Christmas Mincemeat - Romer's Monthly Recipe from Cornwall

Christmas Mincemeat A seasonal mixture to make your mouth water! For all of you out there that would like to make mince pies with a real homemade flavour. Forget the plastic tubs of supermarket mincemeat and just follow Romer's directions. It's quick, easy and tastes sublime. There's nothing nicer than a homemade mince pie, the only problem is they go too fast, so make sure you make plenty!	Recipe Archive Piccalilli Winter Soups Stuffings for chicken, pork, goose Christmas Pudding Christmas mincemeat & sweet pastry Pork Chops with Cornish Cream & Mixed Mash Spanish Macaroni Sweethart tart Hot devilled Crab Fresh Pesto & Pasta Rhubarb and orange crumble Asparagus Risotto
Mincemeat Ingredients 2 large Bramley apples, sliced and cooked down 12oz. Each of raisins, currants, sultanas 2oz. Glacé cherries 4oz. Chopped almonds 4oz. Candied peel 12oz. Demerara sugar 2oz. "no soak" apricots 4oz. Figs 4oz. Dates 2oz. Ginger (stem or crystallised) 1 Lemon 1 Orange 1 tsp. Cinnamon 1 tsp. Nutmeg 8oz. Vegetable suet 3 fluid oz. Rum or Brandy (or both!) Mincemeat Method Chop the apricots, dates, figs and ginger into small pieces. Zest the rind of the orange and lemon and squeeze out the juice. Mix all the ingredients together and leave to soak overnight. Pack into airtight jars and store. The mincemeat will keep indefinitely! *Tip Use a star cutter, for the lid of your mince pies, to add a festive touch. Sweet Pie Pastry Ingredients 1lb. Plain flour 2 tsps. Caster sugar 8 oz. Butter 2 oz. Cookeen (refined vegetable fat) 1 large egg, beaten Sweet Pie Pastry Method Sift the flour and sugar together. Cut the butter and Cookeen into small pieces and rub into the flour. Bind together with the beaten egg. Knead lightly and chill before use. * If you have a food processor, place all the ingredients in the bowl and process for a few seconds. Knead and chill as above.
About Romer After running a successful and noted restaurant, in Mevagissey, for over 17 years, Romer moved to Penzance where she has been freelancing as a chef for the past 10 years. Making anything from a single cake to a complete wedding feast, an intimate dinner party or a corporate lunch. Her cooking is justifiably famous, and many well-known media personalities are among her clients. If you're travelling to Penzance and need a B+B go for the best breakfast in town and stay with Romer at the Blue House