Visions of Sugar Plums

 

I haven't put a single stitch in single project in ages but I have tried to figure out how to use my small air fryer for holiday baking. It took a lot of experimentation.

I really, really wanted a mince pie and couldn't find one in the shops so.....

...I made some mincemeat and gave it a try using a little pie pan that would fit in the fryer. 

I set it on a low temp so it would have a long bake and in no time at all the spicy smell of mincemeat filled the house. 

I couldn't believe it. It was perfect. I did pop it out the the tin and turn it over to crisp up the bottom crust a bit. I had a slice at dinner and it was a good as a mince pie gets. It held its shape beautifully. I was so chuffed that I used the leftovers and made a little mincemeat tart which was equally delicious. 

Then I got to work filling the little cookie tin. After several tries I figured out you also have to turn them over and give the back a bake to get them crisp. The hard part was letting them cool down before you handle them or they just break apart. I ate a lot of rejects. Making 4 cookies at a time in the small fryer was a bit of a slog but with the right holiday music and a mug full of boozy eggnog they were a very nice couple of afternoons indeed.