Mincemeat

Seriously its simple to make your own mincemeat. Kind of got bored making a Christmas cake every year so this year im going to make those small bits of Christmas. Starting off making the Mince for the pies. Yes you could get the ready made stuff but I find it too sugary. So give this a go. For the vegetarian option use vegetarian suet instead of the original.

Makes 1 litre jar

500g Mixed Dry Fruit
100g Suet
1 Bramley Apple, peeled and grated
2 tsp Mixed Spices
80ml Brandy
150g Brown Sugar
Juice and Zest of an Orange
Juice and Zest of a Lemon

1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and give it a good mix.

2. Sterilize the jar before putting the mincemeat in the jar. Do this by cleaning with warm soap water and placing in the oven for 5 minutes at 150c.

3. Once the jar has cooled down, spoon the mixture into the jar. I would advise leaving the mixture to absorb the flavours for about 2 weeks before putting in the pies.

I will do the mince pies recipes in a couple of weeks. Watch this space

Nain's Apple Pie (V)

One of the people that got me interested in cooking/baking was my Nain. Her Sunday dinners were the best. And this was my favourite pudding that she makes.

Makes 1 pie

Filling

1kg Bramley apples, peel, core and slice them.
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp runny honey
4 tbsp caster sugar
Lemon Juice

Pastry
60g Brown Sugar
225g Unsalted Butter (left at room temp)
2 Eggs (save half an egg to brush the pastry)
350g Plain Flour



1. For the pastry, mix the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg. Then gradually add 100g of plain at a time, continuously stirring.

2. Begin to mix the dough in with your hands. Put in a ball, then wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge for half an hour.

3. Stew the apples, by covering a base of a pan with water, and a squirt of lemon juice. Add the apple to the pan and put on a medium heat on the hob for about 10-15 minutes.

4. Take the pastry out of the fridge and divide into two. Begin to roll the dough and cover the base of a pan/dish. Trim the edges and keep the excess pastry aside.

5. Pour in the apples. Add the honey and 3 tbps of caster sugar to the apples. Roll the other pastry and cover the apples. Trim the excess of pastry.

6. Use the excess to decorate your pie (example below). Using the rest of the egg and a bit of water brush the top of the pastry. Sprinkle with the remaining caster sugar. Put in a preheated oven at 200c/180c fan assisted for 30 minutes. Serve with ice cream or double cream.