Make your own Mincemeat

To make your own mincemeat for mice pies at Christmas is so easy and so tasty.  The fact of the matter is that it just takes a few moments to get together and you can put all sorts of things in it.  Also it does not take any cooking and you can make it now and when you make your mice tarts in December it will be at its best after standing and all the flavours incorporating together. All you need to get is some good clean jars and have a dark cool pace to store them and that is about it.

For my mincemeat you will need,

225g/8oz vegetarian suet

225g/8oz cooking apples

125g/4oz candied peel, chopped

225g/8oz sultanas

225g/8oz raisins

225g/8oz currants

175g/6oz Demerara sugar

1 tsp mixed spice

1 orange, zest and juice

60ml/2fl oz brandy

Take your apples, peal, and core then and dice in to fine chunks about the same size as the dried fruit.  Then add every thing to a very big bowl and just keep string every thing until you have a big bowl of the mix.

Now pack this in to sterilized jars , and when I say pack I mean pack it in to the jar as tight as you can you want every thing to just come together . Then seal the jars and put in a dark cool place until you need them.  And that is that.

As I said it is simple and you can make things your own way, yours dark sugar or add lime juice to give a citrus taste.  Add some rum instead of brandy or sweet sherry. Instead of mixed spice use just cinnamon or five-spice powder, that gives it a real kick.  As long as you stick to the basic recipe, you will not go far wrong.  

So when it comes to Christmas time you will have some of the best mice pies in the street.