Attention all Sweet and Simple Bake bakers, for our November bake one of the essential and required ingredients in our bake is mincemeat. For most of us mincemeat is readily available in the stores now and leading up to December. Rosie and I always make our own mincemeat every year but there is nothing wrong in buying a shop-bought jar if this is the easy option for you. If you can’t get hold of mincemeat and would like to make your own then here is a quick, easy and wonderful recipe. Or if your like us who make your own every year then feel free to use your own home-made recipe! We are very excited about our November bake and hope you will join us! If you have any questions or queries, please leave a comment and both Rosie and myself will endeavour to get back to you as soon as possible.
Vegetarian Mincemeat Recipe
To make 2 Ib mincemeat
Ingredients
450g (1 Ib) mixed dried fruit
100g (4oz) melted butter
100g (4oz) cooking apples or apple of choice - peeled and grated (weight when prepared)
100g (4oz) soft brown sugar
50g -100g (2-4 oz) of chopped nuts of choice
100g (4oz) glace cherries
100g (4oz) chopped candied peel
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons brandy
Method
Add all the ingredients into a large bowl and soak overnight covering with a clean cloth. Mix thoroughly through together either with a large spoon or clean hands. Cover over with a clean tea towel and leave to stand for 24 hours giving the mixture a good stir as you pass by. Next day pack the mincemeat into sterilised jars, and top with greaseproof paper jam covers. Seal the jars tightly and store in a cool place.
*Note*: if you choose not to use glace cherries make the weight up with mixed dried fruit instead. If you wish not to add alcohol use apple juice or orange juice instead. We have given a recipe here for mincemeat without suet, but should you wish to use either beef or vegetable suet in this recipe omit the melted butter.
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15 comments:
This is going to be one very exciting bake for November and very seasonal!
I do hope you will be able to join in this forthcoming bake with us and be able to either buy a jar of mincemeat or make a batch up ready for our next bake :D
Best wishes Rosie x
lol - was just going to say i'm vegetarian! :-) this sounds great. One Q - what is Mixed Spice? And we don't get candied peel... is there anything I can substitute it for?
Hi Arundathi
You can substitute mixed spice for pumpkin pie spice or allspice. But you could always make your own mixed spice! To make your own: Grind together 1small cinnamon stick and 1 tablespoon each cloves, mace, ground nutmeg, coriander seeds, and allspice berries.
You can substitute the candied peel for dried cranberries or dried apricots. But if using dried apricots, just chop them up.
Maria
x
Maria - thanks for the answers. We don't get dried apricots or cranberries here - can I use raisins instead?
Also, not sure what allspice berries are, but we don't get that here either! sorry for all the questions! lol - just fyi - we don't get allspice, pumpkin pie spice or mixed spice here, so I guess I have to make my own... :-)
Hi Arundathi
Sorry to hear you can't get hold of many things but you can certainly use raisins instead. I think it will be lovely to make your own spice ;o)
Maria
x
I can't believe you make your own mincemeat! That is fantastic. I thought it only came in a jar at the store. I never thought about anyone making their own. I bet it is delicious. I think the best desserts can be found in Europe during the holidays. But do not tell my U.S. friends that I said that! I wish I could hop over to your place and share a coffee and pastry with you. Thank you for your sweet comment on my blog about my mom.
i made it and bottled it and sneaked a little taste and it was really delicious! can't wait to do the nov bake! thanks for all your help in substitutions!
I have done my own mincemeat for a number of years now, my recipe is an adaptation of delia smiths and is on my recipe blog http://wiseherbrecipeblog.blogspot.com/
I use a lot more apples, to help keep it light as mincemeat can be a bit stodgy.
I have also used dried cherries, blueberries, cranberried, glace fruit such as pineapple etc in the recipe to ring the changes whatever is available when I get the ingredients. I find that Pecans give more flavour than almonds, but again it is preference..
Whatever you do, it will still taste so much better than the shop bought stuff.
How much mincemeat will be needed for November's bake? Your recipe makes 2 lbs and I was wondering if that much is needed.
I want to try the November bake - Iwould like to get the Americans in my office used to eating fruit mincemeat. Is it too late for me to start making it say within the next 4 days or so or will it not have had enough soaking in the liquor? I know my Mom used to make hers quite well ahead of time. Heather (Sherrytrifle)
Hi Arundathi, so pleased yours is all done and ready.
Hi Shirley
You need 400g of mincemeat.
Heather you have plenty of time, the fruits only have to soak in the liquor for 24hrs. And the bake doesn't have to be posted till the 1st Decemeber!
Maria
x
I'm going to make this today and I wonder if I can also use this vegetarian mincemeat for an English Fruit Cake?
Hi Mindy
I don't see why not, it will give the fruit cake a lot of flavour!
Maria
x
thanks Maria for your reply.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I had been searching for one without the suet. Great!
Wishing you a Merry Christmas!
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