Best mincemeat recipe for mince pies and puddings
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Christmas, Desserts | 108 comments
Mince pies are the quintessential Christmas treat. But every year loads of us bite into a proffered mince pie and resolve never to accept one again. it’s a shame as nothing beats a homemade one, bursting with mincemeat and a slug of brandy. I always make a few on Christmas Eve. I was pretty smug about them until Anne Mary mentioned that she always made her own mincemeat. I’m embarrassed to admit this but five years ago I didn’t know that you could make your own. I rushed home and thumbed through our cookbooks, convinced that it would be a complicated grinding, sieving, mincing process. It’s not. It’s really easy.
There was one major drawback, most of the recipes that I found produced mincemeat with a short shelf life. The apples often start to ferment after a couple of months. I didn’t want to make just the one jar or a batch to give away labeled “Unstable contents. Eat me within two months as I might explode”.
Then I struck gold, Delia Smith’s ‘Complete Illustrated Cookery Course’ includes a recipe that solves the fermentation problem. We have tweaked it over the years and now just stick to the original with one exception. We replace the candied peel (we are not fans) with halved glacé cherries (we’re addicted to these). We add the cherries with the brandy when the mincemeat comes out of the oven and has cooled down. Delia’s mincemeat recipe is simple to make and absolutely delicious. Luckily she has published the recipe on her website and the link is here.
Great mincemeat is not just for mince pies at Christmas. Delia has a lot of recipe ideas for puddings on her site that are worth checking out. Danny stuffed cooking apples with a jar of mincemeat that he found loitering in the fridge. Baked for for 40 minutes in a moderate oven they have become one of our favourite puds at this time of year.
Tips and tips:
- If you are pressed for time you can adapt shop bought mincemeat by adding a small handful of halved glacé cherries and sultanas soaked overnight in brandy. Always add a teaspoon of brandy to shop mince pies. The best shop bought mince pies are the luxury ones from M&S and Waitrose.
- Update November 2009:
- As Delia says the mincemeat has a really long shelflife. I opened a jar from our 2006 batch tonight and it’s fine!
Leave a reply
Thanks for the reply.
Tried it yesterday as you suggested, on high to start with then reduced to low heat. Left it for a total time of 3 hours and it seems to have worked beautifully. Six jars now stored away ready for mince pie making in December!
Hi Kay
I reckon that it would work in the slow cooker – on high until it bubbles and then on low. Re timings I have no idea but if you’ve made it in the oven before you’ll know what it should look like when done.
Hi
Just found your site, its fantastic. I am just about to make my delia mincemeat which I have been making for years and love, but due to oven problems would like to try cooking it in my slow cooker. Has any one tried this before? If so would the same timings on a low heat be adequate?
Many thanks
I have made mincemeat in the past, however, this year when I made it, even though it looks and feels moist, it has a dry texture when I taste it. I use venison, and the only difference than in past years, I used some venison hamburg. It has a great taste. Has anyone ever had this problem.
And I use butter rather than suet…
I always make the Delia recipe every other year – without alcohol, it has never fermented, keeps for 2 years and tastes fab!
Just about to make the next batch.
Hello, I have made a batch of Delia’s a few days ago. I left the Brandy out as my 3 year old loves mince pies and I wanted him to be able to eat them. Now I’m worried it will ferment. Could I add some to the mincemeat now? It is finished now and in jars. Should I re-heat it, or just tip into a bowl and mix some in? My second batch (with glace cherries) is in the oven as Ii type! Can I use any other alcohol, or does it have to be Brandy-I have some strange cherry liqueur and whisky in the cupboard! Any advice welcome please.
Hi, I am also thinking of making mincemeat for the first time this year. I am hoping to take some to my ex-pat friend in Chile as I imagine it will be hard for her to be able to source good mincemeat. Does anyone know if this will travel well in the hold of an aeroplane?
Thankyou for your reassurance! It was the appearance that worried me really but its been in the jars for a week now and seems perfectly fine, can’t wait to cook some in a pie and see what it tastes like! Thanks for all the helpful advice!
Have been bitten by the bug of making homemade relishes and chutneys this year, have now decided to try homemade mincemeat and you’ve persuaded me to try Delia’s recipe. My grandmother always made mince pies for the whole family every year with an amazing pastry using ground almonds. This was the only way I would eat mince pies as I’m not actually a huge fan of dried fruits, but after reading all these comments I’m definitely going to give it a go. Do you think it would work replacing some of the currants with more apple?