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Homemade Mincemeat: Place all the
ingredients, except the alcohol, in a large saucepan. Cook, over medium
low heat, stirring often, until the butter has melted. Then simmer, stirring
occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the
alcohol. Let the mincemeat
cool completely, then transfer to a covered container, and place in
the refrigerator until well chilled, preferably overnight. This recipe makes about 3 3/4 cups (850 grams) of mincemeat.
(The Mincemeat can be stored
in the refrigerator for up to a month. If storing longer than a week,
stir in a little alcohol once or twice a week to keep it from drying out
and to preserve the mincemeat.)
Pastry:
In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process
until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse
meal (about 15 seconds). Add about 1/4 cup (60 ml/grams) water and pulse
until the dough holds together when pinched. If necessary, add
more water.
Turn the dough onto your work surface and
gather into a ball.
Divide the pastry in half (about 330 grams each), flatten each
half into a disk, cover with plastic
wrap, and refrigerate for 30 - 60 minutes or until firm. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.
Mincemeat Tart: Butter,
or spray with a non-stick vegetable spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) tart pan with a
removable bottom.
Remove one round of pastry from
the refrigerator, and
on a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick
circle. To make sure the pastry is large enough, take the bottom of the
tart pan and place it on the rolled out pastry. The pastry should be about two
inches (5 cm) larger than the pan. To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter
and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a
quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards to
get uniform thickness).
When the pastry is the desired
size, slip the bottom plate of the tart pan under the pastry until it is in the
center. Fold the over hanging edges of the pastry into the center and transfer
(the pastry and bottom plate) into your tart pan. (See video for demonstration.)
Then lightly press the pastry up the sides of pan. Roll your rolling pin over
the top of the pan to get rid of excess pastry. Place the tart pan in the
refrigerator to chill the pastry.
Next, remove the
second round of pastry and roll it into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. Using a 2 1/2
inch (6 cm) star cookie cutter, cut out 20 stars. Place the stars on a parchment
paper-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator
until firm (about 30 minutes).
Preheat the oven to 400
degrees F (200 degrees C).
Remove the chilled
tart from the refrigerator and fill
with about 3 cups (650 grams) of the homemade mincemeat and dot with 1
tablespoon (13 grams) of butter that has been cut into small pieces.
Egg Wash: In
a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and cream. With a pastry
brush, lightly brush the rim of the pastry and the tops of the pastry stars
with the egg wash. Starting at the outside edge of the tart, place the
pastry stars in a circular pattern on top of the mincemeat, making
sure the tips of the stars are touching. (See video for
demonstration.) If desired, sprinkle the tops of the pastry stars with
granulated or sparkling white sugar. Place the
tart pan on a larger baking sheet. Bake for about
30
minutes or
until the pastry is a beautiful golden brown and the mincemeat is bubbling. Remove from oven and place on a wire
rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream. This
tart can be frozen.
Serves about 8-10 people.
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