The fruit mince tart (or fruit mince pie), is a classic Christmas creation. It takes lots of work to make these small tarts, but the process is very rewarding! The best mince tarts have the perfect balance between buttery pastry and spicy, moist fruit and we’ve worked hard over many years to perfect our recipe and achieve that balance.

At Irrewarra we make our own fruit mince from scratch. We grate Granny Smith apples, then macerate the apple and dried fruits – currants, raisins, dates and prunes – in proper French brandy and a mix of spices. The secret of our mince is the unique blend of fruit: our whole vine fruits return to their pre-dried form as they absorb the brandy and juice from the grated apples. We don’t use mixed peel in our tarts as we find it too firm and harsh – instead we add a burst of citrus with a small amount of freshly finely grated orange zest. Our pastry is a rich shortcrust made with fresh local Moorpark free-range eggs combined with local fresh butter, all rolled and cut by hand.