Some of the delicious things .....

.... that have gone into my homemade mincemeat.

 

It might seem a little excessive to make homemade mincemeat when it is so readily available in the shops, but it is so delicious with a rich, fruitiness and none of the bitter aftertaste that some commercial mincemeats have. Plus it is ridiculously easy - simply a case of mixing all the ingredients in a bowl

 

and putting into a jar! 

 

As well as the traditional little mince pies, I've also made this rectangular mince tart. I pre-baked the pastry case and then filled it with mincemeat. It's going in the freezer until Christmas, when I will cover it with a macaroon topping before finishing in the oven and serving with cinnamon custard.

I love Delia's cinnamon ice cream recipe and often just use the custard base as a sauce.

Here is the recipe for the macaroon topping;
 2 egg whites
75g caster sugar
125g ground almonds

Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the sugar and fold in the ground almonds. Spread the mixture over the mincemeat to cover it completely.
Bake at 180c for about 20 minutes. Dust with icing sugar when cool.