Ingredients:
Makes 12 Pies
For the pastry:
225g Butter, cold and diced
350g Plain flour
100g Soft brown sugar
1 egg
For the filling
1 Large Orange
3 Eggs
110g Caster Sugar
60g Ground almond
50g Self raising flour
400g Mince meat
12 Whole almonds
Method:
For the pastry:
- In a mixing bowl add the butter and flour. Rub together until evenly mixed and the consistency of coarse sand.
- Add the egg and mix to form a dough.
- Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Using a 12 slot muffin tin ( at least 1 inch deep), grease the inside thouroughly with butter.
- Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured to the thickness of a one pound coin ( 2mm)
- Cut discs with a circumference 1.5cm wider than the top of the muffin tins, carefully line the muffin holes with the pastry, ensuring there are no air pockets between the tin and pastry. The pastry should go just about all of the way up the sides.
For the filling:
- Place the orange in a large saucepan filled with water, bring to the boil and simmer for two hours.
- Remove the orange from the water and allow to cool.
- Remove the flesh from the skin and puree the flesh, removing any seeds.
- In a mixing bowl crack the eggs and add the sugar, whisk vigorously by hand or with an electric whisk until pale and moussey.
- Fold in the orange puree followed by the ground almond and self raising flour.
- Half fill the pastry cases with mince meat and top up the rest of the way with the orange and almond mix. Place a whole almond on top.
- Pre-heat an oven to 160 degrees C ( 325 degrees F) gas mark 3
- Bake the pies for 20 minutes, the Orange mixture should be firm and the pastry crisp.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing carefully from the tins.
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