By
Annelien Pienaar – Food Consultant
(Author of: Meat the Ultimate Guide / Vleis die Omvattende Gids, Boerekos with a Twist/ Boerekos met ‘n Twist) www.annelienpienaar.co.za
INGREDIENTS
Pie dough
170 g (2/3 cup) butter, room Temperature
200 g (1 Cup) castor Sugar
2 large Eggs
420 g (3 Cups) cake flour
1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder
Fruit mince filling
500 g fruit cake mix soaked in 1 cup boiling water with 2 tbsp brandy or whisky
100 g (1 cup) nuts of choice
1 tsp cinnamon
Zest of Two Oranges, washed and finely grated or zested
METHOD
Pastry
In a large mixer bowl add the butter at room temperature and sugar and begin to cream the mixture, until it is pale and fluffy (approx. 5 minutes)
Add the eggs and combine well for a further minute.
Sift the flour and baking powder and add this to the bowl and continue to mix until the mixture begins to come away from the sides of the bowl.
Lay out a sheet of plastic food wrap and tip the ingredients onto this, create an oval and fully wrap in the plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Fruit mince filling
While the pastry is chilling prepare the Fruit Mince Filling, pour the Fruit Mince into a medium bowl, chop the nuts into tiny to medium pieces, and zest the oranges.
Combine all ingredients together and set aside.
Pastry cases
Preheat Oven to 180C. Prepare mini muffin trays with liberal amounts of cooking spray and set aside.
Roll the dough out into a square and cut circles of 10 cm and set into the muffin tins. Cut remainder of dough into stars or strips. Dough can be re rolled. Fill the holes and top with stars or strips.
Bake 30 minutes and leave to cool before serving with cream, ice cream or custard.