A festive twist on the traditional mince pie. These treats are packed with goodness and keep you feeling festive over the Christmas period
INGREDIENTS - Makes 16
Pastry
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125 g butter
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1 cup flour
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1/2 cup icing sugar
Filling
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1 cup mixed macadamias, hazelnuts (with skins removed) pecans and blanched almonds -roughly chopped so nuts are at least cut in half
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60g butter, melted
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1 egg
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1 cup brown sugar
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1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Method
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Place the butter, flour and icing sugar in a food processor and run machine until the pastry clumps together in a ball around the blade.
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Divide into 16 balls and with floured hands press the pastry into the bases and up the sides of non-stick (or well greased) mini muffin tins.
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Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Pastry will set quite firm and you bake it cold like this.
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Divide the nuts between the chilled pastry cases.
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Mix melted butter, egg, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth and 'gluey' and spoon or pour carefully over the nuts. Do not overfill each little pie.
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Bake in preheated oven at 180°C for 20 - 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the filling puffed and crisp.
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Take out of the oven and leave in the mini muffin tins for a few minutes until they are cool enough to handle. Give each pie a little twist around to loosen the bottom and then carefully lift out to cool completely on a wire rack.
They are delicious served warm and can be reheated easily and served with whipped cream or ice cream.