Thought I'd share my family mincemeat recipe

[mcduff1979]

Family Xmas Cake

¾ lb Brown Sugar
¾ lb Butter
6 Eggs
1 lb Self Raising Flour
1 lb Sultanas
1 lb Currants
¼ lb Raisins
6 oz Peel
2 oz Cherries (Optional)
¼ lb Chopped Almonds
½ TSP Mixed Spice
2 TBSP Dark Treacle
3 TBSP Brandy (Plus additional for feeding)

lined tin, Cook 6 ½ hours at gas mark 1 or electric oven(fan) 120c

8 inch / 7 inch square tin greased lined with greaseproof paper

Take a large bowl add all dry ingredients and peel and mix together with 3 tbs brandy, and cover and leave for 12 hours.
Sift flour, salt and spices into a separate bowl
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
Beat eggs together and add 1 tbs egg at a time to the creamed mixture making sure to mix together thoroughly with each addition and do until all egg added. *If it starts to curdle add little bit of flour to stop curdling.
Fold in the flour and spices, stir in fruit and peel that has been soaking
Add nuts, treacle and almonds
Spoon mixture into prepared tin, and spread evenly with back of spoon with indention in the middle
Use folded newspaper or brown paper and tie to outside of tin
Cover the top with greased proof paper
Cook for 4 ½ to 4 ¾ hours (on lower shelf ). *Do not open
Let cake completely cool, take paper off and put on tin foil
Feed brandy every week and wrap with tin foil until ready to decorate

 

[bakechef]

I too have made it only once. The list of ingredients for my recipe was daunting. I don't even remember the procedure but I know it took me all day. It made a huge amount, had more than enough to give and a couple of years worth to keep. We did give it at Christmas to family and it was certainly 'OK', but nothing to rave about.

Have never made it since. When I do buy it I get that red & white pkg, has a horse and carriage on it? from Georgia? Clayton's? would recognize the pkg. and name if I saw it. VERY expensive but well worth the price.

I believe that is Claxton fruit cake. Living in the south it is probably the most popular one in stores. We get a ton of it and it sells out quickly.

 

[dragnlaw]

Aha! Thank You! Claxton it is. We always had that at home. LOL was considered the creme de la creme.

 

[Mad Cook]

My mom was Canadian, and would often talk about mincemeat made with suet. One of the ladies at our church would make it with ground beef. I liked the stuff in the jar.

Thanks for an authentic recipe!

It was originally made with meat so the lady at church must be using a very old recipe.

 

[Mad Cook]

Family Xmas Cake

¾ lb Brown Sugar
¾ lb Butter
6 Eggs
1 lb Self Raising Flour
1 lb Sultanas
1 lb Currants
¼ lb Raisins
6 oz Peel
2 oz Cherries (Optional)
¼ lb Chopped Almonds
½ TSP Mixed Spice
2 TBSP Dark Treacle
3 TBSP Brandy (Plus additional for feeding)

lined tin, Cook 6 ½ hours at gas mark 1 or electric oven(fan) 120c

8 inch / 7 inch square tin greased lined with greaseproof paper

Take a large bowl add all dry ingredients and peel and mix together with 3 tbs brandy, and cover and leave for 12 hours.
Sift flour, salt and spices into a separate bowl
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
Beat eggs together and add 1 tbs egg at a time to the creamed mixture making sure to mix together thoroughly with each addition and do until all egg added. *If it starts to curdle add little bit of flour to stop curdling.
Fold in the flour and spices, stir in fruit and peel that has been soaking
Add nuts, treacle and almonds
Spoon mixture into prepared tin, and spread evenly with back of spoon with indention in the middle
Use folded newspaper or brown paper and tie to outside of tin
Cover the top with greased proof paper
Cook for 4 ½ to 4 ¾ hours (on lower shelf ). *Do not open
Let cake completely cool, take paper off and put on tin foil
Feed brandy every week and wrap with tin foil until ready to decorate

That's more or less the recipe my mother used. Is it the "Regulation" stove cookbook? I have the book somewhere. I don't make it now as there is only me at home and it makes a rather large cake for one. I make a smaller cake which I adapted from a Delia Smith recipe

 

[Addie]

My sister had an in-law that liked to make mince meat pies from scratch. Now as a kid I like them. At least the one my aunt made. But the in-law's pie was horrible tasting. I think I have been turned off of them for life.

You know, being a diabetic has it blessings. I can use that as a valid excuse to say "No thank you. I am diabetic."

 

[dragnlaw]

I hear you Addie! Works for me! As in some people just cannot understand when a person is "sensitive" to certain foods. (Or just plain can't stand them?)

I start off with plain "No thank you, it looks lovely but no." If that doesn't work and depending on the food/situation I just say I'm allergic. They understand that and I'm saved from a long involved explanation as to what/how/why I have sensitivities that may go down well now - I pay for later, big time.

 

[Cheryl J]

Unlike Addie, who has stated many times of the difficulties she experiences from restaurant servers, friends, and family not wanting to accept a simple "no, thank you" for a food that's offered, I guess I've been lucky for the past several decades. I can't think of one single time in adulthood when someone has tried to argue or force feed me when I've said 'no, thank you'.

No dietary limitations here, though. On the rare occasion when I politely decline, it's for a dessert and I am just too full. Then the usual response is "well, let me bag that up for you, and you can take it home for later..." Now THAT....I'm good with.
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As far as the OP's mincemeat...that sounds good. I haven't had a mincemeat pie since I was a very young girl. My grandmama made delicious ones and I've pretty much forgotten about them until now. Thanks for the memories!

 

[GotGarlic]

Unlike Addie, who has stated many times of the difficulties she experiences from restaurant servers, friends, and family not wanting to accept a simple "no, thank you" for a food that's offered, I guess I've been lucky for the past several decades. I can't think of one single time in adulthood when someone has tried to argue or force feed me when I've said 'no, thank you'.

No dietary limitations here, though

I guess I've been lucky, too, and I do have dietary limitations. I can't remember a time when someone insisted that I eat something that was offered after I politely declined.

 

[di reston]

Nice recipe, that - I'm going to adopt it. I'll put the ingredients on my shopping list. It'll need a variation or two here in Italy, and I'll have to make my own suet, but that's not a problem. My Italian friends love British mince pies, but they'll love them even more with this recipe! thanks!

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

 

[dragnlaw]

Thank you di, you're right - the more I look at it the more I want to try it again. After all, the last time was more than 40 years ago .

This might be the magic recipe that is perfect for my talents!

 

[buckytom]

But, but, where's the meat? Someone, please edumacate me.

(I feel like a fish soon to be flopping around on the deck).

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

For all you newbies, meet BuckyTom, one of the best guys to ever post on DC, and nearly as good lookin' as me! Nuff said.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[di reston]

English mince pies date right back to the times of Elizabeth I of England, and probably before that - in other words, the 16th Century. They were called 'cofyns', and were made to remind us of the lowly surroundings of the birth of the Christ Child. Oliver Cromwell banned them, and also all things related to Christmas. Traditionally, they're for consumption through the 12 Days of Christmas, December 24th to January 6th and the visit to Bethlehem of the 3 wise men. There's an ancient tradition around the area I grew up in - Cheshire, in the North West of England, between Chester and Liverpool - where, if you give twelve mince pies to a person in need at Christmas time, they will have twelve months of good fortune. It would appear that the meat was dropped from the recipe during the 1700's, but I can't swear to that.

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

 

[buckytom]

Thank you, di. Interesting.

 

[di reston]

Leafing through my book 'British Cookery' published in 1976 By Croom Helm Ltd, and recipes collected by the British Farm Produce Council and the British Tourist Authority, and probably still the most comprehensive collection of British recipes, I came across the following recipe, from Cumberland, still made today, dates back to the Middle Ages and was probably a precursor of the modern mince pie.

In the Middle Ages in Britain it was common practice to make 'pyse' with both dried fruit and meat. The 'cofyns' we now know as mince pies undoubtedly back to them, and it was commonplace for pies to be monoportion or for a number of people. The pastry crusts would merely be a vessel in which to place the edible food, although later on these became edible to humans as well as the pie contents. To my great amazement, here's the recipe:

1 1/2 lbs lean mutton, minced
2lbs stoned raisins
2lb currants
4oz candied peel, or sugar-preserved citrus fruit peel
pinch each nutmeg and mixed spice
2ls soft brown sugar
slat and pepper
4floz rum
4lb hot water crust pastry
1 egg

Mince the lamb and the dried fruits together through the mincer. Add the spices, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir in the rum and leave overnight.
Make the pastry and line two large oval raised-pie molds, setting aside part of the pastry for the lids. Now cut two circles at a distance of 2 - 3 inches apart in the centre of the pies. Brush with beaten egg. Have the oven pre-heated to 425°F, then after 30 mins. reduce the heat to 325°F and bake for a further 2 hours.

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

 

[letscook]

Love mincemeat, I make little hand pies instead of a regular size as that tends to be to much of a good thing. The hand pies work better.