Place 3 teaspoons of Spiced Christmas Tea in a small heat-proof jug and pour over 150ml boiling water. Allow to steep for 10 minutes.

In a small mixing bowl, place dried cranberries and apricots. Strain the brewed tea over the fruit and allow the fruit to sit and plump, covered, for at least an hour.

When fruit has steeped, strain off any liquid and place soaked fruit in a mixing bowl with the fruit mince, brown sugar and grated apple. Finely grind the remaining 2 teaspoons of Spiced Christmas Tea using a small spice grinder or mortar and pestle, and add to the mixture, stirring well. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 190°C (fan-forced) and lightly grease 18 holes of two 12-hole patty-pan tins with butter. Cut 18 circles of pastry slightly larger than your patty holes and gently press one into each hole. Cut 18 stars from remaining pastry, re-rolling pastry off-cuts if necessary. Place bases and stars in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

When pastry has chilled, remove from the fridge and spoon a tablespoon of fruit mince mixture into each pastry base. Top with a pastry star and brush lightly with beaten egg. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is golden and fruit mince is bubbling.

Allow pies to cool in the tins for a few minutes before using a flat-bladed knife to gently ease from the tins. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Whilst pies are cooling, mix icing sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Just before serving, dust pies with cinnamon and icing sugar mixture. Whilst best eaten the day they are made, mince pies will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for a day or two.