I have resorted to draping a knitted rug over my knees as I type this...
Snow is falling, softly, damply, almost apologetically, along with a steady drift of leaves from the oak tree at the bottom of the garden. Nearly all the leaves have gone from the apple tree, so the bunting is visible now, all faded and forlorn. I should venture down there to see if the snowdrops are coming through - the first few snowdrops usually appear at the base of the tree just before Christmas Day, so that we can have a couple in a little vase on the table. But it is TOOOOOOOOO cold today. The back door step is near to 'outdoors' a I have gone all weekend.
And look! Hanging from the shed roof! Can you see them?
I am making mincemeat in the crockpot. When I investigated the cupboards and shelves I couldn't find any, but luckily I had enough ingredients to make a half quantity of Delia Smith's Christmas Mincemeat.
I only use two recipes, one dating bake to a cheap booklet I bought when we were first married, called 'Christmas in your Freezer', for mincemeat made with applesauce to be kept in the freezer, and Delia's recipe from her Christmas book - but you can find it online here. They really are the best recipes - if I can find the freezer one I'll post it in the next day or so.
The Delia recipe (which she says keeps for up to 3 years!) requires the mixture to be cooked in a low oven for three hours to melt the suet, coating everything in a layer of fat which is why it keeps so well.
Half quantities exactly fitted into my tiddly little crockpot, and an hour on high (it is cold in the kitchen) followed by a couple of hours on low seems to have worked. I'm at the stage of stirring it every so often as it cools down - if you don't, the liquid suet rises to the top of the dish and sets in a solid layer, not what you want at all.
Quite frankly I haven't yet bought a shop mince pie that I really like - the Waitrose beurre noisette pies are the closest to date - nor yet a jar of shop made mincemeat that is worth consuming the calories therein.
There is nothing to beat home-made mincemeat and home-made mince pies.
The only shop made mincemeat I ever liked was Harrods. Sugar was WAY down the list of ingredients. I always make Delia’s recipe as an alternative - I think it’s on a par with the Harrods. Most commercial mincemeats have sugar as the first ingredient and are, to my mind, disgustingly sweet.
ReplyDeleteyes, I agree that bought mincemeat is usually tooooo sweet for me, and the same goes for the mince pies because they will insist on using sweet pastry. I've never tasted Harrods, not yet Fortnum and Mason....
DeleteMy OH doesnt like peel, so doesn't eat mince pies - but one year Delia had a recipe using cranberries instead - that did taste good! I don't usually make or buy mincemeat/pies. There are always plenty at the local Christmas events so I do not need them at home!!
ReplyDeleteMy brother won't eat mince pies, because the very first time he was given one to eat he was expecting a meat pie, not a sweet one!
DeleteI’ve never tasted a bought mince pie or mincemeat that I like. Always far too sweet for my taste.
ReplyDeleteI think my homemade mincemeat is based on Delilah’s recipe. I use butter in place of suet and the latest batch, leftover from last year, has almonds and a dash of amaretto.
Almonds and amaretto sounds a great idea. I used brandy this year.
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