These little bites are a regular feature at Christmas time in Australia … in fact, I’m pretty sure that they start appearing in shops about September … so hard to resist them!

I have posted previously a healthier version but I had a request from my biggest boy to ‘please just make them normal, like with the pastry from the shops’. Ok. I know when I’m beat!

I was lucky enough to be given a jar of my mum’s amazing fruit mince so I still haven’t gotten around to making my own … one day 😉

So you’ll need a fruit mince filling as well as the pastry.

• 1 1/4 cup plain GF flour (or 1 1/3 cups spelt)
• 1/2 tsp psyllium OR 1 heaped tsp almond meal (omit this if you use spelt/wheat)
• 1/3 tsp GF baking powder
• 1/4 cup pure cornflour
• 1/4 cup custard powder (Well and Good make a good allergy safe mix)
• 1/2 cup pure icing sugar
• 125g Nuttelex, or other vegan butter, cold
• 1 tbsp aquafaba (liquid drained from a can of chick peas)
• 1 tbsp port or sherry

Place all dry ingredients into food processor and pulse briefly to combine.

Add in Nuttelex and pulse several times, until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Mix together the aquafaba and port and add it into the mix whilst processing (Speed 3 on a themal cooker). Add a little more flour if dough is too wet.

Tip mixture on to a floured surface and knead gently (Speed 1, 20 seconds).

Bring into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 1-2 hours).

Roll pastry out on a floured surface to about 3mm thick.

Cut into circles, large enough to cover the base and sides of your tart shells. I used my mini muffin tin, so a small round scone cutter was a good size.

Grease the muffin tins, place the pastry base inside, then fill lined tart shells with about a  teaspoon of the fruit mince.

Roll out rest of the pastry and cut out in the shape of stars, place them on top of the pies.

Bake in 180 C pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or until golden.

Allow to cool completely before dusting with pure icing sugar and eating. Makes about 14 and they’ll last for about a week in an airtight container.

Wishing you a joyous and peaceful Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour.

 

Looking forward to sharing more with you in the New Year!