Good Fruit Mince
Good Fruit Mince
(makes approx. 900g; enough for 2 batches of mince pies)
Good homemade fruit mince has the remarkable ability to convert even the most die-hard mince pie haters (I know, I used to be one!). This recipe, from my book Handfuls of Sunshine, is stuffed with prunes and sour cherries, with a good slosh of Pedro Ximénez thrown in for added cheer. Feel free to change the variety of dried fruit to suit your tastes (and what you have in the pantry), just make sure to keep the total weight of fruit to 500g. And use the best quality fruit you can find – it really does make all the difference!
Ingredients
200g pitted prunes, roughly chopped
120g dried sour cherries
80g currants
100g dried apricots, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons apricot jam or marmalade
80g light brown sugar
1 small apple, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
40g unsalted butter
200ml Pedro Ximénez
Method
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring often, until the butter has melted, sugar has dissolved and the mixture is bubbling.
Transfer to a sterilized jar or container and store in the fridge for at least 24 hours, or up to a month, before using.
