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Booze free mincemeat & Christmas Delights

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Re: Booze free mincemeat & Christmas Delights

Postby Joanbunting » Wed Nov 28, 2018 12:11 pm

Not a million miles away from the cake I usually make aprt from some of the more exotic nuts and spices.
Because we live in a part of france which specialises in crystallised/preserved/ candied fruits I use them in my Christmas and other baking. I don't decorate with marzipan but with fruits confit soaked in rum arranged on the top of the cake when baked then put it back into the oven for 20 minutes to fix them in place.

I also make a berlin cake some years which contains ground almonds, sultanas, candied pineapple, preserved ginger and real angelica.
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Re: Booze free mincemeat & Christmas Delights

Postby jeral » Wed Nov 28, 2018 5:51 pm

Are candied fruit bits a Marmite thing? They all taste weird to me, angelica worst of all.

I like the look of the cake mark111757 linked as it looks dry so shouldn't leave that awful fatty mouth coating that some foods people describe as unctuous do.

Moistness due to booze on the other hand... but rather outwith the booze-free thread header :oops:

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Re: Booze free mincemeat & Christmas Delights

Postby mark111757 » Thu Nov 29, 2018 1:49 am

Apologies on the brandy in it. I only read the recipe a d ozen times and never saw it till now


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Re: Booze free mincemeat & Christmas Delights

Postby strictlysalsaclare » Fri Nov 30, 2018 8:37 am

Hi Mark

No worries, the mention of brandy is absolutely fine on here. I am not teetotal although I don't drink a lot of alcohol. I only call gave the thread it's title because Gillthepainter asked me for the recipe for the booze free mincemeat after I mentioned it in another thread. I will be making both kinds of mincemeat this year, the boozy one is already maturing in the fridge and I'll be making the booze free one this weekend.

I can see why you thought it was a teetotal Christmas food and drink thread though! Sorry about that! :?

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Re: Booze free mincemeat & Christmas Delights

Postby Joanbunting » Fri Nov 30, 2018 12:36 pm

jeral wrote:Are candied fruit bits a Marmite thing? They all taste weird to me, angelica worst of all.

:


Jerla that's probably because you have never been lucky enought ot taste the real thing. The fruit which is produced round here - by the artisan producers is not coated in a dry crystalised crust and rather chewy. It is moist and juicy . A lot of the mixed peel avaialble in the UK has hardly set eyes on citrus fruit. It is often made from vegetable - especially turnip!
The cherries are not always bright red either. The angelica too is moist and not a vivid. I thought I dislike it too until I tasted the real stuff. I wish I could send you some.
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Re: Booze free mincemeat & Christmas Delights

Postby strictlysalsaclare » Fri Nov 30, 2018 6:15 pm

I have to say that whenever I've seen Continental glace fruits on sale, they always look wonderful.

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Re: Booze free mincemeat & Christmas Delights

Postby Gillthepainter » Sat Dec 01, 2018 10:56 am

I'm a mixed peel picker-outer.

Turnip would explain a lot! I never knew that but am not surprised.

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Re: Booze free mincemeat & Christmas Delights

Postby DEB » Sun Dec 02, 2018 6:52 pm

If you do not wish to use Booze, you can replace it with orange juice or apple juice.

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Re: Booze free mincemeat & Christmas Delights

Postby strictlysalsaclare » Thu Dec 06, 2018 9:00 am

Thank you DEB, I normally put both orange and lemon juice in my boozy mincemeat anyway. At the time I didn't think I could just leave the alcohol out altogether.

Over the last couple of weeks I have started to make space in the freezer for festive food. Although I did fill the gaps with the things I needed to make in advance such as pastry dough etc. This week I've made a more concentrated effort to empty it a bit as I still need to find room for a couple of items! Hopefully, by the time our next shopping day (next Wednesday) comes I will have removed more than I will be putting in, so it won't be as crammed.

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Re: Booze free mincemeat & Christmas Delights

Postby DEB » Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:08 pm

You can make my fatfree mincemeat using apple juice rather than the cider and rum, although I think I would use orange juice for the rum. You will need to ensure that eveything is clean, so that it can be stored for upto a year

400ml medium/dry cider or apple juice
450g dark drown sugar
1.8kg cooking apple- Peeled, cored and chopped
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
450g currents
450g raisins
150 g glace cherries
125g chopped blanched almonds
grated rind and juice of lemon
150 ml brandy or rum or orange juice
1. Put cider or apple juice and sugar in a large saucepan and heat gently and stir until sugar dissolved.
2. Add apples and stir in the rest of the dry ingredients.
3. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
4. Lower the heat, half cover with lid and simmer for 30 mins until a soft pulp.
5. Remove from the heat and leave until cold.
6. Stir in brandy or rum or orange juice
7. Place in clean dry screw-topped jars and cover with waxed circles before putting on lids.
8. Store in a cool dry place until Xmas.
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I have kept it for 18 months or so.

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Re: Booze free mincemeat & Christmas Delights

Postby Joanbunting » Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:09 pm

Sorry, but I simply can't imagine mincemeat without either suet or rum. Nor cooking it before jarring it. I made my first batch of mince pies this morning and there is still a lovely smell in the house - mostly from the spices and rum.
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