Home-Made Christmas Mincemeat

My recent mincemeat swirl recipe has been a huge success in our house. Not only have me and my house-mates now made around 5 batches between us, it has spread beyond – to family, friends, tutors…! We now consumed over 6 jars of mincemeat this year so I thought it was about time I branched out and came up with a recipe for my own.

This recipe has been adapted from lots of individual recipes online and from family and friends to get the best of both when it comes to taste and cost. All in all, this recipe comes in at around £5-7 (based on Morrison’s own brand ingredients, Dec 2012) but it makes a tonne of beautiful, home-made mincemeat, perfect for presents or just for your own personal (never-ending) stash of mince pies. Compared to other mincemeat recipes that use brandy or whisky to soak the fruit, this one not only gets bonus points for value, but the flavour of the mulled wine adds so much more to the mix too.

Unlike some recipes, this does not require any cooking, like jams or chutneys. However, for a more sticky, jam-like mincemeat, heating the soaked fruit and juices with 3 tbsp water, in a saucepan on a low heat for 20 minutes. This could be done before putting it into jars or using in your recipe. I would advise doing this if making open tarts or the mincemeat swirl recipe.

Makes approx 3-4lb.

Ingredients

1kg mixed fruit and peel (stuff from the value range is fine, we won’t tell)
180g vegetable suet
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
500ml mulled wine (or red wine plus extra ground spices)
2-3 apples, chopped (bramley or eating – whatever you have around)
1-2 tsp ground ginger
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
pinch of mixed spice

Optional:
150g brown sugar (will make it sweeter but will probably help it keep for longer)
75g almonds (or other similar nuts), chopped

Method

Chop the apple into small chunks. Throw everything but the suet into a large bowl and cover with clingfilm -alternatively, use a large saucepan with a lid. Leave in your kitchen overnight, at room temperature, stirring regularly to allow the fruit to soak up all the juice. In the morning, add the suet before spooning into jars.

Keep in a cool dark place. If you have time, your mincemeat will appreciate 2 weeks to allow the flavours to enhance, but if not, it tastes pretty good the same day!

In the unlikely event that you have any of this mincemeat left over after Christmas, it will probably keep for a few months, unopened. However I would be reluctant to keep it for more than 6 months due to the lower alcohol content in this recipe compared to standard ones using brandy or whisky without adding the extra sugar. But, your choice.

Spiced Mincemeat Swirls

It’s November and now Hallowe’en is over, it’s officially acceptable to begin thinking about Christmas! What better way than to bake these INCREDIBLE little beauties – a wonderful amalgamation of cinnamon swirls and mince pies.

Makes approx. 15.

Ingredients

for the sweet dough:
250g strong white bread flour
3/4 tsp salt
7g fast-action yeast
40g sugar
20g butter, softened
160ml warm water

for the filling:
10g butter, softened
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
250g (approx.) mincemeat

for the glaze:
2 tsp ginger jam (or apricot)
1 tsp water

for the icing:
4 tsp icing sugar
a little bit of cold water

Method

Make the dough by sieving the flour into a large bowl. Place the yeast on one side, the salt on the other and sprinkle the sugar all over. Add the softened butter to the middle, pour in about half of the water and mix with your hands. Slowly add the rest of the water whilst mixing until you form a soft dough that is ever-so-slightly sticky.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until evenly smooth and just springy. Roll into a long rectangle (roughly 20 x 40 cm) and press one end very firmly onto the work surface to stop it from moving. Spread a very thin layer of soft butter over the dough, followed by an even sprinkling of ginger and cinnamon, then the mincemeat. Roll up the dough from the free edge to form a tight roll. Slice into 1 cm sections and place on a greased baking tray leaving a roughly 2 cm between each.

Prove in a warm place for around an hour until the gaps between the swirls are filled. When proved, brush with milk. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 180*C until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and place to one side. Water down the jam a little to make the glaze and brush over the buns. Mix up the icing to a thick, piping consistency. Pipe thinly over the buns and leave to cool before eating.