INGREDIENTS:

• 300g butter
• 180g icing sugar
• 1 extra large egg
• 2.5ml vanilla essence
• 2.5ml almond essence
• 450g flour, sifted
• 7ml baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 jar of fruit mince

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease two mini-tartlet cases.

Cream together the butter and the icing sugar. Then add the egg, vanilla and almond essence, and beat well. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix to form a soft dough. Rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.

Working with only a third of the pastry - with the rest in the fridge - roll it out to 2mm to 3mm.

Use a scone-cutter of an appropriate size to cut rounds of pastry, then line the mini-tart cases with these rounds. Use a small, star-shaped cookie cutter to cut pastry stars for the lids.

Put a teaspoon of fruit mince into each pastry case and top with a star. Bake for about 12-15 minutes until lightly golden. Repeat process with the rest of the pastry.

MAKES: About 80 mini tartlets

TIME: About one hour 15 minutes