Festive pinwheels

Hello Eleanor here.

I have been making mincemeat pinwheels:

but to start with, I made my own mincemeat. This way, you can include only the ingredients you know you and your family like. Mine don't enjoy nuts in mincemeat, or suet, so I use any dried fruit I have in the cupboard:

such as raisins, sultanas, chopped dried apples, apricots, prunes and figs (but not too many!).

Then add dark brown sugar, grate over some nutmeg, and shake in some mixed spice and ground cinnamon:

Next I grated over a large cooking apple (and in the time it took to wash my sticky hands and take a photo, the apple was starting to brown, but you know, it doesn't really matter, as by the time this has matured, it will all be browner than brown):

Finally, pour over a good cup of alcohol - I used cognac, as it was the first bottle I found and since we don't drink it seems like a good use of a gift my husband was given some 15 years ago - and give it a stir.

Now cover and leave for a week, stirring every day, then either use it or pot it up.

Of course, this batch is not ready in time for my pinwheels, so I've used the last jar from last November, and my is it mature!

I used a block of defrosted frozen puff pastry, cut into 12 squares.

Roll each square out to about 5 or 6 inches, paint a milky border around the edges, dollop a spoon of mincemeat into the centre and use a knife to cut from each corner up to the fruit.

Now, one corner at a time, as if you were making a child's windmill, fold in and lightly press to seal.

Now slather on some more milk and bake at 180C for about 20 minutes, but keep an eye.

Leave to cool, and then make up some thin icing with a dribble of hot water and a big cup of icing sugar, drizzle over the top, making sure to include each arm of the windmill, as there is no fruit in there, so you need some lovely sweet icing on. And finally, half a maraschino cherry on each (juicy almond flavour cocktail cherries in a jar) and you're done.

Perfect for the school Christmas Fayre, a sweet nibble at a boring meeting, or a gift for a friend who doesn't bake. (or in our case, for breakfast.)

Cheerio.

Comments

[Julia]

YUMM!!!!

[Suzanne]

Look yummy and great instructions too, thanks.

[joy aitman]

I am a secret mincemeat addict so I am looking forward to making these. Yum.

[GlitteryKatie]

Yum!

[Denise]

These look amazing!! That being said, I am not a mincemeat fan. I wonder how well it would work if you perhaps used apple or cherry pie filling?

[Eleanor]

It would be amazing Denise. Preferably a 'tart' filling (groan) to offset the sweet icing. I love sour fillings, the sharper the apple the better in our house.
E
xx

[Scrapdolly]

Oh my - I MUST try these - they sound fabulous