I'll Make Mincemeat Out of You
The Yuletide has finally ebbed, but some of its effects on the Land of Food linger on. Here we believe that until the end of February it is still seasonally permissible to make Mincies. These little tartlets used to be made by my grandmother with mincemeat filling from the jar. They were damned good, but mine (made with a very un-difficult fruit filling) are better. If you have any doubts about how satisfying the result is, they will be banished by experience. This will have nothing whatsoever to do with whether or not you think you like "mincemeat." Make these as an act of faith in the cold heart of winter, and you will, in years to come, wonder how you ever got through a cold afternoon without one.
Filling Ingredients
(These proportions make dozens of Mincies. It's always preferable to have more filling)
6-7 tart apples, peeled and minced
4-5 cups dried fruit: cherries, cranberries, currants, and golden raisins
1/4 cup citron/candied orange (optional)
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup apple brandy (or any brandy)
1-1/2 cup apple cider or cranapple juice
juice of 1-2 lemons
About 1 teaspoon nutmeg
About 1 teaspoon cinnamon
The crust
Whatever pie crust you like will do. The amount of crust for an ordinary two-crust pie will yield about 12-16 Mincies.
Making the filling
This is easy. In a big pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples and cook for 10-15 minutes. Add the dried fruit, the citron the brandy, the cider and the spices. Cook until the dried fruit is soft. Mash with a potato masher or heavy spoon to break up the dried fruit somewhat. Add the sugar and lemon juice, reduce heat and simmer until the whole thing is a sufficiently mashlike consistency. Add more liquid if necessary; add sugar if it seems to require sweetness, lemon juice if too sweet.
Making the crusts
Almost as simple. Make pie crust dough from the recipie of your preference. I usually use a box mix, but maybe you're a better pastry chef than I. Roll out a big flat sheet of dough until it's as thin as you can work with, and then using a circular cookie cutter or an empty (cleaned!) tuna fish can, cut out circles of dough. Arrange cut circles of dough on a cookie sheet. In the center of each circle, put a heaping tablespoon of the filling. Then, for each circle, rim the edge with a little cold water (use a finger or a teaspoon).
Sealing it up
Place another circle of dough on top of the fruit, and use fingers to press the edge of the top circle to the moistened edge of the bottom one, all the way around, sealing the fruit filling inside. Using a fork, press down all around the edges with the tines to create a nice pattern, and then poke the fork in the center to make some ventilation holes. Each should now look like a little pie. (My sister uses a diamond cookie cutter to make these, and she makes them a little smaller, more cookie-sized. These are slightly more substantial than your average cookie).
When you've got a whole sheet ready, put them in an oven preheated to 375 degrees. After about 10-12 minutes they should be done. They can be served warm or cold. They are suitable on all forms of transportation, including horseback. They can be eaten for breakfast, if no one is looking. A certain number should be hoarded for the personal use of the baker.
Posted by B T at December 29, 2001 06:05 PM