It's Stir-up Sunday - for me the time I always spent in the kitchen with my Mum, making the mince pies, christmas puddings and of course the figgy pudding. The aromas here in the kitchen is a heady mix of dried fruits, mixed spices - and of course a bit of booze!
Stir It Up Sunday was always the last Sunday before Advent and it is actually named after an old prayer from the Anglian Church - a reminder to it's congregation to get stirring their Xmas Puddings mix now, so they have time to mature and meld their flavours ready for Christmas Day.
It's still a tradition here at Angela Langford HQ - here's my take on Christmas Mincemeat - the perfect filling for the best mince pies around!
Christmas Mincemeat
Most recipes for mincemeat call for a selection of raisins, sultanas and currants plus candied peel - which I’m not a huge fan of it has to be said - but I do love fresh lemons, mandarins and oranges so I have included plenty of fresh zest in the mix.
I also prefer a combination of different dried fruits not just those from grapes but you can use any mix you like – even adding things like dried cranberries if you like. I have also used butter instead of suet.
250g plump golden raisins
250g dried apricots
125g pitted dates
125g prunes
200g muscovado sugar
250g bramley apples (weight of the fruit, excluding skin and core)
125g flaked almonds
2 tsps mixed spice
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp mace
zest and juice of 1 lemon
zest and juice of 5 mandarins
150g unsalted butter
150ml pedro ximenez sherry
100ml brandy
Chop the apples, dried apricots, dates & prunes so they are all about the same size as the raisins.
Zest the lemons and mandarins and add to the fruit. In a large saucepan gently melt the butter, add the spices, add the sugar and stir well. Then add all the fruit including the juices and the almonds.
Stir well and heat for a few minutes to coat everything and to release the aromas from the spices.
Tip into a large bowl and pour over the sherry & brandy. Stir again.
Cover and leave for several hours, stirring every now and again. Decant to sterilised jam or kilner jars.
You can use this immediately if the temptation gets you, but I find keeping it for at least a month helps the flavours to develop even more.
Once a jar is opened, keep it in the fridge.
Enjoy! Angela x
