Boozy fruit tart

I love a festive recipe and this is just that. Sticky dates, raisins and sultanas all married together with christmas spices and a good glug of whiskey. If you don't like to drink alcohol you could use apple juice in the place of the whiskey. It is important to assemble the tart with everything as cold as possible so do not skimp on the chilling time for the pastry. This recipe also works very well for traditional mince pies. Just make it as follows but make to a smaller size using a cutters and a cupcake pan. The bake time will be the same. 

Boozy fruit tart

| makes on 23 inch tart or about 24 traditional size mince pies|

INGREDIENTS

For the fruit

• 50g butter (plus 2 tbsps more for dotting)

• 1 bramley apple, peeled and coarsely grated

• 170g sultanas

• 150g raisins

• 100g medjoul dates, pitted and roughly chopped (roughly 5 dates)

• 1 orange, zest and juice

• zest of ½ a lemon

• 200ml whiskey, brandy or cognac

• 1 tsp mixed spice

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1 whole star anise

• pinch of salt

• icing sugar to finish

For the spelt pastry

• 225g white spelt flour (plain white works too)

• 25g icing sugar

• 150g butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten (plus one extra for brushing)

• 2tbsp ice cold water

METHOD

• To make the boozy fruit place all of the listed ingredients into a large heavy bottomed saucepan or dutch oven. Cook over a medium heat stirring to combine until the butter has melted. Cover with the lid and reduce to a simmer.

• Cook for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally until the fruit is soft and plump and most of  the liquid has been absorbed. Fish out the star anise, allow your fruit to cool fully.

• To make the pastry place your flour and icing sugar in the food processor and blitz to combine. Add your butter and process until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Do not over process or you will have a tough pastry

• Add your egg and water and process again just until the pastry forms a ball. Tear about one third off and set this aside. Be careful not to handle the pastry too much.

• Transfer your larger ball of pastry to a lightly floured work surface. Pull off about a third and shape each piece into a flat disk. Wrap each pastry disk and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

• Flour a surface and roll out the large pastry dish to line a 23cm loose bottomed fluted tart dish the pastry. Return to the fridge for a further 30 mins.  

• Spoon in your chilled boozy fruit and dot over about 2 tablespoons of butter breaking it into small pieces as giving the pie and even dotting.

• Roll out your smaller piece of pastry to a circle about the same size as the tart pan. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife slice it into 9 even width strips (they should be around 2cm wide).

• Gently layer over your strips in a lattice pattern (over under, over under etc) rotating the tart each time you place another strip on. Seal and trim the edges to your tart pan.

• Brush the pastry over lightly with beaten egg and bake for 45 minutes or until the pastry has lightly browned. Remove and place on a wire wrack to cool slightly.

• As an option you can sift over some icing sugar if you like. You can enjoy this warm or cool. I prefer it warm served with double cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.