Holiday Desserts Around the World: Australian Mince Tartelettes Recipe
Food plays a powerful role in culture, which is why when I travel, I wander through grocery stores, browse local markets, take cooking classes, and sample both humble and elevated versions of regional dishes. But during the holiday season, when travel is harder, there’s another way to explore the world: cooking.
If you're craving a culinary getaway, but can’t hop on a plane, choose a recipe from a different culture and allow its ingredients, cooking techniques and flavors to transport you. With the holidays approaching, it’s especially fun to explore traditional seasonal dishes from around the globe (mulled wine, anyone)?
As part of our series sharing holiday recipes from ICE chef-instructors, past and present, this dish comes from Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Kathryn Gordon, and is inspired by her time spent down under.
Get to Know Chef Kathryn Gordon
Like many ICE students, Chef Kathryn is a career changer. After earning an MBA at New York University, she worked as a Wall Street consultant before pursuing her passion for pastry and baking.
Since then, Chef Kathryn has built a remarkable career predicated on work experience in lauded New York restaurants like Windows on the World, Tavern on the Green, Le Cirque and Le Bernardin (where ICE graduate Orlando Soto now leads the pastry kitchen).
Over the course of her 30-plus years in the industry, Chef Kathryn has:
- Taught at ICE for over two decades, instructing both Pastry & Baking Arts and Restaurant & Culinary Management
- Competed in national and regional pastry competitions, and co-hosted the National Pastry Championship for 12 years
- Co-founded Food Startup Health, a startup consultancy agency supporting food entrepreneurs
- Volunteered with the Billion Oyster Project and remained an active member of Les Dames d’Escoffier and Culinary Historians of New York
She’s also authored numerous books.
In "Les Petits Macarons: Colorful French Confections to Make at Home" (co-authored with Anne E. McBride), Chef Kathryn shares elegant and classic recipes for flavored shells and fillings like blackberry, pistachio, lemon curd and dark chocolate ganache.
What’s unexpected are the savory pairings she encourages home cooks to experiment with: macaroon shells made from saffron, parsley or ancho chile, paired with fillings like hummus or duck confit with port and fig.
“I’m the type of person who will order the most unusual dessert on a menu,” says Chef Kathryn.
Desserts Down Under: Mince Tartelettes
Chef Kathryn draws culinary inspiration “from [her] experience eating and cooking in various places.”
“I moved to Australia the week of my 11th birthday and went to high school in London. During those years, I fell in love with spiced fruit desserts. Fruitcake often gets a bad rap in this country, but in Australia and England, it is beloved and the traditional wedding cake! I love steamed plum pudding, too — traditionally served flaming with brandy and a sprig of holly," noting, of course, that the holly is an inedible decoration.
It was in Australia that Chef Kathryn discovered one of her favorite treats: fruity mince pies made with flaky dough.
The filling features a blend of dried fruits like raisins, currants, apricots, cranberries, prunes, and apples that are gently simmered with citrus, spice, brandy, and juice until deeply fragrant.
“You can make them larger if you want,” she says, “but I like them mini because they fit in your hand and you can eat them while enjoying a steaming cup of milky tea.”
More Holiday Recipes from Around the Globe
Sample Australian cuisine with these festive pastries from Chef Kathryn. Like so many holiday classics, these fruity tartelettes are nostalgic, comforting, and perfect for sharing.
The first recipe in this collection took us to Sweden for classic Swedish meatballs. Next, we’re headed to Alsace, France, for a dish that brings its own memories and culinary traditions.
Ingredients
Tartelette Dough
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups cake flour
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- ½ cup milk, cold
Mince Filling
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup currants
- 1 cup prunes
- ½ cup dried apricots
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon candied ginger
- 1 tablespoon candied orange confit
- 2 cups dried apple slices
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 6 cloves
- 4 peppercorns
- Peel of 1 lemon
- Peel of 1 orange
- ½ vanilla bean
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 cups apple cider
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons brandy
Assembly & Baking
- 1 egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon water
- Granulated sugar
Directions
Tartelette Dough
- Cut butter into 1-inch pieces and place in food processor with flours, confectioners’ sugar and salt.
- Pulse quickly; do not let pieces get too small.
- Add zests and milk when butter pieces are cranberry-size. Mix only until dough forms.
- Take a handful of dough and smear it onto a piece of parchment paper in a sliding, upward motion. Set aside. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Gently pat dough flat in between pieces of parchment paper.
- Refrigerate one hour before rolling.
- Roll ⅛” thin and cut into (32) 3-inch disks.
Mince Filling
- Pulse one fruit at a time in a food processor until diced small, about ¼”. Place fruit into a wide saucepan and repeat until all fruit is cut.
- Wrap cinnamon sticks, cloves, peppercorns, and orange and lemon peels in cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni, add to pan.
- Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into sugar, and add mixture and pod to pan. Add orange juice, apple cider, salt and brandy to pan and cook over low-medium heat for 45 minutes, until juices are absorbed into fruit.
- Cool, then remove bouquet garni and vanilla bean.
Assembly & Baking:
- Lay cold dough disks on parchment paper and brush with half of egg wash.
- Place 1 tablespoon of minced fruit in the center, and top with second piece of dough. Pinch edges to crimp with floured fingers, then crimp edges with a fork.
- Place on parchment-lined sheet pan. Brush tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Pierce tops to make a decorative design.
- Freeze for 15 minutes to set shape. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven until golden, about 20 minutes.
A Note From Our Chef
Traditional mince contained beef suet, but this easy version is vegetarian.
