Clifton puffs
A sweet puff pastry parcel filled with brandy soaked fruits and almonds. You could use a jar of readymade mincemeat as a substitute if you prefer.
Ingredients
For the mincemeat
- 100g/3½oz raisins or sultanas
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú currants
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú pitted dates, chopped
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú candied orange peel, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zest
- 2 eating apples, peeled and finely diced
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú soft dark brown sugar
- 75ml/2½fl oz brandy or rum
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú ground almonds
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú almonds, finely chopped
- few drops almond extract (optional)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
For the puffs
- 320g rolled puff pastry
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
Method
Put the dried fruit, zest and apples in a small saucepan with the sugar. Pour over the alcohol and heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Cover and leave to sit on a low heat for 5 minutes – you should find most of the liquid will be absorbed by the dried fruit in this time.
Stir in the ground almonds, chopped almonds, almond extract and cinnamon. Add a generous pinch of salt and leave to cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Roll out the pastry to around 32x40cm/13x16in and cut it into 20x8cm/8x3in squares. Put a spoonful of the filling in the centre of each square and brush the edges of the pastry squares with beaten egg. Bring the corners of each square into the middle to cover the filling and pinch the pastry edges together to enclose the filling. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes, turning once, until a rich golden brown with a piping hot filling. Best served hot or warmed through.