Mincemeat Filling
 
Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup (76 grams) unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup (165 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 medium Gala apples (280 grams), peeled and grated
  • 1 cup (240 grams) apple cider
  • ¾ cup (96 grams) chopped dried apricots
  • ¾ cup (96 grams) dried figs, stems removed, and diced
  • ¾ cup (96 grams) mixed fruit peel
  • ¾ cup (96 grams) sour cherries
  • ½ cup (64 grams) dried cranberries
  • ½ cup (64 grams) dried currants
  • 1 tablespoon (9 grams) orange zest
  • ⅓ cup (80 grams) fresh orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon (11 grams) chopped candied ginger
  • 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cloves
  • ½ cup (120 grams) brandy
Instructions
  1. In a large Dutch oven, melt butter and brown sugar over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Add apples, apple cider, apricots, figs, mixed peel, cherries, cranberries, currants, orange zest and juice, candied ginger, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, and cloves; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened and no liquid remains, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in brandy. Let cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for least 12 hours before using. (Letting the mincemeat stand overnight will allow flavors to marinate and for the fruit to soak up the brandy.)
Notes
You can make Mincemeat Filling up to 1 week ahead of time. Instead of adding ½ cup (120 grams) brandy after cooking, only add ¼cup (60 grams) brandy, and reserve remaining brandy to stir in gradually every other day to keep the filling from drying out.
Recipe by Bake from Scratch at https://bakefromscratch.com/mincemeat-braid/