6th Craft of Craftmas - different ways with Mincemeat

I often look back and wonder why there was a point in my life where I didn't like mince pies. From the ages of about 7-14 I would refuse to eat them or anything else that was associated with mincemeat in general. Now however I cannot imaging a Christmas with out them. Over the last few years I've been experimenting with different types of home made mincemeat and I've finally settled on the one that I think is the best so I am going to share this with you today and some inventive ways to use them.

My mince meat recipe is one by Mary Berry and it is fantastic. It used all butter instead of suet, which I think is great. Not only does it make it vegetarian (which means Lawrence can eat it) but it gives it a lovely flavour. Of course as with Mary's classic recipes is have an excellent does of alcohol give the mincemeat a real kick! If you want to have a go at making this delicious mincemeat the recipe is given here on Mary's website.

This morning I decided not to venture outside in the wind and rain and to have a morning of baking and making yummy Christmas things in the kitchen (secretly love days like this). So first of all on the list was mince pies. As we are the "Bell" house hold we always add a little extra touch to our mince pies, instead of putting on an entire lid to the pie with simply add a little pastry bell.

So a new and different way with mincemeat - mum found this Paul Hollywood recipe in the Christmas edition of Good Food magazine (again!). Oh my goodness these were scrum my and really simple to do. You take your normal brownies recipe and then put dollops of mincemeat mixture on the top of the brownie which then soaks in - yum!

Here is the recipe for you all to try:
4oz unsalted butter (cubed)
7oz dark chocolate (broken up)
4 eggs
9oz caster sugar
4oz plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1oz coco powder
6oz mince meat

oven pre heated to 160c fan oven
20cm square tin lined with baking parchment

optional: in the recipe these are included I'm not sure they are needed depending on your mincemeat recipe
4oz walnut pieces
2oz cranberries

1 - melt chocolate and butter in a pyrex bowl over some simmering water and leave to cool slightly
2 - whisk together the eggs and sugar until thick and then fold in the chocolate mixture
3 - sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa then also fold these in too
4 - pour all the mixture into the tin
5 - put dollops of the mincemeat over the surface of the brownie
6 - bake for 40-45 mins, until soft in the middle, with a nice crust on the outside
7 - leave to cool, cut into slices and cut into small squares, sprinkle with icing sugar serve