Ecclefechan tarts

Method

• step 1

  Boil 250ml of water, pour into a bowl, add the teabags and make a very strong tea. Add the sultanas and cranberries, then leave for 15 mins.

• step 2

  Using a 10cm cookie cutter or small plate, cut out six circles of pastry and use them to line the holes of a muffin tin, ensuring the pastry comes up to the top with no air bubbles. Chill for 1 hr. Use any left-over pastry to cut out stars or holly leaf shapes to decorate the top, if you like.

• step 3

  Drain the fruit from the tea and squeeze the grated apple to remove some moisture. Put all the fruit into a mixing bowl with the sugar, orange zest, nutmeg, cinnamon, walnuts and ½ tsp of fine sea salt

• step 4

  Heat the butter in a pan for 4-5 mins until it starts to turn golden brown and smell nutty. Pour the butter over the fruit, along with the molasses. Mix well and leave to cool for 2 mins. Mix in the egg.

• step 5

  Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and put a baking sheet in the oven. Remove the pastry from the fridge, spoon 2 heaped tbsp of filling into each tart, compacting it down, then top with a pastry decoration

• step 6

  Put the tray onto the hot baking sheet and bake for 28-30 mins or until golden. Leave to cool in the tray for 15 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.