The Red Bistro

Servings of food & lifestyle from the Mediterranean

  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Bistro
    • The Chef
  • Contact

Christmas Mincemeat Recipe with Limoncello

December 3, 2013 by lizayling 6 Comments

This mincemeat recipe is really easy to make, less cloyingly sweet and non-suet. I’m feeling virtuous already about the way my Christmas diet is going.

Homemade Christmas Mincemeat with Limoncello

Limoncello Mincemeat for Christmas pies

The first of December, what better time to prep some mincemeat. We simply lurve mince pies in our household. I have no problem batch baking them well into January and beyond, usually using up the last of my over eager purchases of M&S mincemeat. However, I find shop-bought, even the more deluxe brands, too sweet. Mistakenly, I’d always thought that homemade was too hassly. Not so with this mincemeat recipe…

Homemade Christmas Mincemeat with Limoncello

Homemade Christmas Mince Meat recipe

Nothing could be easier than homemade mincemeat. It’s a case of plonk fruit in pan, simmer and jar. Nothing as worrying as jam making and getting out thermometers or muslin, let alone maslin pans! I raided my store cupboard and found various dried fruits (you can play around with the mix of fruit to suit your taste). Instead of regular brandy, I opted for an Italianate twist as I didn’t have lemons to put in (more traditional); I opted for orange and the Limoncello more than made up for lack of real lemons. It gave a gentle bitter-sweetness to off-set all that dried fruit with its intense sugar.

Here’s to the start of festive fare. But if you’re not a mince pie fan, stay with me as I’ve two recipes coming up before Christmas that use mincemeat in alternatives ways – one sweet; one savoury (after all, in Tudor times, mince pie meat was meat!).

Limoncello Mincemeat recipe: All images © Liz Ayling 2013

Christmas Mincemeat Recipe with Limoncello
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
45 mins
Total time
55 mins
 
This mincemeat recipe is really easy to make, less cloyingly sweet and non-suet. Plus, it has a nip of Italian Limoncello to pep it up! Makes around 4 x 500g (sterilised) jars (each jar enough for 40 mince pies if not deep ones)
Recipe type: Jams & Preserves
Cuisine: British
Serves: 4 jars
Ingredients
  • 275g dark brown sugarprint button transparent
  • 275ml cider
  • 1kg apples, cored, peeled and diced
  • 200g raisins
  • 200g sultanas
  • 200g currants
  • 150g dates
  • 100g blanched almonds, chopped finely
  • 50g blanched hazelnuts, chopped finely
  • juice & peel of 1 small orange
  • 6 tbsps Limoncello (or use Cognac, or omit altogether if desired)
Method
  1. Place the cider and sugar in a heavy-based, deep pan and heat gently until sugar has dissolved.
  2. Add the apples first, stir and leave to cook down a little (5 mins) then add all the other ingredients except the alcohol, stirring them in well. Leave the lid half propped on and let it simmer gently for around 30 – 45 mins until the dried fruit and apples are soft and the liquid has reduced down to a small amount of thick syrup at the bottom of the pan. Ensure you stir the mix occasionally and check it’s not burning. Low, steady heat is a must.
  3. Stir in 3 tbsps of Limoncello or your chosen brandy etc. Leave to evaporate for 5 mins on a gentle heat. Turn off the heat and leave to cool a little. Then, add the remaining Limoncello and stir through.
  4. Decant the mincemeat into the sterilised jars; screw down lids or seal preserving jars. Keeps for around 2 months unopened at room temp., but place in fridge once opened.
3.2.2885

 

 

Filed Under: Cakes & sweet pastries, Christmas & New Year, Fruit, Jams & Preserves, Latest on the menu, Vegetarian

« Double Ginger Parkin
Sunday lunch of fennel roast pork & red cabbage apples »

Comments

  1. Life Images by Jill says

    December 4, 2013 at 9:20 am

    You’ve done it again Liz with a delicious sounding and looking recipe with superbly styled and photographed images. We have mince fruit pies here in Australia for Christmas (a left over tradition from our English heritage), but I always buy the fruit mince already made, and just make the pastry. I have a superb pastry recipe that goes with them perfectly.
    I will have to try your recipe. And again when is the recipe book coming out? Truly you must do it!

    Reply
  2. Life Images by Jill says

    December 4, 2013 at 9:24 am

    do you make your pies in these little tins?- that is different to ours – see here –

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifeimagesbyjill/8299070157/in/set-72157626165749032

    Reply
    • Red Bistro says

      December 8, 2013 at 11:31 pm

      Jill, I usually make them in the same tins as you do. Shallower ones. But for this post (and photo shoot), I decided to try little dariole moulds I happened to have. They made some nice deep pies, but more for fun and as the occasional whim.

      Reply
  3. Prabs says

    December 4, 2013 at 5:58 pm

    Oh my word. Do you accept reservations?!

    How can I NOT try this? Lush!

    x

    Reply
    • Red Bistro says

      December 8, 2013 at 11:29 pm

      Thanks Prabs! Wishing you a great Christmas (making this and all those mince pies). But hey, I remember your cake-making days and know you’re ace at anything sweet!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Very home-made mince tarts (with limoncello). | The Darling Baker says:
    December 23, 2013 at 4:09 am

    […] mince pies completely from scratch. I’m not kidding. Limoncello fruit mince recipe adapted from The Red Bistro. Plus my own shortcrust recipe. (One quantity of pastry will make a dozen cupcake-tin–sized mince […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

About Red Bistro

I am Liz, a food & lifestyle blogger and photographer based in Malta, an archipelago at the centre of the Mediterranean. The Red Bistro is my creative space: a photo diary of cultural and culinary Mediterranean life. Read More…

Recent Posts

The Brasserie, Portomaso Casino, Malta
Italian Christmas Cake, Certosino
Salt beef & pulled pork stall, Borough Market, London

Categories

  • Bits & Bobs
  • Breakfast & brunch
  • Cakes & sweet pastries
  • Chilled desserts & ices
  • Christmas & New Year
  • Drinks
  • Fish
  • Fruit
  • Herbs
  • Hot desserts
  • Italian
  • Jams & Preserves
  • Latest on the menu
  • Light lunches & suppers
  • Main courses
  • Maltese dishes
  • Markets & Shops
  • Our specials
  • Restaurants
  • Salads
  • Soups
  • Travels
  • Vegetarian

Recipe Archive

Follow on Bloglovin
Instagram
Featured on BlogHer.com
 
Red Bistro foodgawker gallery
Top Food Blogs

© Copyright 2016-22The Red Bistro · All Rights Reserved ·

Privacy, Data & Cookie Policy · Disclaimer· Terms & Conditions