'Panforte' pies

christmas dessert christmas-kitchen festive dessert fruit pies indulgent mince pies sweet canape recipes

N/A

Makes 12

Source

Ingredients

140g mixed shelled and blanched nut such as pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds and cashews

375g pack ready-made sweet shortcrust pastry

plain flour , for dusting

50g butter

50g dark brown muscovado sugar

3 tbsp dark maple syrup

50g good-quality chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped

1 egg , beaten

zest ½ orange

50g soft dried fig , chopped to a paste in a food processor

½ tsp cinnamon

150ml whipping cream

1 tbsp icing sugar , plus extra to dust

1 tbsp Cointreau or other Christmassy booze

zest ½ orange

Method

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toast the nuts on a small baking tray for 5-8 mins until golden. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and stamp 12 circles with a 7.5cm plain round cutter. Use to line the wells of a 12-hole bun tin. Chill until step 3. (You will only use around half of the pastry.)

Turn the oven down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Melt the butter, sugar, syrup and chocolate together in a small pan, then beat in the egg, orange zest, figs and cinnamon. Stir in the toasted nuts.

Spoon the nutty mixture into the pastry cases and bake for 18-20 mins until the pastry is pale golden. Cool for 10 mins in the tin, then remove to a rack until just warm. Whip the cream with the sugar and booze, then dust the pies with a little icing sugar and finish with a dollop of cream and a scattering of orange zest just before eating. Good with strong coffee or mint tea.