Mincemeat Torte Food

MINCE TART WITH CRUMBLE TOPPING

Steps:

• First, make the pastry. Using a tabletop mixer or an electric hand whisk, cream together the butter and sugar with a pinch of salt until soft and fluffy. Add the yolks, then fold in the flour until the pastry just comes together, being careful not to overwork. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 1 hr.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Cook the butter, sugar, orange zest, apple and cinnamon over a medium heat for 15 mins or until you have a thick purée. Add the dried fruit and mixed peel for the final 1-2 mins, then remove from the heat. Once cool, remove the cinnamon stick, and stir in the brandy and suet.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin, then use to line a 25cm loose-bottomed tart case. Return to the fridge for 30 mins until well chilled.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Prick the base of the tart case with a fork, line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake for 12 mins, then remove the baking beans and parchment and cook for 3 mins more.
• Meanwhile, put the flour, sugar and butter for the crumble in a bowl. Rub together with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs, then mix in the frosted walnuts.
• Spoon the mincemeat filling into the pastry case and cover with the crumble. Return to the oven for 30 mins until bubbling at the edges and the topping is golden and gooey. Serve warm or cool with custard or clotted cream.

LINZERTORTE

Steps:

• To make the marzipan, sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and stir in the almonds and caster sugar. Beat the eggs with the almond extract and lemon juice. Using a large spoon, stir the eggs into the almonds and sugar until the mixture begins to come together. Use your hands to combine the mixture into a stiff but pliable paste.
• Dust a work surface with sifted icing sugar and knead the marzipan for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Return to the bowl, cover with cling film and leave to stand for 1-2 hours before using. This allows the almonds to swell and absorb some of the moisture from the egg mixture.
• To make the pastry, put the flour, almonds, caster sugar and butter into a food processor and blend until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and a pinch of salt and pulse until it forms a ball of dough. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Place a baking tray in the oven to heat up.
• Remove the pastry from the fridge and slice off one third. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the larger piece to line a 25cm/10in flan tin. Place and press into the tin. Dust the surface with more flour and roll out the marzipan so that it will cover the base of the tin. Place ontop of the pastry. Spread the mincemeat evenly over the marzipan.
• Dust the surface with flour, roll out the remaining pastry and cut into equal strips. Make a lattice design on top of the mincemeat or alternatively cut out shapes to cover most of the mincemeat.
• Brush the pastry with milk, place on the preheated baking tray and bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden-brown. Dust with icing sugar. Serve hot or cold, with cream.

MINCEMEAT CREAM CHEESE PASTRIES

Steps:

• About 1 hour before baking, combine flour, cream cheese, and butter and mix well.
• Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
• Combine mincemeat and nuts and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Divide dough in half, refrigerate one half.
• On well floured surface, thinly roll out dough into a large rectangle; cut into 3 inch squares.
• Place level teaspoons of filling in center of square and fold dough over filling, bringing ends together and forming a triangle.
• With a fork dipped in flour, press edges together and prick a few holes in the top.
• Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle a little sugar on top.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Reroll trimmings for more pastries.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
• Let cool on wire racks.

GINGERSNAP MINCEMEAT TORTE

Steps:

• Line a buttered 8-inch round cake pan with a round of wax paper, and dust the pan with flour, knocking out the excess. In a small bowl stir together the gingersnap crumbs and the baking powder. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg yolks and the sugar until the mixture is thick and pale and beat in the mincemeat and the crumb mixture. In another bowl with cleaned beaters beat the whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks, stir one third of them into the batter to lighten the batter, and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Turn the batter into the prepared pan, bake the torte in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 20 minutes, or until it begins to shrink from the side of the pan, and transfer it to a rack. Let the torte cool for 15 minutes and invert it onto the rack. Discard the wax paper and invert the torte onto a plate. Serve the torte, cut into wedges, with the ice cream.

MINCEMEAT, MARZIPAN & APPLE TARTE FINE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with baking parchment, and unroll the pastry on top. Prick all over with a fork, then spread the mincemeat over the pastry so it's covered in a thin layer, leaving a 1cm border around the edges. Chill for 20 mins.
• Roll the marzipan out on a work surface dusted with icing sugar to a roughly 30 x 21cm rectangle that's about 2mm thick. Drape it over the rolling pin and lay over the pastry, on top of the mincemeat layer. It should fit neatly in the middle of the pastry, within the border. Chill for another 20 mins.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking sheet inside. Peel and core the apples, but keep them whole. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, thinly slice the apples crosswise, so you end up with thin apple rings. Arrange the apple rings over the marzipan in an overlapping tight spiral shape that goes from the outside into the centre, or in neat overlapping lines. Dot over the butter and sprinkle with the sugar.
• Bake for 35-40 mins until the apples are golden and caramelised, and the pastry is cooked through. Serve in small slices with crème fraîche. Will keep, covered in the fridge, for up to three days.

MINCEMEAT TORTE

Steps:

• Combine crumbs, baking powder and salt set aside. Gradually add sugar to eggs, beating until very thick fold in crumbs, mincemeat, nuts and lemon rind. Turn mixture into a well-greased 9 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut in squares and serve warm with Tangy Lemon Sauce or sweetened whipped cream.