To ensure the vanilla flavour comes through, make this fruit mince a week or two in advance and refrigerate.

Ingredients

• ½ cup sugar
• 1 soft vanilla pod, diced
• 200 grams dried nectarines, chopped
• 200 grams tropical fruit mix
• 100 grams butter, chilled and diced
• ¼ cup vanilla vodka or Galliano
• 75 grams marzipan
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tblsp water

Rich Short Pastry

• 1½ cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 150 grams butter, chilled and diced
• 2 egg yolks
• 1-2 tblsp chilled water

Method

1. Place sugar and vanilla pod in a food processor and process until the vanilla is finely ground. Add the nectarines, tropical fruit mix and butter, and pulse to make a finely chopped mixture. Pour in the vodka and pulse to mix.
2. Transfer to a sterilised jar, screw on lid and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. To make tarts, roll out the pastry to 3mm thickness on a lightly floured board. Cut out rounds large enough to fit 24 mini muffin tins (or 12 large) and press the circles into the tins. Knead leftover pastry together; leave to rest.
4. Cut the marzipan into 12 x 2mm-thick slices and cut each in half. Place a half at the base of each tart. Fill the tarts with plenty of fruit mince; you will use about half the recipe above.
5. Re-roll the remaining rested pastry out to 3mm thick and cut into small rounds to make tart lids. Make an egg glaze by beating the egg yolk with the water, then brush the underside of each lid with glaze and place on top of the tarts, pressing the edges together. Decorate with remaining pastry scraps if wished. Brush pastry tops with glaze. Bake at 180ºC for 15-18 minutes or until well golden and cooked.

Rich short pastry

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Using a knife, cut in the egg yolks and sufficient water until the pastry begins to form large clumps. It should hold together when a small portion is gathered in the hand and pressed.
2. Turn out the dough and bring together. Wrap in greaseproof paper and refrigerate for 1 hour before using.
3. Alternatively, to make this pastry using a food processor, place the flour, salt and butter into a processor that's fitted with a metal blade and process until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pulse in the egg yolks and sufficient water until the mixture forms small moist balls of dough. Sufficient water has been added when you can gather a small amount of the mixture in your hand and press it together to form a larger mass that holds its shape.
4. Turn out and bring the pastry together, kneading only lightly. Wrap in greaseproof papper and refrigerate for 1 hour before using.

Cooks Tips

Don't over-process the pastry or it will be tough. Save time with bought frozen sweet short pastry sheets. Roll it out thinner, so you don't end up with more pastry than fruit mince.