Recipes - Mum's Mini Boiled Fruit Cakes

Boiled fruit cakes are super festive and taste delicious! Long gone are the times of heavy, stodgy, stale, glace-cherry filled fruit cake, these babies are light, fluffy and rich, even better when you use your own homemade fruit mince. The recipe is similar to that of a sticky date pudding, but instead of dates you use fruit mince! They are sure to impress your guests.

Ingredients

3 cups fruit mince

180g butter, chopped

1 tsp all spice

1/2 mixed spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp bi-carb soda

2 eggs, lightly beaten 

1 cup plain flour

1 cup SR flour
whole roasted almonds, to decorate

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 x 12 hole cupcake tins with patty pans.
Step 2 - Place fruit mince, butter, spices and bi carb soda in a large saucepan and stir over medium heat until butter melts.  Bring to boil over high heat and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Step 3 - When cool, mix in eggs then fold through flours until just combined.  Spoon mixture into patty pans so they are 3/4 full.  Decorate with almonds.
Step 4 - Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.  Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack.  Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Recipes - Fruit Mince Pinwheels

Pinwheels have turned into my quick to whip up, throw anything in, entertaining solution.  So when I was left with a abundance of fruit mine, I decided to chuck on a few batches of fruit mince pinwheels to see if it would work.  And yes, yes it does.

Ingredients

3/4 cup fruit mince

3 tbs jam (I used raspberry, but use whatever you like or have)

3 sheets frozen puff pastry
icing sugar, to dust

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 230°C.  Line a large, shallow baking tray with baking paper

Step 2- Set puff pastry on a flat surface to thaw.  Pastry should thaw to the point that it is malleable but not much further as the pastry is difficult to work with as it begins to warm.

Step 3 - Remembering to remove plastic backing from pastry, spread 1 tbs jam evenly over each pastry sheet, leaving a 1cm border at top.  Distribute fruit mince over jam.

Step 4 - Roll each pastry sheet into a firm sausage shape and cut about 10 rounds from each sheet.  

Step 5 - Place each round, cut side down, on baking tray leaving some space between each and bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden.
Step 6 - Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Notes:

Pinwheels can be made to the end of step 5 and frozen for up to one month.  Continue from step 6 when needed, without thawing rolls.

Recipes - Fruit Mince Tarts

Fruit Mince Tarts scream Christmas though not many people I know actually like them.  The secret is to use your own fruit mince and make them super small.  If you do go to all the trouble to make them (and it is a somewhat time consuming process) I hope you really enjoy them.

Ingredients - makes about 32

1 quantity sweet shortcrust pastry

2 cups fruit mince

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 200.  Grease a 24 hole mini-muffin pan and a 12 hole mini-muffin pan.
Step 2 - Roll out pastry to about 3mm thick.  Using a 6-7cm round cookie cutter, cut out 32 circles.  Using a 5cm star cut out 32 stars.  If possible, cut out more of each.  
Step 3 - Gently push rounds into holes and bake for 10-12 minutes, until pastry just turns golden. Remove from oven and spoon 1 tsp of fruit mince into each pastry case.  Top with a star and return to oven for a further 10-12 minutes.  Stars may be a little soft when removed from the oven, but they will harden while cooling.
Step 4 - To serve, dust with icing sugar and edible glitter if desired.

How To - Prep Steamed Puddings

Steamed Puddings are something I have completely fallen in love with over the past year.  My experience so far has only been with a Christmas Pudding using fruit mince, but I feel I may branch out come winter and try some other delicious steamed puddings.  Whatever their purpose, these detailed instructions will ensure your pudding basin is well prepared every time.

What you'll need:

• Ceramic pudding basin, tea cups, mugs or ramekins
• Pudding mixture
• Softened butter
• Pastry brush
• Baking paper
• Foil
• Twine
• Large saucepan with well fitting lid (baking tray for smaller puddings)
• Saucer (tea towel for smaller puddings)
• Water

Step 1

Step 1 - Brush your basin well with butter, ensuring you brush right to the top.  Cut two circles of baking paper the same size as the base of the basin and lay them one on top of the other, brushing well with butter after each.  Fill basin 3/4 of the way with pudding mixture

Step 2

Step 2

Step 2 - Tear off a sheet each of baking paper and foil that are even length, lie one on top of the other and make a 1-2 cm pleat through the middle.  Place over the basin, foil side up, and fold around sides.

Step 3

Step 3

Step 3 - Take the twine and cut a length that will more than wrap twice around your basin when folded in half (the twine, not the basin).  Wrap around top of basin, under lip if the basin has one, pull firmly, tie off and wrap back around to starting point.  Knot well.

Step 4

Step 4

Step 4 - To make the handle, take the length of twine trailing the knot and throw it loosely across the centre of the basin.  Tie off firmly on twine wrapped around basin.  Trim excess foil and baking paper.


Step 5 - For large puddings, place saucer in the bottom of the pot and place the basin on top.  Fill pot with water until it has risen to 3/4 up the sides of the basin, or just below the paper and foil.  Place over medium heat and rapidly simmer for about 3-6 hours (depending on size of pudding).  Top up water as necessary. 
For smaller puddings, place tea towel in the bottom of the baking tray and distribute tea cups or ramekins on top, about six per tray.  Pour water into tray until it has risen to about halfway up the tea cups or ramekins.  Bake at 180°C for 1-2 hours. 


To check if puddings are ready, remove dressing and insert a skewer into the middle.  If it comes out clean, puddings are ready.  If not, re-dress basin from step 2 and place back into pot to continue cooking.

Recipes - Custard and Fruit Mince Muffins

When I made 10 odd kilos of fruit mince I started thinking of different ways I could use it.  As I am known for my muffins I thought a custard fruit mince muffin would be a winner! 

Ingredients

1 quantity sweet muffin mix

1 1/2 cups fruit mince

1 cup custard

2 tsp all spice

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

Following the sweet muffin mix recipe;

At step 2 - Mix the spices through with the dry ingredients.
At step 3 - Add 1/2 cup custard and fruit mince with wet ingredients and stir until combined.
At step 4 - 1/2 fill muffin trays with mixture, then distribute remaining custard evenly, about 1/2 tbs each.  Top with a little more muffin mixture.

Top 5 - Fruit Mince Recipes

I'm going to be honest, I did not like fruit mince, or anything fruit mince related, until one year ago.  Last year, my best friend offered me the opportunity to make fruit mince and steamed Christmas puddings with him, something he has perfected over the past eight years or so.  I am now in love with fruit mince and its many uses!!  Here are my top 5 fruit mince recipes.

• Steamed Christmas Puddings
• Fruit Mince Tarts
• Mum's Mini Boiled Fruit Cakes
• Fruit Mince Pinwheels
• Custard and Fruit Mince Muffins