Ingredients
VEG 
1 hour + cooling time 
Makes 24 little pies (halve ingredients to make 12) Filling
- 2 x Pink Lady or Fuji apples, peeled and grated (roughly 300g in total)
- 150g (1 cup) dried currants
- 150g (1 cup) sultanas
- 100g (1/2 cup) mixed peel
- 70g (3/4 cup) flaked almonds
- 100g (1/2 cup packed) brown sugar
- 60g butter
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 100ml brandy
- Pinch sea salt
Pastry
- 2 x 435g sheets good quality store-bought sweet shortcrust pastry (1 sheet for 12 pies, 2 sheets for 24 pies)
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- Granulated/raw sugar for sprinkling
- Icing sugar for dusting (optional)
Method
- Preheat your oven to 160°C/325°F (fan forced oven).
- Place the filling ingredients into a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Stirring occasionally, simmer for 25 minutes until the fruit is softened and the liquid is absorbed. Set aside to cool.
- Lightly grease 12 x muffin tins.
- Using a 7cm round cookie cutter, cut 12 rounds of the shortcrust pastry.
- Next, using the relevant cooking cutters, cut 12 stars or mini trees from the dough.
- Add the round dough to the muffin pans and gently press into each hole.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of the cooled fruit mixture into each muffin tin and top with a star or tree-shaped cut dough.
- Brush the tops with a beaten egg and sprinkle with raw sugar.
- Bake at 160°C/325°F for 25-30 minutes or until golden.
- Allow the pies to cool in the tins for 5 minutes before gently removing and placing onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Dust with icing sugar to serve.
NOTE: to make 12 pies instead of 24 simply halve the ingredients.
