Ingredient Title Chef Category

Not to mince words, mincemeat is delicious

Mincemeat is one of the few foods that is still strictly for the holidays. If you have a hunter in the family you can use venison (if not use ground beef) to make your own mincemeat. If mince pie is a family tradition make a quart and either can it or freeze it to have at the ready for the many delicious ways you can use mincemeat to celebrate the holidays.

FESTIVE MINCEMEAT PIE FILLING

This is the real old-time McCoy, made with meat and suet. Be certain to tell butcher you are going to use the suet in pie. Making this is very simple.

1 cup finely chopped suet
2 pounds ground beef or venison
l/2 pound pork sausage
2 1/2 quarts chopped apples
l pound dark seedless raisins
1/2 pound golden raisins
1 quart apple cider
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon salt

If canning is your choice, place 7 pint jars in simmering water to sterilize for 15 minutes or longer. Place suet and meats in a heavy pan; add water to cover and cook until meat is well done but not browned; drain and cool slightly. Meanwhile, peel, core and quarter apples. Put meat/suet mixture and apples through a food grinder or food processor to make a medium texture (not smooth). Mix in remaining ingredients and simmer 1 hour, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened. Fill sterilized jar with simmering mixture, leaving 1-inch headspace. Process 90 minutes in a pressure cooker at 11 pounds pressure on a dial gauge canner or 15 pounds on a weighted-gauge canner. Or freeze. Makes 7 pints.

MINCEMEAT AND APPLESAUCE BREAD

Blend a little orange juice and maybe a bit of grated rind into cream cheese to spread on this spicy bread. Just plain butter is good, too.

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
l/2 cup shortening
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
l/2 teaspoon cinnamon
l/4 teaspoon nutmeg
l/4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup sweetened applesauce
1 cup moist mincemeat

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour bottom only of a loaf pan. Cream sugar and shortening together until light and fluffy, add eggs and beat >well. Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with applesauce to the creamed mixture. Fold in the mincemeat. Pour into pan and bake 1 hour. Leave in pan 10 minutes before removing and putting on rack. Makes 1 large loaf.

MINI MINCEMEAT PIES

Little tartlets, stored in an airtight tin, are a December staple in every British household. My Irish grandmother topped hers with a dab of Hard Sauce made by creaming softened butter, confectioners sugar and little brandy or rum. She also used this Hard Sauce on wedges of a full-scale pie and on slices of fruitcake.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
10 tablespoons confectioners sugar
3 1/4 teaspoons grated orange rind
l/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (l/2 cup) chilled butter, cut into l/2-inch pieces
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons orange juice
3/4 cup mincemeat
3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
l/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg, for glaze

Mix flour, 6 tablespoons confectioners sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons grated peel and salt in processor. Add butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg yolk and 2 tablespoons orange juice in small bowl. Add to processor; blend until moist clumps form, adding more juice by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk and chill 30 minutes in plastic wrap. Butter 18 small muffin cups. Stir together mincemeat, ginger, cinnamon, remaining 4 tablespoons confectioners sugar and 3/4 teaspoon peel. Roll dough on floured surface to 17-inch round. Cut 8 dough rounds using a 2 1/2-inch diameter cookie cutter. Press 1 round into bottom and up sides of each muffin cup. Using 1 3/4- to 2-inch diameter cutter cut out l8 more rounds. Fill crust in each muffin cup with 1 heaping teaspoon filling. Brush edges of smaller dough rounds with egg glaze. Place 1 round atop filling in each cup, glazed side down, pressing dough edges to seal. Cut small "X" in center of each pie. (Can be assembled 4 hours ahead.) Preheat oven to 375 F. Brush pies with remaining egg glaze. Bake until crusts are golden, about 20 minutes. Using small knife, cut around pies to loosen; turn out onto rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

THERE ARE STRANGE PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO THINK THAT THEY DON'T LIKE MINCEMEAT.

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