Hazelnut Christmas Pies

Originally called "mince pies," these are a popular English Christmas pastry dating back to the 15th century. They are made from a delicate pastry and a rich fruit filling, which is so beloved in England that it is sold in jars. This time, we present a variation of the popular holiday pastry with a hazelnut shortcrust pastry and a homemade fruit filling.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 70 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 20 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 36

Ingredients

Dough

  • 150 g Wheat flour, white, multi-purpose

  • 50 g Nuts, hazelnuts

  • 60 kg Powdered sugar

  • 125 g Butter, unsalted

  • 1 piece Egg, egg yolk, fresh

  • pieces Powdered sugar

Sadni nadev

  • 50 g Raisins, golden

  • 50 g Raisins

  • 50 g Cranberries, dried

  • 50 g Date, fresh or dried

  • 50 g Candied fruit

  • 50 g Candied fruit

  • 0.5 piece Apple, fresh

  • 2 spoons Sugar, brown

  • 1 spoon Alcohol, Whisky

  • 1 spoon Marmalade, orange

  • 1 teaspoon Spices, cinnamon, ground

Steps

  1. First, prepare the fruit filling. Finely chop the sultanas, raisins, cranberries, dates, and candied cherries. Wash, peel, and grate the apple. Discard the core and stem. In a bowl, combine the chopped dried and candied fruit with the grated apple. Add sugar, brandy, marmalade, and spices, and mix everything well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two days, allowing the dried fruit to soak up the spices. Stir the fruit mixture several times during this period.

  2. Once the fruit filling is ready, prepare the shortcrust pastry. In a large bowl, mix the flour, ground hazelnuts, and powdered sugar. Add the diced butter to the mixture. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients, lifting the mixture to make it airy and crumbly. Add the egg yolk and quickly knead everything together to form a uniform dough. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

  3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Take 1/3 of the dough to create two pieces—one larger and one smaller. Roll out the larger piece on a lightly floured surface into a circle about 2 mm thick. Use a round cutter (8 cm in diameter) to cut out 36 circles. Grease the mini muffin tin well, then carefully place the cut-out circles into the molds, gently pressing them against the bottom and sides to form neat "baskets." Fill the pastry baskets with the fruit filling. Roll out the smaller piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a circle about 2 mm thick. Use a smaller round cutter (4 mm in diameter) to cut out 36 circles. Cut a small star shape in the center of each circle. Cover the filling with these circles and gently press the edges together to seal the pies (trim any excess dough). Place the muffin tin with the pies in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

  4. Bake the pies in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Before baking, you can brush them with a mixture of beaten egg yolk and milk if desired. Let the baked pastries cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar, arrange on a plate, and serve.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 388.91 kcal
  • Fat: 0.22 g
    • Saturated Fat: 0.11 g
  • Carbohydrates: 98.44 g
    • Sugars: 96.15 g
  • Protein: 0.04 g
  • Fiber: 0.03 g