Leftover Mincemeat Apple Crumble

Christmas is over and the New Year has been and gone. And while it’s proving difficult to come to terms with the fact it’s 2015, I bet that you still have some of 2014’s mincemeat hanging around in your fridge. But what is to be done with leftover mincemeat? Well, you can give this recipe for Leftover Mincemeat Apple Crumble a try for starters.

Admittedly, leftover Christmas mincemeat isn’t a big issue; it lasts for well over a year if kept in the fridge. In fact, you could argue that it tastes even better if left to mature for 12 months.

On the other hand, it’s not always practical to have jars or tubs of mincemeat lying around, taking up valuable space. It can be used for far more than just mince pies too. So much so that it’s worth broadening your preserved fruit horizons wherever possible.

As mincemeat contains generous sloshes of brandy – or, in some cases, whisky – using it to flavour your apple crumble is a great way to create a simple pudding for the adults at the table. Kids can be catered for too, but perhaps it would be better to use a less pungent product.

Leftover mincemeat apple crumble is easy to throw together too; quickly cook the fruit, transfer it to an oven dish and top it with butter and flour and you’re nearly there. And who doesn’t like this rustic pudding anyway?

If you do fancy something a little more delicate, however, you could easily turn this crumble into a pie topped with shortcrust pastry. Either way, you’ll not be disappointed. Bon appetit and a Happy New Year!

Leftover Mincemeat Apple Crumble

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

for the filling:

• 800g bramley apples (roughly 3)
• 3 tbsp leftover mincemeat
• 75g soft brown sugar
• 1 tbsp plain flour

for the crumble:

• 100g plain flour
• 50g butter
• 50g caster sugar
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Method:

1. Peel, core and slice your apples and tip into a large pan along with 2 tbsp of the mincemeat and the soft brown sugar. Cook over a low heat.
2. Once the fruit has started to release its juices (roughly 2-3 minutes), tip in the plain flour and stir, coating all of the fruit and creating a thickened sauce. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/180C(fan). In a large mixing bowl rub together the plain flour, butter, caster sugar and spices for the topping until they resemble breadcrumbs.
4. Transfer the prepared fruit into a large oven dish. Sprinkle over the remaining mincemeat and cover with the crumble.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and bubbling around the edges. Leave to cool slightly before serving with ice cream, cream, custard or yoghurt.

Cost: Old fashioned puddings like crumbles and pies never cost too much to prepare. Added mincemeat increases the price a little, but if you have it hanging around then there’s no harm done there.

All in all, this delicious recipe for leftover mincemeat apple crumble should set you back no more than £2.20.