Fruit Mince Pies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups golden raisins or raisins
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 None apple, peeled, cored and grated
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 tbsp chopped glace cherries
2 tbsp brandy
1 tbsp mixed citrus peel
1 tsp mixed spice, such as pumpkin pie spice
None None FOR THE PASTRY
2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar, plus additional, for sprinkling
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, chopped
1 None egg yolk
1 tbsp lemon juice
None None Milk, for brushing

Preparation

For the fruit mince, combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon into screw top jars. Store in a cool, dry place, turning occasionally, for 5 days.
Lightly grease 2 shallow 12-cup muffin pans.
For the pastry, sift flour into a large bowl. Stir in sugar. Rub in butter, until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add 1/4 cup water, egg yolk and lemon juice. Mix to a pliable dough - mixture will cling together when it is pressed together lightly. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 mins to rest.
Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Roll out 2/3 of the pastry between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a 2 3/4-inch cutter. Press into prepared pans.
Spoon 2 tsp of prepared fruit mince into each muffin cup. Roll out remaining pastry. Cut out rounds with 2-inch cutter. Cut out small holes from some of these rounds. (If desired, cut out a few small festive shapes.) Place rounds on top of pies, pressing edges together to seal. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. (Place festive shapes on top of the rounds.)
Bake for 15-20 mins, until golden. Cool in pan 5 mins. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Store in airtight container.