Mincemeat is used in the ultimate British Christmas staple, Mince Pies and are always better when they're homemade The sweet, fruity mincemeat with all of those wonderful festive spices, encased in icing sugar covered, crumbly,buttery pastry, lovely and warm fresh from the oven.. is festive food heaven. My mouth is watering just thinking of them.
 |
| My Homemade Mince Pies |
Shop bought mincemeat is ok...but I much prefer using homemade. This is a recipe I have used for many years...and its always a winner. Im not sure if they stock some of these ingredients in America, if not, I guess I can find some alternatives.
 |
| My Homemade Mincemeat |
Zest and juice of 2 Lemons
Zest and juice of 2 Oranges
8oz Bramley Apples, unpeeled and chopped into small pieces
8oz Candied Peel, chopped
1lb Fresh Cranberries
2oz Almonds, sliced
12oz Raisins
8oz Sultanas
8oz Currants
12oz Soft Dark Brown Sugar
4 level tsps Ground Mixed Spice
½ level tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ level tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated
8oz Beef or Vegetarian Suet, shredded
Makes 6lb Mincemeat
- Start the night before so all the flavours will be given a chance to develop
- Put all ingredients into a large mixing bowl,
- Stir and mix these together very thoroughly
- Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave the mixture in a cool place for 12 hours or overnight
- Pre-heat the oven 225°F,120°C
- Cover the bowl loosely with foil and place in the oven for 3 hours.
- When you remove the mincemeat from the oven, it will appear to be swimming in fat.
- As it cools stir it from time to time; the fat will coagulate
- This coats all the fruits, including the apples and cranberries, and seals in the juices. This is how it should be and in no way affects the superb flavour.
- When the mincemeat is quite cold, you can stir in 6 tablespoons brandy, if you like
- Pack into the clean, sterilized, dry jars, cover with wax discs and seal.
- Don't forget to put the labels on when the mincemeat is cold or they'll simply peel off.
- It will keep in a cool, dark cupboard indefinitely, but I think it is best eaten within a year of making
Next time I will share my recipe for delicious Mince Pies
Love and Hugs
Phoebe x
I have always though mincemeat pies were disgusting, but I never knew what was in the mince. It really sounds quite good!
ReplyDeleteYes ...people think there is actual meat in them...which I think was the case centuries ago. Dont think of the yucky sounding bits like the suet, think of the delicious cranberries and all those lovely spices x
DeleteI'm not a fan of mincemeat and it's never been a part of our traditions. It is nice that there is the option of "vegetarian suet" although I have never heard of such. It does look tasty though.
ReplyDeleteI think its a bit like marmite...you either love them or hate them. Growing up they were always on offer at Christmas and I hated them. But as I got older, my tastes must have changed, and now ...yum. The same with tomatoes and brussels sprouts...lol x
Delete