mince-pie-tiffin-bites.png
This recipe is another nod to the Anglo-Indian influence which is strong in Durban. The word tiffin came into Anglo-Indian in the late 19th century. It is ultimately derived from “tiffing”, an English colloquial term meaning to take a little drink. This became ‘tiffin’ and came to mean a light tea-time meal taken at about 3 p.m., or to a light breakfast consisting of typical tea-time foods. Today, however, in certain parts of India, it can also refer to the midday luncheon or, in some regions of the Indian subcontinent, a between-meal snack. The word came back to the UK and in the early 1900s in Troon, Scotland a chocolate-based fridge cake of crushed biscuits (most commonly digestive biscuits), sugar, syrup, raisins, cherries and cocoa powder, typically covered with a layer of melted chocolate was developed and given the name ‘tiffin’. In UK usage, tiffin refers to these fridge cakes still. This version makes the most of left-over mince pies that may be going a little stale by turning them into a tiffin. As the tiffin will keep for two weeks in the fridge, this is a great recipe for reducing food waste.
25 mins prep/180 mins (chilling) cook/makes 36
Ingredients:
100g (1 ¼ cups) skin-on almonds (or hazelnuts or walnuts)
85g (1/2 cup) glacé cherries, quartered and rinsed
60g (1/2 cup) dried cranberries
2 tbsp brandy (or orange juice)
125g (5/8 cup) butter
100ml (1/2 cup less 1 tbsp) golden syrup (light corn syrup)
20g (1/5 cup) cocoa powder
Finely-grated zest of 1 orange
150g (7/8 cup) dark chocolate, chopped (50%-72% cocoa solids)
about 275g (3/5 lb) mince pies (roughly 5)
pinch of sea salt
For the topping:
100g (5/8 cup) milk chocolate, chopped
100g (5/8 cup) dark chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp double cream
Method:
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C Fan, 390°F, gas mark 6). Arrange your almonds in a single layer on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 5 minutes. Turn into a bowl and set aside to cool. Combine 60g (1/3 cup) of the cherries, 40g (3/8 cup) of the cranberries and the brandy (or orange juice) in a small bowl and set aside to infuse and soften.
Coarsely chop the remaining glacé cherries along with the cranberries and set aside to make the topping. Line a 20cm (8 in) square cake tin or baking dish with baking paper or greaseproof (waxed) paper and set aside.
Combine the butter, syrup, cocoa, orange zest and a pinch of salt in a large saucepan and heat, stirring, until smooth and melted. Stir in the 150g chopped dark chocolate, mixing well to combine, then remove from the heat and set aside, stirring occasionally, allowing the chocolate to melt fully.
Once the chocolate has completely melted stir in the brandied fruit, the toasted almonds and finally the broken-up mince pie pieces, folding them in gently. Turn the resultant mixture into the lined tin or dish, smooth over the top with a spatula, cover and chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator, until set.
At this point, combine the chocolate and cream for the topping in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water; leave to melt, stirring frequently. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Pour over the tiffin and smooth out.
Scatter over the reserved chopped cherries and cranberries. Transfer to your refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, until firm. Slice into squares to serve.
The tiffin keeps for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge, or can be frozen.
