I was struggling with the 'We should Cocoa' challenge for November, just how should I combine chocolate and apples? I thought about a chocolate apple cake, stewed apples with chocolate custard, chocolate covered apples. But none of these ideas really appealed.
However, I was lucky enough to win Dan Lepard's Short and Sweet from The Chocolate Log Blog (co-host of We should Cocoa) and my copy arrived this week. Flipping through all the lovely recipes and excellent photographs and I stumbled upon a recipe for 'Dark Rich Mincemeat'. Maybe it was the name that did it, dark and rich conjures up CHOCOLATE to me and it got me wondering what it would be like to include some dark chocolate IN the mincemeat.
I'm also entering this for Vanessa Kimbell's "Let's Make Christmas".
This recipe is inspired by the Dan Lepard recipe.
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Dark Chocolate Mincemeat
Christmas Mincemeat (dried fruits, apples and butter) with added chocolate. Inspired by Dan Lepard's Dark rich mincemeat in Short and Sweet
Ingredients
- 2 dessert apples, peeled, cored and chopped small
- 300g Dried raisin, sultana & cranberry mix
- 100g soft prunes, stoned and chopped
- 250ml stout or porter
- 1 medium cooking apple, peeled cored and grated
- 300g muscovado sugar
- 1 lemon, grated zest and juice
- 1 tbsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 50g butter
- 3 tbsp brandy or rum
- 100g dark chocolate
Instructions
1. Add the stout or porter to a large pan with the grated cooking apple, muscovado sugar, lemon zest and juice.2. Bring to the boil, stiring and simmer for about 5 minutes.3. Measure the dried fruits and other dry ingredients and put in a bowl with the chopped dessert apples.4. Add the dried fruit mixture to the pan with the butter and simmer until thick.5. Remove from the heat, leave until warm and stir in the brandy or rum.Leave to cool completely, then stir in 100g chopped dark chocolate.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: around 3lb
What a great entry for We Should Cocoa! And chocolate in mincemeat...yummmmmm. I can't wait to get my hands on Dan's book- its top of my Christmas list!
ReplyDeleteHa ha, great minds think alike. I made mincemeat too this weekend and I also decided to put 100g of dark chocolate into the mix. I didn't sadly use Dan's recipe though as I didn't think to look for it there. It would be great if we could do a share and contrast! I made mine as a back-up to my We Should Cocoa entry in case it didn't work out. So really pleased you've entered this one.
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful idea for Let's Make Christmas and We Should Cocoa......mincemeat with chocolate, perfect!
ReplyDeleteGenius idea! Looks really dark and delicious.
ReplyDeleteI am so used to baking with dried fruit at this time of year, that I almost forget that I can't stand the stuff!!!!!!!
Have to say that all the gang here would just love your mincemeat.
What a fabulous idea, combine the two best tastes on the planet, make a pie and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteDark chocolate works great in mincemeat, Nigella's Christmas Puddini Bonbons won me over the other year!
ReplyDeletetee hee, now I am sad I'e already made my mincemeat. this looks fab janice. Next year;)
ReplyDeleteJust had some puff pastry mince pies with 'the mincemeat' outstanding taste, note to self: needs more mincemeat in the pie ratio!
ReplyDeleteOh this looks so wonderful. I keep looking through the book and deciding what to cook. I'm a bit stuck but I think I'll start with one recipe from each chapter... ANd this mincemeat is a great place to start... I even have the little jars. Lovely x
ReplyDeleteI am dying to get hold of Dan Lepard's book and this chocolate mincemeat is one of he reasons why. Well you have now made me want to make it on stir up Sunday instead of Delia's!
ReplyDeleteLaura - the chocolate is my addition to Dan's mincemeat, not in the original recipe. Book is worth getting though, a treasure.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an inspired idea to me - I love mincemeat, and the addition of chocolate is intruiging, I really must try that!
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to let us know what it tastes like when you've made something with it!
Looks like heaven! Dark chocolate and mincemeat together sounds like a fabulous combination! A great idea!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your win. What a great entry for we should cocoa and lets make christmas.
ReplyDeleteOoh this looks divine, I was just thinking of making my own mincemeat only yesterday. I have this book too, looks like a winner to me!
ReplyDelete