Sylvia Spruck Wrigley - A Taste of Christmas

Mini Mincemeat Muffins

This has become my favourite Christmas recipe. It means buying a mini-muffin tin (which can be hard to find) and the sprinkling of the candied fruit and sugar on the top is a bit time consuming (I do it someplace where I know I can make a mess and basically just toss stuff at it) but they are always a big hit.

I've included the recipe exactly as I found it in Sainsburys Magazine, as if that will save me from copyright restrictions. Just don't tell anyone, okay?

Amount	Measure	Ingredient
Recipe by:	Delia Smith
Makes:	around 2 dozen

2 ½	ounces	flour
2½	ounces	wholewheat flour
½	tablespoon	baking powder -- level tablespoon
¼	teaspoon	salt
1	large	egg
1½	ounces	golden caster sugar
3	fluid ounces	milk
2	ounces	butter -- melted and cooled
6	ounces	luxury mincemeat
6		glace cherries -- mixed colours
1	ounce	demerara sugar
1	teaspoon	ground cinnamon
		grated nutmeg
		mini muffin paper cups

Preheat oven to 400F/200C

Sift both flours, the baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Then in another bowl mix together the egg, sugar, milk, melted butter and mincemeat. Now return the dry ingredients to the sieve and sift them straight into the egg mixture (double sifting important!).

With large spoon quickly fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones for no more than 15 seconds.

Spoon in just enough mixture to fill each muffin cup and carefully sprinkle the chopped cherries over the surface of each one, followed by the demerara sugar and spices. Bake on high shelf of the oven for 20 minutes or until well risen and brown.

Remove muffins from oven and cool in tins for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Serve very fresh.

Glühwein

Take a bottle of red wine (cheapish, but not toooooo bad). Put in pan on low heat, add 2 cinnamon sticks and 3 or 4 cloves.

Slice up about one half orange (without peeling) and add that in too. If you are worried about pesticides/wax (i.e. can't get organic) then pour boiling water over orange before slicing.

When it's warm, add in sugar to taste (the cheaper the wine, the more sugar you will need).

Then add a little bit (about a shot or two) of fruit-based schnapps if you have it, or vodka if you don't.

If it's really really cheap wine, then add in a bit of orange juice too.

Should cook about 20 minutes so the spices have a chance to get into the wine. Serve warm.

I also sometimes add apricot liqueur or cointreau just to make it a bit fruitier. Also it scales perfectly (can make huge batches).