Mincemeat for Mince Pies - vegan and delicious!
This couldn't be easier to make, and contains very ordinary ingredients that you are likely to have at home. It contains no suet or butter, so is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. I use mincemeat in lots of different recipes, not just mince pies - and I use it all year round. A particular favourite is a mincemeat frangipane tart - a shortcrust tart base, baked blind, with a thick layer of mincemeat on the bottom, topped with a deep layer of buttery almond frangipane, with flaked almonds on the top. Mincemeat is also great stuffed into baked apples, perhaps with a few flecks of marzipan, or mixed into cake mixture or crumbles (apple, quince, plum all go very well with mincemeat)
The recipe is very flexible; basically equal parts apple puree and dried fruit, plus marmalade, sugar, spices, and strong alcohol. These quantities below will make about 5 'Bon Maman' sized jars:
700g apple puree
700g dried fruit (anything goes here - I love chopped figs, apricots, cranberries and currants)
200ml orange juice or apple juice, or even earl grey tea
100g marmalade
250g sugar (any is fine - I like dark muscovado)
ground cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg to taste
100ml strong alcohol - brandy, whisky, sloe gin...
Method:
Mix everything except the alcohol together and leave overnight. You'll need a big bowl!
The next day, put the mixture into a deep oven proof dish, (ro split it between two), and bake in the oven at 130 degrees Celsius for 2-3 hours. When you take it out, (it will smell incredible), pour the alcohol over the top and mix in, then transfer to jars, filling to the brim, and put the lids on immediately.
This keeps indefinitely due to the high sugar and alcohol content - very useful to have in your cupboard!