These are the ingredients I mixed together in a large bowl which I covered and left over night before giving a good stir and spooning into sterilised jars:
- 225g Cornish cooking apples (variety unidentified)
- 110g vegetarian suet (rather wished I'd used butter in retrospect)
- 175g raisins
- 110g sultanas
- 110g currants
- 50g mixed peel
- 100g dark chocolate (70%) - chopped
- 175g dark brown sugar
- grated zest and juice of an organic orange (unwaxed)
- grated zest and juice of an organic lemon (unwaxed)
- 25g flaked almonds
- 3 tsp mixed spice (home-made)
- 3 tbsp rum
This should keep for a year in a cool dark place, but I have plans for this mincemeat and I'm really looking forward to trying it. Assuming it makes the grade, a couple of the jars might make it into this year's Christmas hampers.
I do like the idea of little nuggets of chocolate melting in!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea for this month's challenge - don't forget to update us on how it tastes!
ReplyDeleteNice idea!
ReplyDeleteI made mincemeat yesterday for the first time ever!!... We've clearly been inspired by all those clever people at Fortnums!...pretty similar ingredients to yours, which looks yummy but I used whisky instead of rum!... can't wait to eat it too!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to add chocolate! I have a wonderful spiced mincemeat and chocolate cake recipe, and imagine that this will taste similar! Brilliant mincemeat and a lovely change too!
ReplyDeleteKaren
I wouldn't have thought of adding chocolate to mincemeat. I'll have to give it a try!
ReplyDeleteI shouldn't really make mincemeat though - I like making it, but rarely get round to using it. My mum was gifted the last lot I made recently. It was marked 2009. Oops!
Inspired idea to add the chocolate! Bet it tastes great.
ReplyDeleteFoodycat - that is exactly what made me think of it.
ReplyDeleteBVG - expect mince pies to be featuring at some point as well as something else I've got up my sleeve ;-)
Lottie - thank you.
Dom - oh, I bet whiskey will give a real depth to the flavour. I've never been a fan of whiskey, but last year I was served some on my porridge and it was really really good. Bet you didn't use chocolate though ;-)
Karen - you do know how to entice. Where is that chocolate mincemeat cake?
C - yes it's funny how we want to make things and then they end up languishing in the back of the cupboard. Quite a bit of my stuff ends up like that.
Jac - thanks, I'm crossing fingers that it does so!
mmm, scrummy - the perfect filling for chocolate mince pies (although the sugar hit could be quite devestating!)
ReplyDeletehttp://nipitinthebud.wordpress.com/2010/12/23/making-chocolate-mince-pies/
Mincemeat and chocolate is such a perfect combination. I have my pots in the fridge, because I used butter rather than suet, waiting to be made into mince pies nearer Christmas.
ReplyDeleteyou put chocolate in your mince meat? I want some. I love making chocolate panforte with regular mince meat so I can well imagine that mince meat would be delicious with chocolate
ReplyDeleteNic - yes I remember your lovely looking mince pies from last year - wondering if chocolate pastry and chocolate mincemeat might be too much of a good thing - on the other hand ......
ReplyDeleteJanice - ah, hadn't thought about that aspect of using butter. I think they would taste better, but not so good for storage.
Oh panforte Johanna, what a lovely idea :)
I love mincemeat in my fruit mince pies! The addition of dark chocolate is a great idea..it would go well with those sweet dried fruits
ReplyDeleteI just made some too - I'm a bit behind! yours looks ace, have a look for interest in the River Cottage book by Pam the Jam. Her recipe has only fruit, sugar, spices and booze - no fat at all and it seems to work OK.
ReplyDeleteMight add some chopped chocolate to the mix now!
If anyone can pull off chocolate mincemeat it's definitely you! I'd been thinking about doing pies with a chocolate crust...do you think a chocolate crust AND filling would be overkill?!
ReplyDeleteWhat an unusual combination - I have never seen chocolate mincemeat. I'm not a fan of mincemeat...maybe adding chocolate to it is the answer!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea adding chocolate in. A creative entry for we should cocoa. I'm not a fan of mincemeat myself but may be tempted by this chocolate creation of yours :)
ReplyDeleteBrittany - that's certainly what I'm hoping. Time will tell!
ReplyDeleteOxslip - Oh, I've just had a look and now I want to make both the plum and russet and the pear and ginger. Dan has another quite different recipe but using butter. Still, it's a first and I had to start somewhere.
Little Loaf - Thank you for your vote of confidence - I'm really looking forward to finding out how well it works. I think your double chocolate mince pies have to be tried ;-)
CC - I think there's a big difference between bought and home-made. That's what I keep hearing anyway. CT will be the judge - he won't normally eat mince pies.
Baking Addict - Thank you. See above :)
I think you may be onto a good thing here. Chocolate flavoured mincemeat is bound to taste amazing. It fits in nicely with all your other ingredients and will be a big hit I am sure!
ReplyDeleteI often use mincemeat in crumbles too and find it works well, served with lots of cream/custard xx
oook what a lovely idea. Never thought of chocolate in it though I do add cocoa to my Xmas pudding so why not am sure the chocolate flavour goes well with all those lovely spices x
ReplyDeletethis look amazing Choclette, an amazing idea:)
ReplyDeleteOh how delicious this will be!
ReplyDeleteNow I LOVE a mince pie, so one with chocolate in it...drool...
ReplyDeleteA really, really unusual idea. If it works you have invented something here!
ReplyDeleteOh I love the idea of this- I'm a sucker for folding mincemeat through ice cream. I think the chocolate would take it to a completely other level. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love this idea! I am addicted to mince pies at the moment - eating them everyday! One thing I really love about mince pies is the collection of textures they have. I can only imagine that chocolate adds yet another texture to make it even more exciting. This could be a great idea for your December We Should Cocoa Challenge! ;)
ReplyDeleteLaura - you've got me thinking now about warm mince pies and custard or maybe clotted cream mmm
ReplyDeleteWLM - ah cocoa in the Christmas pudding, mmm. I wonder if my mother would be open to persuasion, she makes the Christmas puddings.
Gloria - thank you - let's hope so ;-)
Wendy - thank you. You know a thing or two about food, so I'll trust that they it's going to turn out well.
Kath - no drooling please, but I'll allow a bit of mouth watering ;-)
Maggie - thank you. Time will tell.
Tori - well that's another first.
Hazel - that's so true, one person's mince pie is rarely the same as another's.