Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 225 g Currants
- 150 g Candied peel, chopped
- 25 g Chopped almonds
- 25 g Stem ginger, diced
- 200 g Cooking apple, peeled, cored and diced
- 10 tbsp Splenda Granulated
- 2 tsp Mixed Spice
- 1/2 tsp Grated nutmeg
- 1 Orange, finely grated zest and juice
- 1 Lemon, finely grated zest and juice
- 150 g Reduced fat shredded vegetable suet
- 4-7 tbsp Water
- 300 g Plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 150 g Polyunsaturated fat spread, chilled and diced
- 1 Egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 300 g Mincemeat
- 2-3 tbsp Cold water
- 225 g Raisins
- 225 g Sultanas
Method
For the mincemeat:
1. Mix all the ingredients together, cover and leave to marinate in a cool place for 12 hours to allow the flavours time to develop. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting.
2. Transfer to an ovenproof dish, mix in 4 tbsp water, cover with foil and cook for 3 hours. Check the consistency, adding 2-3 tbsp more water if you feel it is too dry.
3. Cool and then pack into sterilised jars, cover with a waxed disc and seal. Store in the fridge. This method renders (melts) the suet and coats all the ingredients in fat to help prevent fermentation.
For the mince pies:
1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/190ºC Fan/Gas Mark 6.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the spread and rub in using fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in SPLENDA® Granulated. Add the egg yolk with 2-3 tbsp cold water and bring the mixture together to form a dough.
3. Lightly flour the work surface, roll out the pastry to ½cm/¼in thickness. Cut out fluted circles 7cm/2¾in diameter for pie bases and 6cm/2 ⅜in for tops (or for a more festive touch use a star cutter) rerolling the pastry when necessary.
4. Carefully place the pastry bases in a patty tin and spoon in a dessertspoon of mincemeat. Brush the edges of the tops with water or a little beaten egg, place on top of the mincemeat and seal with the pastry bases. Make a small slit in the top of the pastry to allow the steam out and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.
5. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack.
6. Serve warm or cold. Can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the fridge.
For more information on the product, and for tips on cooking and baking, please visit, www.splenda.co.uk or www.facebook.com/SplendaUK
