Mince Pies

One of my favourite things about Christmas are the traditions that go alongside the presents and the turkey.  I like a big tree with too-many decorations on it (I get this from my mum, her tree is so overloaded that you can’t really see the branches and it often falls over), I like strings of fairy-lights covering every available surface and I like decorating the house while listening to Christmas music and eating mince pies.  We did that yesterday and baked the first batch of mince pies from the mincemeat we made a couple of weeks ago.  We used the same recipe we use every year but this time, the spicing was a little light and there was too much apple coming through.  Easy enough to rectify though and a good job we checked in advance of the big day.

Hettie Potter’s suet-free Mincemeat
Makes about 2kg

250g soft dark sugar
250ml medium dry cider
1 kg cooking apples, peeled, halved and quartered
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
250g currants
250g raisins
75g glace cherries, roughly chopped
75g blanched almonds, finely chopped
rind and juice of 1/2 lemon
6 tbsp brandy or rum

In large saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the cider over a gentle heat. Add the roughly chopped apples to the saucepan. Add all the ingredients, apart from brandy/rum and simmer for around 30 min until everything has a pulpy consistency. Take off the heat and when it has cooled slightly stir in brandy/rum.