Good Housekeeping UK/Kate Whitaker

PX and pear mincemeat

Name: PX and pear mincemeat
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 7 c.
Ingredients: 200 g (7oz) raisins; 200 g (7oz) golden sultanas; 150 g (5oz) dried cranberries, halved; 100 g (3 1/2oz) currants; 50 g (2oz) crystallised stem ginger, finely chopped; 100 g (3 1/2oz) mixed peel; 2 firm but ripe pears (about 300g/11oz), peeled, cored and cut into 1cm cubes – we used Conference; 50 g (2oz) blanched almonds, roughly chopped; 1 1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon and mixed spice; 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; Pinch of ground cloves, optional; Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange; 150 g (5oz) vegetarian suet or unsalted butter; 200 g (7oz) light muscovado sugar; 3 tbsp. brandy; 250 mL (9 fl oz) Pedro Ximenez sherry

Rich, sweet Pedro Ximenez sherry, with its flavours of raisins, fig and caramel, is the perfect tipple to splash into your mincemeat, and matches so well with fragrant pear. Serve any leftover sherry alongside mince pies, Christmas pudding or cake.

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 17 October 2017

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This delicious mincemeat will make about 1.6kg. The perfect addition to your homemade mince pies or try substituting the shop bought mincemeat in this easy mince pie recipe.

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Yields:

7 c.

Prep Time:

5 mins

Cook Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

25 mins

Ingredients

200 g (7oz) raisins
200 g (7oz) golden sultanas
150 g (5oz) dried cranberries, halved
100 g (3 1/2oz) currants
50 g (2oz) crystallised stem ginger, finely chopped
100 g (3 1/2oz) mixed peel
2 firm but ripe pears (about 300g/11oz), peeled, cored and cut into 1cm cubes – we used Conference
50 g (2oz) blanched almonds, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon and mixed spice
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves, optional
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
150 g (5oz) vegetarian suet or unsalted butter
200 g (7oz) light muscovado sugar
3 Tbsp. brandy
250 ml (9 fl oz) Pedro Ximenez sherry

Directions

1. Step 1
  Tip all the ingredients, except the sherry, in to a large pan. Heat gently, until the butter or suet has melted, then simmer gently for 10min, stirring occasionally. Cool for a few minutes, then stir through the sherry and spoon into sterilised jars. Secure the lids tightly. Label and store in a cool place.

It will keep for up to 6 months. Once opened, store in the fridge and use within a week.

The GH Kitchen Team

The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor ⁠Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce ⁠Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time