Mince Meat Pies fresh out of Erik Taylor’s oven.
Erik Taylor’s Kitchen
My nephew Erik Taylor is an accomplished baker, who never takes a recipe for granted. If he likes something, he researches it, referencing various cookbooks. Here is Erik’s take on Traditional English Mincemeat Pie.
In Erik’s own words …
“I have always been a fan of Christmas ever since I saw my Aunt and Uncle’s independent theater production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in Denver, Colorado, where I grew up.
“My favourite scene in the play was when Scrooge awakes to the bright light of the feast created by The Ghost of Christmas Present.
“I always wondered what all those wonderful dishes on the table tasted like.
“So over the years I have been collecting vintage recipes of some of the Christmas Classics served in the play.
“Here is my adaption of a traditional English Mincemeat Pie.
“Enjoy making this lovely traditional holiday treat!”
- 16oz or 1 pound lamb (loin coarsely minced)
- 16oz or 1 pound veal (leg coarsely minced)
- 8oz Dark Chocolate (min 70%) chopped small
- 6 oz or 3/4 cup raisins minced
- 4 oz or 1/2 cup sultanas minced
- 10 oz or 1 1/4 cup currants minced
- 4 oz 1/2 cup candied, mixed peel, finely chopped
- 8 oz/175g shredded suet (beef)
- ½ lb or one cup soft, dark brown sugar
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Allspice
- ½ tsp Coriander
- ½ tsp Caraway
- ½ tsp Ginger
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
- 2 Granny Smith, Jazz, or John Gold apples, cored and finely chopped
- 4 tbsp of mixture of rum drained from fruit.
Method
Mince and Macerate Raisins and Currents in Meyers Dark Rum and candied Citrus Peel and minced sultans in 10 Cane Light Rum for at least a week. Drain all fruit.
- In a large roomy baking bowl combine all the ingredients except the rum. Stir really well making sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave overnight.
- Next day, heat the oven to 225°F/120°C/¼ gas. Remove the tea towel and cover the bowl with foil and place in the warmed oven for 2 ½ hours. The suet will have melted but do not worry; this is how it should be as the fat is what will help to preserve the mincemeat. Stir well and leave to one side to cool, stirring from time to time.
- Once cool stir the mincemeat again, add the rum and stir again.Fill sterilized jars with the cold mincemeat, cover with a wax disc and a lid. The mincemeat will keep up to one year in a cool, dark place.
- To bake, preheat oven to 400F and cut pastry into 6″ circular rounds. Fill with a tablespoon of mincemeat. Fold over, crimp edges with a fork and pierce to allow steam to escape. Bake for aprox 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or let cool completely.
Makes approximately 4 x 16 oz jars of Mincemeat
Jar Sterilization
- Put jars in an oven at 340 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour.
Voila!
