(makes 8 serves)

Choose croissants which are flaky and buttery and fill with Christmas Fruit Mince to serve at breakfast or mid morning with coffee. Terrific on Christmas morning.


INGREDIENTS
8 croissants
320g Christmas Mince 250 ml
(1 cup) cream (whipped)(optional)
16g (2 tbsp) icing sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

METHOD
Preheat oven to 150ºC.
Make a cut lengthwise across the top of the croissant to about three-quarters of the depth of the croissant. Fill each cut with two rounded tbsp Christmas Fruit Mince.
Place croissants onto a low-sided baking tray and place in a preheated oven for 6-7 minutes to warm.
Remove from oven. If you wish, when cool enough to touch, top each croissant with whipped cream.
In a small bowl combine icing sugar and cinnamon and shake through a fine sieve onto each croissant leaving a generous coating.
Transfer onto a serving plate and serve warm.

CHRISTMAS MINCE

(makes 1.5kg)

INGREDIENTS
125g dates (covered with hot water to soften, drained and chopped)
125g dried apricots (chopped)
250g sultanas
250g currants
250g raisins
62.5ml (1/4 cup) brandy
125g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) brown sugar
280g (2 small) apples (peeled ,cored and finely diced)
250g (2 to 3) bananas (mashed)


Into a food processor fitted with a metal blade place dates, apricots sultanas, currants and raisins and using pulse button on processor chop the fruit.
Remove from processor and add brandy, sugar, apple and banana and combine.
Place in a container with a tightly fitting lid and refrigerate for up to two months.