Mince pie season is fast approaching and its time for you to start your preparations
Christmas cakes and puddings aren't the only holiday tradition that can be made in advance and forgotten for a month while the flavours mature. Make your mincemeat now with the dried fruit, spices and whiskey that are inevitably left over from the making of its grander cousins - the Christmas cake and pudding.
It's worth taking the time to make your own mincemeat rather than picking up a jar of ready-made. And while we're on the subject of things homemade, there's scope to be creative with pastry, whether it's plain shortcrust, sweet pastry or flavoured with citrus zest or even nuts.
A nice variation is to make the pies bite-size rather than the more usual large ones -they're less daunting and won't fill you up, leaving lots of room for other Christmas treats. Sitting on a plate dusted with icing sugar and next to a sprig of holly, these little pies will tempt everyone to have a nibble.
Makes about 2 x 450g/1 lb jars
This mincemeat is more like a thick paste so it holds its shape and consistency when heated. It has a tart citrus flavour making it taste doubly refreshing.
Ingredients
1 lemon150g raisins
150g sultanas
85g mixed peel
1 cooking apple, washed, cored and quartered
150g currants
150g brown sugar
150g shredded suet
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
4 tbsp. dark rum, brandy or whisky (or a mixture)
Preparation
Wash the lemon and boil it whole in a saucepan of water for about 1 hour or until soft. Allow to cool and cut in half. Keep the juice, rind and skin but discard the pips.
Place the lemon, rind, skin and juice in a food processor along with the raisins, sultanas, mixed peel, unpeeled apples and process to a thick paste. Don't process the currants.
Tip the paste into a large bowl and add the currants, sugar, suet and spices. Mix well and pour in the whisky and rum. Store the mincemeat in jars or plastic containers in the fridge and it will keep for months.
Ingredients
200g plain flourpinch of salt
85g butter, cut into cubes
grated zest of 1 orange, plus 3 tbsp juice
1 egg yolk
Preparation
Place the flour, salt, butter and orange zest in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs - you can also do this by hand by rubbing in the butter and mixing in the zest.
Blend the orange juice and egg yolk with a fork and add most of it to the flour mixture. Pulse until the pastry just comes together, adding the rest of the liquid if necessary.
Turn out onto a surface and bring together in a ball, then flatten it slightly to a thick disc. Cover with cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, preferably longer.
Take half of the pastry, roll it out and cut out circles with a pastry cutter - make sure they fit the pie tins you have. (The really small ones make wonderful, bite-size canape pies.)
Lay the pastry circles into the pie tin then spoon in the mincemeat. Roll out the rest of the pastry and cut out more circles or other shapes (stars are nice) to fit the tops of the pies.
Brush the tops with the beaten egg and bake at 190C/375F/Gas mark 5 for 10-15 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the mincemeat heated through.
Pies aren't the only option for mincemeat. A different take on the Greek sweet, baklava, is a great way to get extra mileage out of your Christmas mincemeat.
Ingredients
1 x Best mincemeat ever recipe (see page 2)100g chopped mixed nuts
200ml maple syrup
50g butter, melted
250g filo pastry
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/ gas mark 5. Meanwhile, mix the nuts into the mincemeat along with half of the maple syrup.
Brush a rectangular cake tin (about 18 x 28cm /7 x 11") with a little of the melted butter. Layer four sheets of filo pastry in the base and up the sides of the tin, buttering between each one. Spoon in enough of the mincemeat and nut mixture to cover the pastry (about 2cm / 3/4").
Place another four sheets of filo over the top of the mincemeat, again buttering each one. Trim the pastry to fit neatly in the tin.
Brush the top with butter and score through in a diamond pattern. Bake accordingnto packet instructions until the pastry is crisp and golden.
Remove from the oven and pour over the remaining maple syrup, allowing it to soak through. Cool slightly and serve warm or cold.
Makes about 20 squares.
Another different idea for mincemeat is to make these delicious mincemeat squares. They freeze well, so can be made well in advance.
Ingredients
1 x Best mincemeat ever recipe (see page 2)1 dessert apple, peeled, cored and grated
For the pastry:
200g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
100g butter
100g caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
A little milk
2-3 tbsp granulated sugar
Preparation
To make the pastry, place the flour, salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to the breadcrumb stage - or do this by hand in a bowl by rubbing the butter into the flour and salt.
Mix in the sugar, then the egg until the mixture comes together, adding a little milk if the pastry seems dry.
Divide the pastry in half and roll each half to fit a Swiss roll tin (approximately 23 x 33cm / 9" x 13"). Place one piece of pastry in the tin, pressing to the edge.
Spread a layer of mincemeat (about 1.5cm thick) onto the pastry, and then scatter the grated apple over the top. 5. Lay the other piece of pastry on top, trimming to fit in the tin. Brush the top of the pastry with milk and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.
Bake at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Cool in the tin and cut into squares.