I didn’t think that I would be a mincemeat person. I mean, I like raisins and dried fruit on the whole — and my recipe has raisins, sultanas, dates, apples and even a bit of dried apricot in addition to the candied lemon and orange — but I didn’t think that I would like it as much as I do. The reasons are two fold: I added candied pecans (crushed to powder in the MagiMix) to add a amazing nutty note to the crust, but 2. most importantly, serving it was gingerbread ice cream. That definitely cut the sweetness and made this the perfect Christmas dessert.
Ingredients
For the mincemeat as it should rest a few days
1 1/4 cups raisins
1 1/4 cups dried dates, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons candied lemon peel
2 tablespoons candied orange peel
2 cups finely chopped or grated tart apple
1 lemon, its zest and juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons dark rum
for the pie crust
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup candied pecans, made to a flour in the food processor
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6-8 tablespoons ice water
1 egg mixed with 2 tablespoons water, for egg wash
Directions
To make the mincemeat: Combine all ingredients except for the brandy and rum in a medium-sized pot and slowly bring to a simmer to prevent scorching. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about an hour, stirring occasionally, more towards the end to prevent burning. (If the liquid reduces too soon and the mincemeat starts to stick/scorch on the bottom, add a little bit of apple juice or water.) Stir in the brandy and rum. (Note: If you prefer to have the alcohol cooked out, add them at the same time as the other ingredients.) Spoon the hot mincemeat into sterilized jars. If you’re storing it for more than a couple of weeks, follow your usual process for pressure canning the mincemeat for longer-term storage. I’ve only made it three times and in all instances, it was fine in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.
Blend flour, nut flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter cut in using pulse function until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 or 7 tablespoons ice water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather into ball; divide into 2 pieces. Flatten each into disk. Wrap each in plastic; chill 2 hours. This should make 6 6-inch tartlets, 12 3-inch tartlets or 1 8 inch pie.
Heat oven to 400F. Spray pan of chosen size with baking spray. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to the correct size Fold edge under, forming high-standing rim and crimp. Add mincemeat fillings almost to rim. Roll out the other dough disk and either cut out stars or hearts or create a lattice top, crimping to the bottom crust. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with a tablespoon of water. Brush over the pie dough. Sprinkle with granulated sugar, if desired.
Place pie(s) on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any juices if the pie overflows) and place in oven and bake pie 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375F. Continue baking until juices bubble thickly between the top and side crust is deep golden, covering edges with foil if browning too quickly, about 45-50 minutes, total. Let pie cool a minimum of 2 hours before cutting. This is important as the pie filling will be pretty loose. If you want to serve warm pie, reheat pieces individually.
