Brown Butter Mincemeat
The ultimate homemade mincemeat! Full of dried fruit, spices & brown butter for a rich, nutty flavour. Level up your mince pies this Christmas!
Servings: 1.5 kg
Equipment
- 2 Litre Kilner Jar (Sterilised)
- Large Saucepan
- Microplane/Grater
- Juicer
Ingredients
- 120 g Unsalted Butter
- 200 g Raisins
- 200 g Sultanas
- 180 g Dried Cranberries
- 180 g Currants
- 1 Bramley Apple (Peeled, Cored & Grated)
- 80 g Mixed Peel
- 100 g Suet (See Notes)
- 1 Orange (Zest & Juice)
- 1 Lemon (Zest & Juice)
- 250 g Light Brown Sugar
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ground Allspice
- ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 200 ml Brandy
Instructions
- Chop the butter into evenly sized pieces then place into a large saucepan. Place over a medium heat & allow to melt, stirring regularly with a spatula. Keep cooking, until the butter starts to foam, smells nutty & you can see that the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the heat & add in all of the remaining ingredients into the brown butter (apart from the brandy). Stir to combine then place over a low heat.
- Cook the mincemeat gently, stirring regularly until the suet has melted then allow to cook for around 10 minutes. The sugar should have dissolved & the fruit will be completely covered in fat.
- Next, take the pan off the heat & let the mincemeat cool to room temperature, stirring it every so often.
- Once cool, stir in the brandy then transfer the mincemeat to a sterilised jar.
- Let the mincemeat mature in the fridge for at least a week before using. Leaving it for a couple of months is best.
Notes
1. Cooking On An Aga - Brown the butter on the boiling plate then cook the mincemeat on the simmering plate.
2. Storage - Stored in the fridge, the mincemeat will keep for 3-4 months. For the most flavour, it's best to let the mincemeat mature in the fridge for at least a month before using it.
3. Suet - Either beef or vegetable suet can be used for this mincemeat.
4. Alcohol - Brandy works great in this mincemeat but rum, whiskey, amaretto or kirsch will work as well. If you'd like to make your mincemeat without alcohol, stir in extra orange juice or some black/herbal tea. Keep in mind that alcohol free mincemeat won't keep for as long, as the alcohol is what preserves it!