To continue from my last post @cliodhna. The really important thing about the British Mince Pie is what is inside - Mincemeat. Traditionally this is a combination of lard and dried fruits with apple and spices and for the foodie the Mince Pie is all about the quality of the Mincemeat. Forget the pastry, although making puff pastry from scratch raises the food delight to another level, it is the quality of ingredients in the Mincemeat that makes all the difference. While manufacturers of industrialised Christmas pies will want to tell you it is about the pastry and the butter (all butter pastry is a common claim). Or they will claim quality Brandy in the Mincemeat. It really is much more about the the sourness of tart Bramley apples (a large British apple unavailable in the US) about fresh grated lemon and orange rind, good quality candied peel and fresh Organic spices, and lots of them. Making Mincemeat from scratch is a revelation in Christmas cooking and transforms the industrialised Christmas pie forced onto distant visiting family members into a culinary excitement.
Ingredients
1 large Bramley apple, peeled, cored and grated.
1 large Organic orange, zested, and squeezed for juice
1 cup raisins (you could include some large muscat raisins too)
½ cup golden raisins
1/2 cup zante currents
some dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup candied peel (good quality)
1-2 tbsp slivered almonds
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 Organic lemon, zested,
¼ cup lemon juice
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
½ cup cooking brandy * (optional)
4 oz butter or lard
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, mix grated apples, orange and lemon juice and zest, add butter and remaining ingredients except the brandy. Stir over medium heat until butter is melted, then stirring occasionally for 10 or so minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the brandy. Place all the mixture in glass bowl a low oven at 100 degree centigrade for 4 -5 hours.
If you want to store the Mincemeat this can then be placed in glass Kilner jars and stored in the fridge 2-3 months.
This makes the most amazing rich zesty spicy mix for the Mince Pie that all family and relatives will comment upon over Christmas!