Pear Mincemeat Recipes

Steps:

• Put pears into a non-stick frying pan with 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp water. Cover, then cook over a medium heat for 10 mins until just tender, stirring every so often. There shouldn't be juices once the pears are cooked. Add the spice; leave to cool.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter then line the base and sides of a 20cm round, deep cake tin. Put butter, sugar, vanilla and ¼ tsp salt into a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand whisk until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and flour, beat until smooth, then fold in almonds with a spoon. Remove 85g batter and put into a small bowl. Into this add the plain flour and chop into the mix with a cutlery knife to make a soft, crumbly-looking mix.
• Spoon half the cake mix into the tin, top with half the pears, dot over half the mincemeat, then dollop the rest of the cake mix on top. Scatter with remaining pears, mincemeat, then the crumble mix. Sprinkle with final 1 tbsp sugar. Bake for 1½ hrs, covering with foil after 1 hr, until golden, risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then cool on a rack. Keep it in the lining paper, as this will help it stay moist. Will keep, well wrapped in an airtight tin, for 5 days. Freeze for 1 month.

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients, except the brandy, in a large saucepan. Cook over a low heat for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and suet have completely dissolved.
• Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature before stirring in the brandy. The mincemeat may look loose at this stage, but it will continue to thicken. You can encase it in pastry as soon as it's cooled. Alternatively, spoon the warm mincemeat into a large sterilised jar or several smaller ones (see tip, below). Will keep in a cool, dry place for up to six months.

Steps:

• Make mincemeat:
• Stir together all ingredients except pastry dough and chill in an airtight container, stirring at least once a day for at least 3 days.
• Make pie:
• Put oven rack in middle position. Put a large baking sheet on rack and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Roll out larger piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Chill shell while rolling out smaller piece of dough for top crust.
• Roll out smaller piece of dough on a lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin into a roughly 16- by 11-inch rectangle. Cut crosswise into 12 (1-inch-wide) strips with a pastry wheel or a sharp knife. Stir mincemeat, then spoon into shell in an even layer. Weave a lattice pattern over pie with pastry strips.
• Trim edges of strips flush with edge of bottom crust. Fold bottom crust up over edges of lattice and decoratively crimp.
• Bake pie on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and cover edge of pie with a pie shield or foil if it begins to brown too quickly. Continue to bake until crust is golden brown and filling begins to bubble around edge, about 1 hour more. Transfer pie to a rack and cool to warm or room temperature, about 2 hours. Serve pie warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Peel, quarter, and core pears. Chop pears coarse and in a bowl toss with lemon juice.
• In a dry 3 1/2- to 4-quart heavy saucepan cook 1/3 cup sugar over moderate heat, stirring with a fork, until melted and cook, without stirring, swirling pan, until a golden caramel. Remove pan from heat and carefully add water down side of pan (caramel will steam and harden). Return pan to heat and simmer mixture, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Add pears, remaining 1/3 cup sugar, cherries, raisins, spices, and salt and simmer, stirring occasionally at beginning of cooking and frequently toward end to prevent sticking, until thickened, about 50 minutes.
• Stir in walnuts and brandy and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Cool mincemeat. Mincemeat may be used immediately but will improve in flavor if kept, covered and chilled, at least 1 day and up to 1 week.

Steps:

• Add the first 21 ingredients to a slow cooker.
• Put the orange halves in a food processor; pulse to chop the fruit and rind; add to the slow cooker.
• Stir the mixture well to combine.
• Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 1/2 hours, bringing mixture to a full boil.
• Remove lid and continue to cook on HIGH, stirring occasionally, until the fruits are soft and the mixture has thickened considerably (2-3 hours).
• Transfer the hot mixture to 2 clean, sterilized 1-quart Mason jars; let cool completely.
• Pour 2 tablespoons brandy into each jar; cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 1 week, to meld flavors before serving.
• Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
• Use cold, directly out of the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Combine cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice in a bowl. Reserve 1 heaped teaspoon for the mincemeat. Store the rest in a small jar for a later use.
• Inspect two 12-ounce jars for cracks and rings for rust, discarding any defective ones. Immerse in simmering water until mincemeat is ready. Wash new, unused lids and rings in warm soapy water.
• Combine apple, sultanas, sugar, currants, raisins, and butter in a saucepan. Cook over low heat and stir gently until butter has melted. Stir in chopped almonds, orange zest, 1 teaspoon of mixed spice, and cinnamon. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and set mincemeat aside to cool down for 30 minutes. Stir in brandy. Spoon into sterilized jars.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Prepare pastry for a 2-crust, 9 1/2" deep dish pie.
• In large bowl, combine mince, pears, nuts, zest & ginger, then spoon into prepared pie shell.
• Top with 2nd crust, then flute & cut several slits in top.
• Sprinkle with sugar & bake 35-45 minutes, until golden brown.
• If necessary, cover edges with foil to keep from over-browning or burning.