Christmas chocolate mince pies served with Gluhwien

With Christmas fast approaching I am kicking off my blogs again. After a short absence due to rebuilding my sons website.  After my sons site was maliciously hacked after it became fairly successful in the 10 months it was up, obtaining up to around 100,000 hit per month.  We know it will take time to rebuild  to that status so if you enjoy reviews of just about anything please give it a visit and add your support, you will find that these reviews are not commercial but pure honest opinions of their subject matter and written by ordinary people totally committed to giving their views and opinions. So please visit http://www.fanglewurzle.com/ and add your support thank you.
That's all for my promo and back to Christmas and my latest recipe I have been doing this recipe for some years now and it is great for all those gatherings over the festive period and can be made in advance and stored in a air tight container I'm not really sure for how long because they never last that long before they are eaten so I suggest make a test batch then when you make the main batch double the amount you originally set out to make, because they won't go to waste and I'am sure you will not have to store them for long and as for the Gluhwien that wont last long either on a cold winters night.

For the pastry
280g plain flour
25g ground almonds
175g butter
85g golden caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp whole milk
For the mincemeat
100g sultanas
100g raisins
100g currants
100g semi-dried apricots
50g cacao, finely grated
3 apples, such as russet or cox, peeled and grated
1 tbsp each light brown and dark brown muscovado sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon grated nutmeg and mixed spice
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4-1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
Zest and juice of 2 lemons or oranges
5 tbsp rum or Calvados or Grand Marnier or cognac
2 tbsp olive oil
Icing sugar, to finish


Instructions
1. Prepare the pastry by putting the flour and almonds into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until it looks like very fine breadcrumbs.

2. Sprinkle in the sugar and add the lemon zest, egg yolk and milk and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together. Tip the mixture onto a board and gently squeeze the pastry until it comes together into a ball - add water if it feels dry. Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

3. Heat oven to 190°C. Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of few millimetres. Using a 7cm fluted cutter, cut out 24 discs and line 2 x 12 hole bun tin with them. Use a 6cm fluted cutter to cut 24 discs for the lids.

4. Make the mincemeat by putting the sultanas, raisons, currants and apricots in a food processor. Blitz until evenly chopped. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

5. Spoon 2 tsp of mincemeat into each tart, dampen the edge of the pastry bottom with water and sit a smaller pastry disc on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and cool on a wire rack. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar.

The important part Gluhwien

Ingredients

100ml (3½fl oz) golden caster sugar

300ml (½ pint) water

half lemon, sliced

10 whole cloves

2 star annisse 

4 small cinnamon sticks

1 bottle full-bodied red wine

1 orange, sliced for garnish

Macs tip

Adjust the spices to your own personal taste add more or less of one or the other.This all so works with the Gluhwien.please remember Never drink and drive Gluhwien is alcohol around about 14% proof .

Chocolate facts

Antioxidant-rich diets have been linked to a lowered risk of heart attacks, stroke, cardiovascular disease, cancer, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer's and more. So it stands to reason that if chocolate is chock full of antioxidants, it's actually good for you.

Whisky chocolate mousse in marbled chocolate bowls.

Today  I have decided to do something a bit different, I am going to combine a dish which is really nice and strictly for adults. With a technique that I usually use for kids parties so just to clarify the dish is a Whisky Chocolate Mousse served in marbled chocolate bowls this is a very different way of serving a dessert and a bit of a novelty and a good talking point at a boring dinner party, not that I can imagine any of you ever have boring dinner party guests.These bowls are easily made and you can improvise and use whatever designs or chocolate you want to create the effect you want I.E. dark chocolate and milk chocolate or white chocolate or even pipe names or slogans on the bowls or if your guests are that boring even insults the perfect way to end a dinner party maybe just write good night. I have used different images to try and give you some ideas and to show the possibilities are endless.

A light marbled effect

Ingredients
Chocolate cups
300g good quality white chocolate
60g good quality gluten free milk chocolate

Shortbread base
175g butter, softened
85g golden caster sugar
180g gluten free plain flour
50g cornflour (gluten free, check packaging)

Chocolate mousse
160g 70% cocoa dark chocolate
40g gluten free milk chocolate
3 large free range eggs (at room temperature)
Approx 1 tbsp whisky, according to taste
40g caster sugar

Decoration
100g caster sugar, plus extra for coating
6 fresh strawberries
A little strawberry jam, warmed

Heavily marbled effect.

Instructions
Chocolate cups
1.Blow up six balloons (use water balloons as they are small).
2.Break the white chocolate into a small deep bowl. Melt in the microwave on the 500w setting (keep checking the chocolate and give it a good stir every so often).
3.Repeat with the milk chocolate.
With a teaspoon, drizzle the milk chocolate into the white chocolate (criss-crosses are nice).
4.Dip the balloons into the chocolate so that it comes half way up the sides then sit the balloons, chocolate-side down, on a tray lined with baking paper. Place them in the fridge to harden.
5.Once the chocolate has hardened, pop the balloons.
Shortbread base
1.Preheat the oven to 150C.
2.Beat the butter and sugar together in a food processor.
3.Sift together the flour and cornflour.
4.Whilst the food processor is still running, add a spoonful of the flour mixture at a time until all flour is fully incorporated. Beat well for another minute.
5.Use a spatula to scoop the mixture onto a sheet of cling film. Wrap into a ball and refrigerate for approximately 25 minutes, or until firm.
6.Once firm, roll out the dough between two sheets of cling film. Lift the top layer of cling up and dot some jam around the dough. Fold over and repeat until the dough is full of little dots of jam (do not mix together or the dough will turn pink!).
Roll the dough out to a thickness of around 0.75cm.
7.Cut out six circles of dough and place onto a lined baking sheet. Prick with tops with a fork.
8.Cook in the centre of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until just starting to brown.
9.Place the shortbreads on a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.

Chocolate mousse
1.Place the chocolate and 50ml warm water in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and heat gently until melted. Leave to cool for a couple of minutes.
2.Separate the eggs and mix the egg yolks with the chocolate mixture until smooth.
3.Add the whisky (to taste) and mix to incorporate.
Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks appear.
4.Add the sugar a bit at a time, whisking after each addition until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
5.Using a metal spoon, mix a spoonful of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it, then very gently fold the remaining egg whites a bit at a time into the chocolate. Make sure all the whites are properly incorporated.
6.Fill the chocolate cups with the mousse mixture then refrigerate for 90 minutes.

Decoration
Add the sugar and 50ml water to a small pan and simmer to dissolve the sugar.
Leaving the leaves on the strawberries, slice them into little fans.
Place the strawberries in the pan and simmer for two minutes then leave in the pan, off the heat for a further two minutes.
With a slotted spoon, remove the strawberries from the pan and coat in a little extra sugar.
Warm a little jam and place in a squeezy bottle.

To serve
Make zigzags of jam across each plate. Place a chocolate cup filled with chocolate mousse in the centre of the plate and serve with the shortbreads. Place a sugared strawberry on top of the shortbread and serve.


Chocolate facts

The best way to store chocolate is by wrapping it in foil and then placing it in plastic. Keep it at a constant temperature of 65 degrees F and 50% humidity.
Dark chocolate stored under perfect conditions will last for 10 years.