Name: Christmas mince pie slice
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 200g brown sugar; 20g raisins; 100g butter; 2 granny smith apples,coarsely grated; 100ml muscat; 100g currants; 100g sultanas; 100g dates,pitted and finely chopped; 100g glace pears,finely chopped; 100g glace orange,finely chopped; finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange; 1½ tsp vanilla bean paste; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp mixed spice; ½ tsp ground ginger

Ingredients

Fruit mince

200g brown sugar
20g raisins
100g butter
2 granny smith apples,coarsely grated
100ml muscat
100g currants
100g sultanas
100g dates,pitted and finely chopped
100g glace pears,finely chopped
100g glace orange,finely chopped
finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1½ tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ground ginger

For the spiced crust

260g plain flour
120g icing sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla bean extract
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
240g unsalted butter,melted
50g almond meal
60g flaked almonds

Topping

1 x sheet sweet shortcrust pastry (I used Careme vanilla bean shortcrust pastry)
icing sugar to dust (optional)

Method

1. For the fruit mince filling combine ingredients in a large bowl,mix well,then transfer to a sterile container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours (and up to 2 weeks).
2. Preheat oven to 180C.
3. Line a 35cm x 25cm lipped baking tray with baking paper. Combine the ingredients for the spiced crust in a bowl and,using your hands,work the mixture until fully incorporated.
4. Press the mixture into the lined tray in an even layer. Bake in the oven until lightly golden,18-20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool before spreading the fruit mince across the top of the baked crust.
5. Using a cookie cutter,press out shapes of pastry from the sheet of shortcrust. Gently arrange the pastry cut-outs on top of the fruit mince layer. Return the tray to the oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry shapes are golden. Remove,allow to cool completely*,then dust with icing sugar. The slab will keep in the fridge for 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Tip: I used a holly-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the pastry but use whatever shape you have on had;any repeated pattern looks great.
*Warning: if you are impatient and pull this from the oven to serve piping-hot,the base will crumble. However,in this glorious hot spiced state with a hefty dollop of vanilla bean ice-cream,no one will judge.