I like a mince pie as much as the next person - but not dozens and not one everyday which is supposedly the tradition. So thought process when contemplating mince pies 2020................
I ought to make a bit of an effort - can't have Christmas without a mince pieI'll just buy half a dozen from somewhere............ but they are often too sweet
I'll buy a jar of mincemeat and make some...........but the best is expensive and the cheapest is nasty.
I'll make some mincemeat like I usually do from the Delia Smith Christmas book.................but I haven't got all the ingredients and don't want to buy anything
I'll make mincemeat .....using what ever's in the cupboard plus a lemon!
So I did.
This is the Delia Smith Recipe, which I've made lots of times - hence the mucky marks on the page.
Decided a quarter of the recipe would be enough this year and swapped an eating apple for the cooking apple, dried read-to-eat apricots chopped very small replaced the raisins, light brown sugar replaced the dark brown and I completely missed out the chopped peel, the nuts and the orange juice/zest and always use vegetarian suet anyway. It looks like mincemeat and smells like mincemeat, so I'll let you know what it tastes like when the mince pies are made and tested.
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Today's advent book has been around for a long time. The Ladybird Book of Well-Loved Carols was published in 1986. It has the names of my two eldest written inside in their writing. All the favourite old carols that we know so well are included.
I used to use a mincemeat recipe from a Home and Freezer Christmas cookbook, but I always left the peel out because I don't like it and no-one else was bothered. It's been years since I made it. My husband gets shop bought now.
ReplyDeleteI love Ladybird books and still have most of the ones my daughter had.
Should be fine. The wartime one I tried didn’t have any citrus in it and it was fine.
ReplyDeleteWhen I make my own, I miss out the peel, as OH hates it. But I have taken the easy route this year - just a box of Lidl's finest mini mince pies. It's not as if there will be a lot of people round to eat them!
ReplyDeleteI've had the same dilemma this year. I've settled for 1/2 dozen boxed tarts from Walkers - the extra fancy ones. I scoped up a box about 3 weeks ago as soon as I saw them as imports seem to be few and far between this year.
ReplyDeleteHi Margie. I'm in Toronto too and got some decent mincemeat from the bulk food store. Maybe you have one in your neighbourhood.
DeleteI cannot make pastry. Another job for the DP. He eats them I do not!
ReplyDeleteI had a smile looking at your recipe book, my favourite ones are slightly marked. Now there are only two of us, I have bought the Sainsbury's finest ones.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue I did a very similar thing and it's tasting ok sitting in the fridge until I get to make some pies later in the week. I did put a big slurp of brandy in it! (They do say the alcohol cooks out)The ultasweet bought ones are always disappointing. Merry Christmas from a warming up southern Australia
ReplyDeleteIm sure it will taste great sue, I make some every year start with the recipe in my book then improvise. I couldnt get suet overseas so use grated butter which i freeze before grating it works.
ReplyDeleteF has also been contemplating making fruit mince this year - but prepared suet of any variety if unheard of here it seems. She might have to go a step further back and render some ..... dried fruit is, however, plentiful. Have a great Christmas. F believes she could never have too many mince pies. xxx Mr T
ReplyDeleteIs that Delias' Christmas book...I have a copy. x
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