Use this delicious pear and almond mince to make all your Christmas favourites.
I am so grateful to reader Skye for this delicious recipe. It’s super simple to make in the Thermomix or on the stove top and it’s super delicious too. What’s more, as this mince is booze free, everyone can enjoy it and it’s relatively low in dried fruit so even people who aren’t fans of currants and sultanas will like this. I know because even my dried-fruit-a-phobe of a husband loves this. Although if you like your mince with some value added alcohol and a variety of dried fruit, then check out my recipe for Easy Mince Puff Pies. Just sayin’!
It’s the spices in this recipe that are the heroes of this mince because it tastes and smells just like Christmas but not in an overwhelming, pushy kind of way. Plus it keeps well in the fridge or the freezer so you can make more of your mince favourites whenever you fancy. I don’t know about you but I always fancy! In fact, this fruit mince is so yummy that I like to eat it straight from the jar!
Now Skye isn’t a fan of chunky mince so she purees hers until it’s almost a paste which goes great in scrolls, slices and almond pastries. I on the other hand like my mince like me, on the chunky side, so I’ve adapted her recipe slightly for a more conventional, fruit filled texture.
It’s just perfect for pies, crumbles, slices and even flapjacks!
Are you a fan of dried fruit? What’s your favourite Christmas treat?
Ingredients – Traditional
zest and juice of 1 orange
750g chopped, peeled pear
250g raw sugar
60g almond meal
100g cranberries
130g currants
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
juice of 1 lemon
How to – Traditional
- Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring the mixture to the boil.
- Stir to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until thickened.
Ingredients – Thermomix
zest of 1 orange (save the juice for later)
750g chopped, peeled pear
250g raw sugar
60g whole natural almonds
100g cranberries
130g currants
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
juice of 1 lemon
How to – Thermomix
- Peel orange rind and place in TM bowl. Chop for 5 seconds on speed 8.
- Add the almonds and chop for 10 seconds on speed 8.
- Add the chopped pear, sugar, cranberries, currants, spices and lemon juice and mix for 10 seconds on reverse speed 3.
- Cook on Varoma temperature for 40 minutes on reverse speed 1 with the measuring cup OFF. Place the steaming basket over the top of the lid to avoid any splatter.
- Mix for 5-10 seconds on speed 2.
