Makes: About 5 cups/1.2 liters
I have never been a fan of mincemeat pie, finding it overly intense and sweet; however, tempered by vanilla ice cream, it is nothing short of glorious. The intense holiday sweet spices blend beautifully with the cold creaminess of the ice cream, and the cognac and rum absorbed by the fruit makes the ice cream extra smooth. For a special treat, make your own mincemeat or rum-soaked glacéed fruit (see below); both are best stored for a minimum of three weeks ahead. Alternatively, you can use your favorite commercial brand.
I adapted this recipe from a large-scale one given to me by chef Anna Higham from Scotland. I met Anna in the fall of 2016 when she was doing a stage (apprenticeship) with executive pastry chef Miro Uskokovic at Gramercy Tavern in New York City. She made a mincemeat pie for their annual Thanksgiving in-house pie contest. Although traditional mincemeat contains beef suet, Anna’s recipe does not, and with all the other delicious components I don’t miss it.
Plan Ahead Make the mincemeat a minimum of 3 weeks and up to 1 year ahead. The glacéed fruit alternative needs a minimum of 1 week to absorb the rum.
Mincemeat Ice Cream
| 1 recipe Vanilla Ice Cream | . | 1 quart/1 liter |
| Mincemeat or Glacéed Fruit | . | 1 cup |
1) Once the ice cream is churned, transfer it to a chilled covered storage container. Press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream, cover the container, and allow the ice cream to firm slightly in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.
2) Fold in the mincemeat. Replace the plastic wrap, cover, and return it to the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.
Store
Covered storage container: frozen, 3 days
Mincemeat
Makes: 300 grams/1 cup
| ½ cinnamon stick, broken into pieces | . | . |
| 1 whole clove | . | . |
| ½ star anise, optional | . | . |
| 1 small apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced | 87 grams | ⅔ cup |
| golden raisins, cut in half | 44 grams | ⅓ cup |
| dried cherries, cut in quarters | 20 grams | 1½ tablespoons |
| currants | 20 grams | 2 tablespoons |
| candied orange rind, finely diced | 30 grams | ¼ cup, firmly packed |
| dark brown sugar | 30 grams | 2 tablespoons, firmly packed |
| lemon zest, finely grated | 2 grams | 1 teaspoon |
| lemon juice, freshly squeezed and strained | 10 grams | 2 teaspoons (10 ml) |
| orange zest, finely grated | 3 grams | ½ tablespoon |
| orange juice, freshly squeezed and strained | 15 grams | 1 tablespoon (15 ml) |
| nutmeg, grated | 1.2 grams | ½ tablespoon |
| fine sea salt | 1.5 grams | ¼ teaspoon |
| cognac | 21 grams | 1½ tablespoons (22.5 ml) |
| rum | 21 grams | 1½ tablespoons (22.5 ml) |
Make the Mincemeat
1) In a small piece of cheesecloth or large tea caddy, place the cinnamon stick pieces, whole clove, and star anise. If using cheesecloth, tie it together to make a little bundle.
2) In a small saucepan, stir together all the remaining ingredients except the cognac and rum. Add the spice bundle.
3) Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula.
4) Lower the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until the apple exudes its juice and most of the liquid gets absorbed by the dried fruit.
5) Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool until warm or room temperature. Remove and discard the spice bundle, and stir in the cognac and rum.
6) Transfer the mincemeat to a 2 cup/473 ml canning jar or other jar with a tight fitting lid.
7) Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 weeks to allow it to mellow.
The mincemeat can be stored, refrigerated, for about a year. If planning to store for more than 3 weeks, add enough cognac and rum to cover the fruit.
Glacéed Fruit Alternative
Glacéed fruit used for fruitcake can be substituted for the mincemeat. For 1 cup, use 52 grams/¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of glacéed mixed fruit, preferably lemon and orange peel, 50 grams/¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of golden raisins, 37 grams/¼ cup of glacéed red cherries (cut into quarters), and 28 grams/2 tablespoons/30 ml of dark rum.
Add all the ingredients to a 1 cup/237 ml canning jar. Screw the cap on tightly and lay it on its side. Allow it to sit for a week at room temperature, turning it one-quarter turn every day or so until almost all the rum has been absorbed into the fruit.
The glacéed fruit will keep at room temperature indefinitely. Add rum if it appears to be dry.