First Post - Last Minute Christmas Mincemeat

Well I do a lot of cooking and I've collected an awful lot of cook books and recipes. Over time I've adjusted, created, chopped and changed many of my recipes to suit me. However, I'm not so good at writting down what I've actually done, which is annoying when I want to repeat something and embarrasing when a friend asks for the recipe. Hence, I think sharing some recipes on here is a good way to try and solve both problems, I'll get ideas written down and I'll have somewhere to send friends to for downloading the recipes!

Since it's nearly Christmas, I'm going to start with a 'cheat' Christmas mincemeat. The cheat bit is that this version of mincemeat does not require weeks of maturing in jars before it's ready to use. This is really handy if, like me, you have a tiny place to live and don't happen to have room for 4 or 5 jars of mincemeat in your already precariously over-stuffed cupboards. This recipe is also a bit different in that it contains no extra fats and very little sugar. It's far less sweet and sticky than shop bought varieties, rather its very tangy and fruity tasting but still has enough mixed spices and brandy to have a rich, festive flavour! This recipe originally came from a WI cookbook but I've tweaked the original quite a bit so this is my adapted version.

Last Minute Christmas Mincemeat

Ingredients:

2 lb mixed dried fruit (currents, raisins, sultanas, mixed peel etc)

1 lb cooking apples (Bramleys work well), peeled and coarsely grated

2 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice

1 pt Medium sweet or dry cider (invest in a decent bottle - it's worth it)

Grated zest of 1 orange

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1/2 orange

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2-3 oz of soft, dark brown sugar (you might need a bit more if the apple is especially tart)

3-4 tbsp of Brandy

Method:

1. Mix together all the ingredients EXCEPT the Brandy in a large pan.

2. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently, uncovered for 30 - 40 minutes. Stir occasionally. By this time most of the liquid will have either evaporated or have been absorbed into the fruit making it plump and juicy. The grated apple should have been reduced to a sticky pulp. During this process your house will also smell like it's been sprayed with essence of Christmas. Open your kitchen windows and let your neighbours get a whiff.

3. Remove the pan from the heat. Cover with a lid and leave to cool down for a couple of hours.

4. Clean and sterilise 4-6 glass jars (depending on size) or get a nice clean plastic tub ready.

5. Stir the brandy into the mincemeat and then decant the mixture into the prepared jars or tub. Seal tightly and then store in the fridge for 4-5 weeks (and give some away to nice friends if you have too much).

The mincemeat is ready to use once it's completely cooled down. Do be aware you can't keep this mincemeat for ages, 4-5 weeks is about the limit and it does need to stay in the fridge. Otherwise, use exactly as you would regular mincemeat.