Method

Berry Mince Pie Filling

Soak the berries in the brandy and lemon juice for 1 hour, then drain and set the liquid aside.
Add the spice, sugar and butter to the fruit and mix to combine.
Leave this mixture in the fridge overnight to soak, or for at least 5 hours before use.

Pie Crust

Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean bowl. Rub the butter quickly into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles rough sand. Alternatively, this step can be done in a food processor.

Stir the egg in to the mixture. Add cold water a teaspoon at a time and stir until the mixture binds but is not sticky.

Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for a minimum of 15 minutes, or up to 30 minutes before using

To Assemble

Separate the dough into 2 halves. Roll the one half out to the thickness of 2mm then cut and line tart cases or a muffin tray. Roll the other half out to 1.5 mm and cut out Christmas shapes, which will form the tops of your tartlets.

Take the filling mixture out of the fridge and place into a mixer and mix for 5 minutes to combine.

Then place a tablespoon into each tart case. Place the dough shapes on the top and bake until golden brown about 10 minutes.

Once baked take out and sprinkle with castor sugar. Remove from the tart moulds only once the pies have cooled slightly otherwise they will crumble.

Serve warm or cold.