4 WAYS MARVELLOUS

marvellous mincemeat 4 WAYS

Take a jar of shop-bought mincemeat and use it to revamp pies, cookies, pancakes and even cheese toasties recipe ESTHER CLARK photograph DAVID MUNNS

Stuffed mince pie pancakes SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 15 mins EASY V Combine 200g self-raising flour, 11/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp caster sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and whisk in 3 large eggs, 25g melted butter and 200ml milk until smooth, then pour into a jug. Heat a knob of butter and a small drizzle of oil in a large frying pan. Pour in 8cm rounds of batter and spoon 1 heaped tsp mincemeat into the centre of each – you’ll need to do this in batches. Use a little batter to cover the mincemeat, then cook for 2 mins until golden. Flip and cook for 2 mins more, keeping the pancakes warm in a low oven while you cook the rest. Mix 200ml double cream with 2 tbsp icing sugar and 2 tbsp brandy. To serve, stack three pancakes on each plate and top with the brandy cream, 2 crumbled shortbread biscuits and a dusting of icing sugar. PER SERVING 516 kcals • fat 29g • saturates 16g • carbs 50g • sugars 23g • fibre 2g • protein 9g • salt 0.9g Mincemeat cookies MAKES 12 PREP 15 mins plus cooling COOK 10 mins EASY V ❄

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Beat 125g softened butter with 100g dark brown soft sugar, 50g golden caster sugar and 1/2 heaped tsp fine sea salt. Beat in 1 medium egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 5 tbsp mincemeat. Stir in 220g plain flour and 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda. Chill for 20 mins. Scoop tablespoons of the mixture onto two lined baking sheets, leaving a bit of space between each so they can spread. Bake for 10-12 mins, or until the cookies are just firm around the edges but still soft in the middle – they will firm up as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. PER COOKIE 224 kcals • fat 10g • saturates 6g • carbs 31g • sugars 17g • fibre 1g • protein 3g • salt 0.6g

Cinnamon swirl mince pies

MAKES 12 PREP 30 mins plus chilling COOK 20 mins EASY V ❄ Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unroll a 320g sheet of all-butter puff pastry on a lightly floured surface, then roll out to a 45 x 30cm rectangle. Combine 2 tbsp golden caster sugar with 11/2 tbsp ground cinnamon, sprinkle over the pastry, then roll up lengthways to create a long log. Cut into 24 x 2cm-thick rounds, then lightly roll each one out until you have discs large enough to fit the holes of a 12-hole non-stick mini muffin tin (if the tin isn’t non-stick, brush with melted butter). Put half the discs into the holes of the tin, pressing them into the bases and up the sides. Divide a 400g jar mincemeat between the cases, then top each with one of the remaining discs. Chill for 30 mins. Brush with 1 beaten egg and bake for 20-25 mins or until golden. PER PIE 225 kcals • fat 10g • saturates 4g • carbs 32g • sugars 24g • fibre 2g • protein 2g • salt 0.2g

tip

Vegetarian mincemeats are readily available in supermarkets, or online.

Mincemeat & cheese toasties SERVES 2 PREP 5 mins COOK 10 mins EASY V Mix 100g grated mature cheddar with 2 heaped tbsp mincemeat and 3 sliced spring onions. Spread 4 slices sourdough with 1 tsp mayonnaise each. Put two of the slices mayo-side down on a board and spread the other side with the cheese mixture. Sandwich with the other slices so the mayonnaise is on the outside. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, fry the toasties for 3-4 mins on each side, weighing them down with a heavy-based pan, until crisp and golden and the cheese is melted. Cut in half and serve. GOOD TO KNOW calcium PER SERVING 743 kcals • fat 33g • saturates 12g • carbs 83g • sugars 17g • fibre 4g • protein 28g • salt 2.6g