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla and the zest from 1 orange.
  3. Cover the pot and simmer over a gentle heat for 30 minutes, making sure to stir every now and then. Make sure not to boil too fast, just a slow gentle simmer.
  4. Add more apple juice if need  to keep the mixture plump and moist then simmer for another 30 minutes.
  5. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.  Now at this stage your fruit mince will be ready to enjoy.
  6. Optional – you can stir through a generous splash of calvados ( apple brandy).
  7. You can now use this straight away to make the pie recipe above, eat it by itself or place it in a air tight jar for future use.