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Christmas just isn’t Christmas without mince pies. The spicy, fruity smells as they warm in the oven just ooze Christmas glad tidings. The use of suet is reminiscent of the days when meat was always included in the recipe for Mincemeat- hence the name. It was originally made to preserve meat through the winter. Over the centuries, less meat and more dried fruits were used, until only the suet remains. Nowadays, vegetarian suet is the most popular choice.
Ingredients
3 cups raisins
2 ½ cups currants
2 ½ cups of golden raisins
2 cups sharp green firm apples, peeled, cored, grated
1 cup blanched almond slivers, chopped
3 ½ cups dark soft brown sugar
1 ½ cups suet
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1 cup brandy or sherry
Method
Put the dried fruits, apples, and almonds in a large bowl. Add the sugar, suet, spices, lemon and orange rinds, and juice, and Brandy or Sherry, then mix all the ingredients together thoroughly.
Cover the mincemeat and leave it to stand for two days. Stir well, put into jars, and screw on the lids. Allow at least two weeks to mature before using.
Notes
For mincemeat that will keep well, use firm hard types of apples.