{"id":1147,"date":"2014-11-20T23:51:52","date_gmt":"2014-11-20T23:51:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thecherryplumkitchen.com\/?p=1147"},"modified":"2014-11-21T00:24:23","modified_gmt":"2014-11-21T00:24:23","slug":"boozy-christmas-mincemeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecherryplumkitchen.com\/?p=1147","title":{"rendered":"Boozy Christmas Mincemeat"},"content":{"rendered":"
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You can’t really have an English Christmas without dried fruit and booze. \u00a0Certainly not a Dickensian epic – mince pies, smoking bishop (that’s alcoholic), good will to all \u2026.<\/em><\/p>\n

And you need to get going now.<\/p>\n

If ‘mincemeat’ is a concept outside of your cultural Christmas norm, I should explain modern versions contain no meat. \u00a0They did used to – and the further back you go the more ‘meaty’ they are.<\/p>\n

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Home-made mincemeat is such a simple thing to make. \u00a0Even if the idea of a pantry full of preserves comes under the heading of ‘life’s too short ..’, you might want to make an exception for this.<\/p>\n

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This is my ‘master’ recipe. \u00a0Mincemeat is such a ‘forgiving’ thing to make you can let your imagination fly. \u00a0Within the framework of dried fruit, apple, booze and some kind of fat you have endless possibilities.<\/p>\n

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I grew up in a house with an almond tree in the front garden and I know ‘cracking’ them is a horrendous task. \u00a0So, I don’t do that – but I’m not going to pay extra to buy them blanched. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the almonds. \u00a01 min. \u00a0No more, you don’t want to soften the nut.<\/p>\n

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Drain and rinse with cold water. \u00a0You can see the ‘skin’ has wrinkled.<\/p>\n

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Dry with a clean tea-towel. \u00a0You can be as vigorous as you like ..!<\/p>\n

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It’s an easy job to slip the almond from the skin.<\/p>\n

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You will never again pay a premium for blanched almonds.<\/p>\n

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Love it or hate it – ‘mixed peel’. \u00a0I love it, but I buy whole mixed peel and chop it myself.<\/p>\n

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It’s a completely different product to those nasty little supermarket tubs of ‘mixed peel’.<\/p>\n

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You can vary the dried fruit to suit your mood. \u00a0I’m using the ‘standard’ – currants, raisins and sultanas. \u00a0There’s no reason why you shouldn’t use figs, prunes, cherries …<\/p>\n

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Traditionally, the fat is beef suet. \u00a0You can, of course, grate your own – or you can buy a packet. \u00a0That’s what I do – 200g – I don’t like silly little bits left in a packet so use it all. \u00a0There are vegetarian alternatives. \u00a0Or you can use butter – freeze and grate. \u00a0Butter tastes wonderful, but it’s not a ‘looker’ when it cools. \u00a0If you’re the one going to cook with it – when it will return to unctuous loveliness – then it’s a good choice, but not if you’re going to give it as a gift.<\/p>\n

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The grated zest of one orange.<\/p>\n

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And the zest of one lemon. \u00a0Then add the juice of both. \u00a0Why would you waste it?<\/p>\n

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I chop my almonds by hand as I like the nutty chunks in my mincemeat.<\/p>\n

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Peel, core and chop the apple. \u00a0I like chunks, but you can grate it.<\/p>\n

Then, it’s the spices. \u00a0Cinnamon. \u00a0Mixed spice. \u00a0Nutmeg.<\/p>\n

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Add the sugars. \u00a0Then the alcohol. \u00a0I’m adding whisky. \u00a0Brandy, Rum, Disaronno, Cointreau are all lovely alternatives. \u00a0Mix. \u00a0Clean hands are better than a spoon ..! \u00a0Let it all steep in a bowl, covered with cling-film for 24 hours.<\/p>\n

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Then pot in warm preserving jars and leave to mature for 2-6 weeks. \u00a0After that, it’ll keep for about 3 months. \u00a0(Longer and the apple may start to ferment.)<\/em><\/p>\n

After 2-6 weeks you are ready to bake ..<\/p>\n

Yum.<\/p>\n

\"Christmas<\/a>Boozy Christmas Mincemeat<\/strong> – Makes 3 500g Le Parfait jars.<\/em><\/p>\n