Homestead, home grown mince pies!

[Robson Valley]

I live less than a mile from the middle of nowhere. Bountiful groceries are rare finds.
I could get cranberries in the city, but have not seen any out here.

I want Prickly Pear cactus fruit. Can't even find any in city stores.
Electric purple insides, seedy and taste like watermelon to me.

 

[Janne]

I live on an Island in the middle of nowhere.

Cuba to the north, Jamaica to the East. Honduras ( or a similar Godforgotten country, maybe Mexico? ) to the West.
Middle of nowhere.

South? Undrinkable water.
Closest Civilisation (UK) is 11 hours away, by Greta's favourite mode of transport, a jet liner!


British Airways are a life saver. Flies Waitrose's best to us. Including bacon!

 

[santaman2000]

I live less than a mile from the middle of nowhere. Bountiful groceries are rare finds.
I could get cranberries in the city, but have not seen any out here.

I want Prickly Pear cactus fruit. Can't even find any in city stores.
Electric purple insides, seedy and taste like watermelon to me.

Prickly pear is difficult almost anywhere since it isn’t really cultivated; you just have to wait until the natural crop is harvested and marketed.

 

[Janne]

Cultivated in Central America. Maybe northern South America too?
They eat the 'leaves' cooked, and the fruit.


I bought a few packages of various Mince pies. A little tasting session while we watch His Dark Materials on the telly. Heston B's are not so nice.

 

[Robson Valley]

Opuntia/Prickly Pear. Looks like something that high school kids might do after class with ice cube tongs.
I like the nopales (pads) fried, too. Taste like the fruit. I always burn them again for the prickles.
I want to try to make jam. I'll jack that up with some 2X strong grape juice.

I have ordered my Christmas baking from the cookie ladies at the market.
If I can find some mince tarts, those too. Time to go and test my purchases.

 

[Janne]

Another excellent way to use home grown dried fruit is to make a classic German Stollen.
Some people say a Stollen is even better than Mince Pies.....

 

[Woody girl]

Stollen is much better than mince pies or traditional Xmas cake. Trouble is I can never find a gluten free version. Realy miss Stollen. I LOVE the marzipan middle. Mind you i love marzipan full stop. Thinking of making a Stollen with just marzipan

 

[Janne]

Woody girl, you are a lady of talents.

I think that you can bake a gluten free Stollen. Yes it will be more compact, but still tasty.

My mother’s Stollen had just a few pencil thin marzipan ‘prncils’ ( can not explain better), lots of dried home picked fruit.

I will have a look if I can find something online.

Thinking corn flour!

 

[Janne]

https://www.coeliacsanctuary.co.uk/recipe/stollen

In fact, Internet has many!

I was not aware of that you can buy gluten free self-raising flour!
Makes life easier!

But you need to use Odense Marzipan! The BEST!

 

[Robson Valley]

Never self rising flour in my house. I have strong flour (high protein) for bready things
and weak flour (low protein) for cakes and cookies. Good active yeast in 454g blocks.

By controlling the type and quantity of fat (= shortening), I can fake it all with All Purpose flour.
Thankyou Mr W. Gisslen: Professional Baking.

I have been known to use wonton wrappers in a muffin tin for little fruit tarts.

 

[Woody girl]

Woody girl, you are a lady of talents.

I think that you can bake a gluten free Stollen. Yes it will be more compact, but still tasty.

My mother’s Stollen had just a few pencil thin marzipan ‘prncils’ ( can not explain better), lots of dried home picked fruit.

I will have a look if I can find something online.

Thinking corn flour!

Yes it takes a whole lot of talent to get a block of marzipan and roll it into a stollen shape dust with icing sugar slice and eat !
I don't have the time to attempt to homebake a gluten free one this year. Maybe next year.
I don't order anything on the Internet myself. I think I will live without a stollen.
I've managed to do so the past few years.
I think that's why I get so grinchy about Xmas. So many treats I do like that I can't have or have to pay double to get a poor replica..... but there will be plenty this year.just not much traditional stuff. I don't mind..... as long as Santa brings everything on my list
I'm wondering what to leave out for santa actually as I won't have any mince pies. I've got the glass of grog and two carrots for rudolf. ........

 

[Janne]

No, no. Recipes you get on the net.
Gluten free self raising flour you buy in a local supermarket!

 

[Janne]

Never self rising flour in my house. I have strong flour (high protein) for bready things
and weak flour (low protein) for cakes and cookies. Good active yeast in 454g blocks.

By controlling the type and quantity of fat (= shortening), I can fake it all with All Purpose flour.
Thankyou Mr W. Gisslen: Professional Baking.

I have been known to use wonton wrappers in a muffin tin for little fruit tarts.

Woody girls needs gluten free flour.

 

[Woody girl]

No, no. Recipes you get on the net.
Gluten free self raising flour you buy in a local supermarket!

Oh I gecha! Silly me. Still don't have the time this year. Guests comming Monday still got presents to finish making. Maybe next time.

 

[Robson Valley]

I'd like to have a recipe to season shredded apple. It that modern mince meat?
Honeycrisp is too wet. Granny Smith cooks well and holds the shape.

I make dessert deep fried wonton with seasoned mango.
Spiced apple can't be a stretch.

 

[Tengu]

Stollen is good. I am having Stollen envy.

I make my own version of Ms Beetons Wild Boar sauce

Jar cranberry sauce
Jar marmalade
Big spoon of what mustard you have got. (Optional)

Melt gently together and replace in original jars. (Not jar hunting here)

Goes with all meats, cheese and on its own.

 

[Woody girl]

Discovered a bar of stollen chocolate today. Full of marzipan and dried fruit. Stollen crisis over!
Tengu try aldi or liddells for the best and cheapest stollen.
Tried to make some gluten free pastry today. not good! Was making cheese straws... or should I say attempting to make cheese straws. They were cheezy but the puff pastry was a disaster! No puff at all. But I did manage cheezy cardboard!
Oh well.....

 

[Janne]

Lids has awesome food. I was so happy when Lidl opened a store in Crowborough.....

People just do not realize how high quality food they sell.

I am happy you did manage to find one, Wg!

I am Stollen chasing here too. The supermarket that had them last year will not stock it this year. I guess I did not buy enough of them!

 

[Seagull]

Cheers H. Many thanks for posting this. For a few moments I was re-cherishing half forgotten memories of the scent of hot ovens, caramelised sugar and spices and the whiff of Grandma's special Port wine.
Seasonal Best Wishes
Ceeg

 

[Woody girl]

I got unexpected guests comming Monday. .. Guess I'll have to go buy some mince pies. Luckily the home made drinks are sorted. Can't be a total grinch can i?