Spirited Mincemeat Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Place all of the ingredients except the crust into the bowl of a food processor and pulse 8 to 10 times. Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for at least 3 days before using. Can be stored for up to 6 months.
• If you prefer a finer texture of mincemeat place the apples, dried fruit and suet into a meat grinder with a large die and grind. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. You may also finely chop the apples, dried fruit and suet by hand.
• Place the flour, cornmeal, 1 1/2 ounces sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Grate the cold butter on the large side of a box grater directly into the dry ingredients. Work together with your hands until the mixture is crumbly. Add the cider and water and stir with a spatula to combine. Knead the dough 5 to 6 times and spritz with additional water if the dough is dry. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Unwrap the dough and divide into 4 equal pieces. Place 2 pieces of the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and roll each out into a 1/8-inch thick round that is 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the mincemeat into the center of each round, fold up the edges of the dough in order to form a crust all the way around. Brush the edges of the crust with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Transfer the dough on the parchment to a half sheet pan. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• If you prefer 1 large pie, roll out the dough on a piece of parchment into a 15 to 16-inch round, about 1/4 to 1/8-inch thick. Trim the edges with a pizza cutter. Carefully slide the rolled out dough, still on the parchment paper, onto an upside down half sheet pan. Spoon about 1 1/2 pounds of the mincemeat onto the center of the dough, leaving a 2 to 3-inch margin around the edge of the crust. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 to 45 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Unroll pie crusts. Line ungreased 9-inch pie plate with one crust. Fill with mincemeat. Cover with second crust and seal edges. Cut slits in top crust to vent steam. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine raisins with brandy (or orange juice) in large bowl and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Combine raisin mixture with remaining ingredients and spoon into pie crust. Top with remaining pie crust and make several small slits on top of crust. Brush top with egg mixture. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes (until golden brown).

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, combine beef and apple cider. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, or until meat is tender. Remove meat and coarsely chop, then return it to the pot.
• Stir in chopped apples, sugar, currants, raisins, citrus peel, butter and cherry preserves. Add ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Let simmer, uncovered, over low heat until mixture is very thick, about 90 minutes. Stir in cherries and remove from heat.
• Refrigerate tightly covered for at least a week before using.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Put filling in unbaked pie shell and place pastry on top. Crimp edges and poke several holes in top pastry. Brush top with cream and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Steps:

• Make mincemeat:
• Stir together all mincemeat ingredients. Chill in an airtight container at least 3 days.
• Make pie:
• Put a baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch round and fit into a 9-inch glass pie plate (4-cup capacity). Stir mincemeat, then spoon into shell. Chill pie while rolling out top.
• Roll out remaining disk into a 10-inch round on lightly floured surface. Cut into 10 (1-inch-wide) strips with a fluted pastry wheel or a knife. Arrange strips in a lattice pattern on top of filling and trim strips and edge of bottom crust, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Seal edges and crimp decoratively. Brush lattice and edge with some of egg and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake until pastry is golden brown, 50 minutes to 1 hour. (If pastry rim gets too dark, tent with foil.) Cool 2 hours before serving.

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients for the mincemeat in a bowl and add brandy or rum to cover the fruit. Stir well, then let it rest overnight. The next day, stir again and then divide among sterilized preserving jars.
• To make the pastry, mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Rub the butter into the mixture until it is the consistency of fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and egg yolk and knead until the mixture comes together into a smooth dough. Alternatively, use a food processor to make the pastry. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease the tart molds with butter and cover the base of each with a small circle of parchment paper. Dust with flour.
• Briefly knead the pastry until smooth, then pat it into a rectangle and roll it out to a thickness of ⅛ inch. Use a round cutter with a diameter of 2¾ - 3¼ inches to cut out pastry circles. Gently push the pastry rounds into the tart molds. Prick the base or each tart shell three times with a fork.
• Knead the remaining dough back together and roll it out to cut out the lids-you can choose whichever shape you like, but stars are the most traditional.
• Divide the 8 ounces of filling among the tarts and press down gently. Place the lids on top and brush with the egg wash.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or cold.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll half the pate brisee into a 12-inch circle. Fit pastry into a 9-inch glass pie plate; trim dough evenly along edge. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine mincemeat filling, grated apple, brandy, and lemon zest. Spoon filling into the chilled piecrust.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining pate brisee to a 12-inch circle. Cover filling, trim evenly along edge, and press to seal edges. Cut small slits in pastry with the tip of a paring knife, about 3/4-inch apart. Place on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees. and bake until the crust is golden brown and the center bubbles, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.