When used with a ready-made puff pastry, this alternative mincemeat makes the most delicious mince pies!
A lighter alternative to traditional mincemeat recipes, this includes chopped fresh apple and delicious South African raisins and sultanas. Use to make traditional mince pies with shortcrust or puff pastry or, for a fresh take on Christmas puddings, use as a filling for Chelsea buns or swirl into Vanilla ice cream. Yum!
Heat a medium sized pot on the stove over a medium to high heat.
Melt the coconut oil in the pan and fry the apples for a minute to soften. Add the orange zest and juice and mix well.
Turn down the heat to low and add the rest of the ingredients, except the brandy. Mix everything together, cover and leave to gently simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
Give the mixture a stir every 10 minutes or so. Be careful not to stir too often as the raisins can turn to a paste if overworked. The mincemeat is ready once the raisins are plump and soft!
To finish, stir through the brandy (adding more to taste!). Then leave the mixture to cool and store in a sterilised jar in the fridge until you're ready to make mince pies.
