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This Easy Mincemeat Recipe is exactly what you need when you are required to make homemade mince pies pronto. No resting time is needed, it’s a quick assembly job and the result is a supremely spiced fruity boozy mincemeat.
I simply adore mincemeat. In my humble opinion it’s the best thing about Christmas. Along with The Waitresses’ Christmas Wrapping, Hot Buttered Chocolate Rum and festive jumpers for Billy Buddy. Stir-up Sunday is coming up this weekend which is the traditional day to make your mincemeat (and Christmas pudding) for the season. It’s nice to get this job out of the way in November as it means you can have homemade mince pies at your disposal any time during the holiday period. Although if you are only using your mincemeat for a mince pie filling then you are missing a trick.
What is mincemeat?
A few centuries ago mincemeat was a way to preserve meat, usually mutton, without smoking or salting. The meat would be chopped very finely, aka minced, then preserved with spirits and spices and sugar. It’s more usual these days for the minced meat to be replaced with beef suet and dried fruit. Although if you haven’t tried mince pies made in the traditional method using this Victorian Mincemeat recipe then you really need to address your life choices.
Why do we eat mincemeat at Christmas?
The reason we eat so many mince pies over the festive season is all to do with the spices. It is thought that cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg were given by the magi to the baby Jesus and so mincemeat, which is abundant in these spices, has always traditionally been associated with Christmas. And I totally take umbrage with the idea that if mince pies were so nice then why do we only eat them at Christmas. Well, that’s why Eccles Cakes were invented. They are basically mince pies that we are allowed to eat all year round.
Why do you use beef suet in mincemeat?
Beef suet is the hard fat from around the joints and kidneys of the animal and it is favoured in mincemeat due to its richness of flavour and the silky way it coats the luscious fruit. However, it’s impossible to find gluten-free suet in most supermarkets. If your butcher is able to source fresh beef suet for you then that is the best choice. It will probably be provided in a hard block which you will need to grate with a bit of gluten-free flour to create little fat pellets which helps to evenly disperse the fat. Weigh the pellets out and then add to the mincemeat. The rest can be kept in the freezer or used in your Christmas Pudding. If you are finding it hard to source fresh beef suet or need a veggie or vegan alternative then you can substitute with grated coconut butter.
This Easy Mincemeat is a back to basics recipe. I made the unfortunate mistake of buying pre-made mincemeat for some recipe testing a couple of weeks ago and the difference between homemade and shop bought is extreme. The shop bought stuff is all sugar and no flavour. No wonder mincemeat has got such a bad reputation.
If you are time strapped but need some homemade mince pies asap then this Easy Mincemeat Recipe is the way to go. There’s no resting time required and it’s not necessary to cook the mincemeat out before filling your pies. Although if you are not using the mincemeat immediately then you should cook it out before storing. The suet and sugar will melt and coat and preserve all the fruit evenly and also stops the apples from fermenting.
If you are in the mood for planning ahead this Stir Up Sunday then I would recommend that you make the mincemeat ahead of time which will allow the flavours to mature. However, if it’s a choice between homemade mincemeat made twenty minutes ago or using supermarket mincemeat then homemade wins hands down every time, maturation be damned. Plus if you’re making it yourself you can pimp it exactly to your preference or ingredients you have to hand. Basically what I’m saying is that there’s no excuse to buy it in.
What can I substitute for the brandy?
You can substitute absolutely any alcohol for the brandy. Rum, Pedro Ximénez, Cointreau or even Amaretto are my favourites.
What if I don’t like mixed peel?
If you don’t like mixed peel then just leave it out, or substitute for a couple of tablespoons of marmalade. However, have you ever tried making your own? Homemade Mixed Peel has a vastly superior flavour and can be useful for a lot of your Christmas bakes.
Can I substitute in other dried fruit?
Of course! Anything goes in mincemeat. Chopped dried figs, prunes, cranberries, sour cherries. You can just swap in the same weight of an alternative dried fruit and away you go.
Why dark muscovado sugar?
Dark muscovado sugar is used here for its rich treacly flavour. However, if you want a slightly lighter mincemeat then you can use light muscovado sugar. Or if you only have in soft light brown sugar then use that.
Of course this Easy Mincemeat Recipe is the ideal filling for mince pies but if you need any further inspiration, look no further than the following recipes:
Bramley Apple Mincemeat Pudding
Mince Pie Cheesecake Oat Bars {gluten-free}
Christmas Morning Mince Pie Muffins
If you’ve never made your own then I urge you to give this Easy Mincemeat Recipe a try and if you do then please leave a comment below and/or give the recipe a rating. If you use this recipe as a jumping off point then I’d also love it if you’d share your version and tag me on instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your creations and variations of my recipes.
Easy Mincemeat Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g bramley apples about 1-2 apples
- 225 g seedless raisins
- 225 g currants
- 225 g sultanas
- 240 g fresh beef suet
- 275 g dark muscovado sugar
- 50 g mixed peel homemade is preferable
- zest 1 orange
- zest 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 60 ml brandy
Instructions
- Peel, core and dice the bramley apples into small pieces.
- Place the apple pieces into a large ovenproof pot with the rest of the ingredients (except for the brandy) and stir together until everything is well combined.
- If you want to make mince pies straight away then set aside about 300g and stir in a couple of teaspoons of the brandy. Let the mincemeat rest whilst you prepare the pastry and then you can fill your pies immediately.
- To prepare the rest of the mincemeat for storing put a lid on the pot and place in an oven pre-heated to 150°C /130°C fan/gas 2 for 1 hour.
- Leave the mincemeat to completely cool before stirring in the brandy.
- Decant the mincemeat into sterilised jars and store in a cool dark place for up to a year.
Notes
Nutrition
If you like this recipe then you may like…
Victorian Mincemeat
Cranberry Cointreau Mincemeat
Cranberry Cream Pie
Smoked Salmon on Potato Pancakes with Whipped Cream Cheese
Cheat’s Gluten-Free Christmas Cake
Hello, so lovely of you to drop by. I am Georgina. I bake a lot, eat a lot and love writing about my gluten-free kitchen adventures here. I run a gluten-free cake business but am mostly kept busy with my 2 cats, 1 dog, 1 husband, and two gorgeous sons.
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