2 c Apple cider or apple juice 1 t Ground cinnamon
1 c Dark seedless raisins 1 t Ground cloves
1/2 c Dried sour or sweet cherries 1 t Ground ginger
-or currants 1/2 t Salt
1 1/2 c Chopped, peeled apples 1/2 t Ground nutmeg
1/4 lb Ground venison or lean 1/4 t Ground allspice
-ground beef Pastry (recipe follows)
1. At least 4 hours before making pie, prepare the mincemeat: In heavy
2-quart saucepan, combine cider, raisins, and cherries. Cover and
heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30
minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add apples, venison, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and
allspice. Simmer 2 hours longer. Check occasion- ally and add water if
necessary to keep mincemeat from sticking to saucepan. Cool mincemeat
to room temperature. (Mincemeat can be made up to 3 months ahead and
frozen. If frozen, thaw mincemeat before making pie or baking time
will be lengthened.)
3. Meanwhile, prepare pastry and refrigerate until ready to use-at
least 30 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 350’F. Divide pastry into 3 equal pieces. Press 2
pieces together and shape into a ball. Between 2 sheets of waxed
paper, roll out ball of pastry into an 11 -inch round. Remove top
sheet of paper and invert pastry into 9-inch pie plate, letting
excess extend over edge. Remove bottom sheet of paper.
5. Between sheets of waxed paper, roll out remaining pastry to a 9
1/2- by 6-inch rectangle. Remove top sheet of paper from pastry. Cut
rectangle into four 9 1/2- by 1 1/2-inch strips.
6. Carefully spoon mincemeat into crust-lined pie plate. Remove pastry
strips from waxed paper, one at a time, and place across mincemeat to
create spokes. All four strips will overlap in the center. Lift edge
of bottom crust over ends of strips. Pinch together and flute edge.
Place pie on rimmed baking sheet.
7. Bake pie 50 to 55 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and
filling bubbles. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack before cutting.
Pastry: In medium-size bowl, combine 1 1/2 C unsifted all-purpose
flour and 1/2 t salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in 1/3 C
vegetable shortening, chilled, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add 5 to 6 T cold water to flour mixture and mix lightly with fork
until moistened; gather into a ball. Wrap pastry and refrigerate 30
minutes.
Country Living/Nov/93 Scanned & fixed by DP & GG
Yields
8 servings