Anna Olson Bakes a FRUIT Mincemeat Pie!

now it’s time to move up a level andmake a mincemeat pie it has moreelaborate filling and also a moredecorative top the filling for mincemeatpie is a combination of fresh and driedfruits it really has a beautiful densitybut also a syrup to it so it’s kind oflike fruit pie meets butter tart I havetwo peeled granny smith apples youreally can use any variety of apples thefunction of the Apple is to absorb allthe spices and the other flavors I’llstart by adding a cup of raisins I’musing golden raisins but you can use thedark plump Tompson raisins if you wishmincemeat pie is a classic English stylefruit pie and so you see dried currantsquite often in English desserts I’ll puta full cup in here I’m adding half a cupof dried cranberries and it just adds ahint of color to the mincemeat as wellpart of the charm of a fruit pie bakingin the oven is the fragrance thatpermeates the whole house so to promotethat some citrus zest but a tablespoonof orange zest and about two teaspoonsof lemon zest to balance out thesweetness of the sugar I’m to add plusthe sweetness of the dried fruits I adda bit of lemon juice just about twotablespoons so I’ve got a quarter cup offinely diced minced in fact candiedginger and the crystallization meltsinto the other fruits as it sits Iactually steer clear of cinnamon so thatit doesn’t overpower the combination ofthe other flavors but I will add half ateaspoon of ground allspice just a touchof ground clove a quarter teaspoon andhalf a teaspoon of ground nutmeg now tocreate that beautiful syrup I have thecombination of 1/3 of a cup of honey andhalf a cup of dark brown sugar for thatlast added Sparkle a quarter cup ofbrandy this of course is optional if youprefer not to bake with thisyou could use a quarter cup of applejuice in its place if you wished you’llnotice there’s no meat so where doesmince meat get its nameold-fashioned recipes would call forbeef suet but I don’t find it’s neededI’ll chill this batch down you want togive it at least two hours but you canmake it a full day ahead it’s kind oflike starting a fruitcake recipe I haveone that’s already had a full day to sitthe apples have become soft and pliablelook at how the dried fruits have allplumped up I have a quarter cup ofmelted butter I’ll just stir that inthere we goI’m using the same double crust piedough I made earlier roll the bottomshell out I do like baking pies in aglass pie plate I like the way the glassconducts the heat but also I can seethat the crust is browning just the wayI want it to as it bakes trim where thedough hangs over say more than an inchover the edge of the pie plate and thenjust like the apple pie tuck in the edgebecause I’ll be making a decorative topto this pie I actually want to flute orpinch the edges now before I fill thepie just simply pinching and pulling thedough together and now I can add in thislovely mince meat filling and pack thatin densely into the pie shell I’ll rollthe top layer to the same thickness as Idid the bottom just under a quarter inchI’m going to use diamond shaped cookiecutters cut out pieces of the pie doughand then arrange them on top thisaccomplishes what you need a top crustto do in a fruit pie that’s to protectthe filling that’s baking but also allowspace for the steam to escape I’ll justcut out an assortment of the sizes andjust arrange them before I start puttingthem on the pie I like to use asymmetrical pattern and I start from themiddle and work to the outside and youwant to try and put them quite closetogether because they will bake in justa little bitfor that final bit of polish just likewith the apple pie want to brush with alittle egg wash I’ll use a smaller brushthis time and the finishing touchturbinado sugar which is a dry coarsesugar that shows up beautifully and addsa nice crunch always a reminder to bakeyour fruit pies on a baking tray tocatch any drips as the pie bakes I’vepreheated my oven to 400 I’ll bake thepie for 10 minutes turn it down to 375and then bake the mincemeat pie foranother 40 minutes and common with allhomemade fruit pies you do want to letyour mincemeat pie cool for a couplehours after coming out of the oven sothis one has had its time to cool solet’s give thisslice to see that beautiful homemademincemeat what a spectacular pie