Fruity Mincemeat and Easiest Homemade Mince Pies

• Produce

  • 1 Apple
  • 150 g Cranberries, dried
  • 150 g Dried apricots
  • 1 3cm piece Ginger, fresh
  • 2 Pears
  • 200 g Raisins
  • 1 Zest and juice of a lemon

• Refrigerated

  • 1 Egg, small free-range

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
  • 2 tsp Golden caster sugar
  • 180 g Muscovado sugar, dark brown

• Bread & Baked Goods

  • 1 sheet Ready rolled puff pastry

• Beer, Wine & Liquor

  • 60 ml Amaretto
  • 60 ml Brandy

• Other

  • Zest and juice of an orange

Found on lecoindemel.com

Description

Ingredients

• 180g dark brown muscovado sugar
• 60ml brandy
• 150g dried cranberries
• 150g dried apricots, chopped
• 200g raisins
• 2 pears, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 apple, peeled and finely chopped
• Zest and juice of an orange
• Zest and juice of a lemon
• 3cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 60ml amaretto
• 1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry
• 1 small free-range egg
• 2 teaspoons golden caster sugar

Directions

• Mix the sugar and brandy in a large pan and place on a medium heat to dissolve the sugar. It should take about two minutes.
• Add all other ingredients apart from the amaretto and bring to simmering point, then reduce the heat.
• Cover and cook for 35 minutes, stirring regularly.
• In the meantime, take the pastry out of the fridge and start sterilising jars.
• Wash both the jars and lids in hot, soapy water. Rinse them well. Preheat your oven to gas mark 1 (135 degrees Celsius / 275 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Remove the pan from the heat and leave the mixture to cool down a little.
• Place the jars upside down on a baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the oven using a clean tea towel to handle them and raise the oven temperature to gas mark 5 (190 degrees Celsius / 375 degrees Fahrenheit). Sterilise the lids by immersing them in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Dry thoroughly.
• Add the amaretto to the pan and mix well.
• Dust a little flour on a clean work surface. Roll the pastry to make it thinner.
• Using a 7.5cm presentation ring or a glass, make 24 pastry rounds.
• Place 12 pastry rounds on a non-stick baking sheet, then add a couple of teaspoons of mincemeat in the centre of each one.
• Dab a little water on the edges of the pastry rounds and place the 12 lids on top of the filled rounds.
• Close your mince pies by either pressing all around with your fingers, a fork, or by gathering the two rounds of pastry together.
• Brush a little beaten egg on top of each mince pie and sprinkle sugar on top.
• Using a knife, make a small air hole at the top of each mince pie.
• Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
• Enjoy warm.
• Spoon the rest of the mincemeat into the sterilised jars. It will keep for several weeks in the fridge.