Mince pies are a big part of our family
tradition. It isn’t Christmas if we don’t have a mince pie and a glass of
sherry ready for Santa. You can either follow my recipe for homemade mincemeat
or use shop bought. This mincemeat can be made well in advance, which is
perfect for our Christmas Eve tradition of making mince pies and cuddling up to
watch It’s A Wonderful Life. But why wait for Christmas!
Homemade
Mincemeat:
Bought mincemeat is fine, but this easy
recipe makes your home smell like Christmas and tastes divine. The joy of this
recipe is it can be easily adjusted to suit personal taste.
Ingredients:
8 oz (225g) Bramley (cooking) apples, cored and
chopped
4 oz (110g) shredded suet
6 oz (175g) raisins
4 oz (110g) sultanas
4 oz (110g) currants
2 oz (50g) mixed candied peel, finely chopped
2 oz (50g) dried cranberries
6 oz (175g) soft dark brown sugar
Grated zest and juice 1 orange
Grated zest of half a lemon and the juice of 1 lemon
2 level teaspoons mixed ground spice
1/4 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
A good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons brandy
You will also need 3 x 1lb (350ml) preserving
jars and 3 waxed discs.
Thoroughly
mix all of the ingredients together, except for the brandy, in a large ovenproof
mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave the mixture in a cool
place overnight or for 12 hours, so the flavours have a chance to develop.
Pre-heat
the oven to gas mark ¼, 225°F (120°C). Loosely cover the bowl with foil and
place it in the oven for 3 hours. The melting of suet in this recipe helps to
prevent fruit fermentation and aids preserving. When you remove the bowl don't
worry about the appearance of the mincemeat, which will look swimming in fat
because of the suet. This is how it should look. As it cools, stir it from time
to time.
When
the mincemeat is cold, stir again and add the brandy. Put mixture into jars
that have been sterilised. When filled, cover with waxed discs and seal. The
mincemeat will keep for a long time in a cool, dark cupboard, but is best eaten
within a year.
Pastry:
200g (1.6 cup) plain flour/all purpose
A
pinch of salt
100g (0.44 cup) butter
1 tablespoons of orange juice
2 tablespoons of water
Sieve the flour and salt into a large
mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour. Using your fingertips, rub the butter
into the flour. Keep raising your hands and dropping the crumbs to add air. Rub
until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and the butter is well combined. Sprinkle the cold orange juice into the
bowl and mix through with a knife. Use your fingers to bring the pastry
together. Add enough water to form the mixture into a ball. Be careful not to
make the dough sticky. Cover the pastry with cling film and
leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 220C/400F/Gas 6.
Lightly grease your patty tins with a
small amount of vegetable oil, or butter.
Flour your work surface and rolling pin
and roll out the pastry as thinly as possible. Cut out approximately 12 rounds
with a large pastry cutter for the base. Use a smaller cutter to cut out 12
lids. Line your tin with the bases.
Lightly prick the pie bases with a fork
to stop them rising. Fill each case with your mincemeat mixture until
two-thirds full. Don't overfill or the mixture will leak through the pastry
when cooking.
Brush the pie edges with a little milk. Cover
the mincemeat over with the pastry lids. Pinch the pie edges together to seal.
Brush over with egg wash or milk.
Bake in the oven for approx 20 minutes
until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest
for 1 minute before placing on a wire rack to cool.
Serve with a light dusting of icing
sugar and eat warm or cold.
Enjoy!
* * * * * * * * * *
About Tracey Rogers
A devourer of books from an early age, I
spent much of my childhood stepping into wardrobes, searching for that magical
snowy world where conversing with animals would be expected. When I wasn't
searching for those worlds, I wrote about them instead. My first step into the
world of romance was when I stole sneak peeks into my nana's books. I'm still
in that world and refuse to leave.
I live in Staffordshire, UK, with my
husband and three wonderful children. An avid reader and writer of romance, I
strongly believe that words make the world go around.
You can find me here:
www.traceyrogers.wordpress.com
Or on twitter:
www.twitter.com/TraceRbookworm
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