Ingredients

Mincemeat mix
250g suet (minced)
250g mixed peel (chopped)
250g Currants
250g sultanas
250g raisins
250g apples (grated)
250g soft brown sugar
10g mixed spice
1.5 orange grated zest and juice
1 lemon grated and juice
60 ml rum
60 ml brandy 40 ml whiskey
Meringue topped mini mince pies:
1 packet of pre-rolled shortcrust pastry
2 medium free range egg whites
100g caster sugar

Method

For the Mincemeat:
1. Mix all the ingredients together and store in sterile Kilner jars in the fridge. For the first month, mix every 2-3 days.
Meringue topped mini Mince Pies:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4 and grease a 24-hole mini muffin/tart tin with butter. Use a 6cm round cutter to cut out 24 circles of pastry. Carefully press the pastry into the greased tin.
2. Fill each pastry case with mincemeat and bake the mince pies for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the meringue topping. Use an electric whisk to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, then add sugar 1tbsp at a time, continuing to whisk. When the mixture is glossy and forms stiff peaks, spoon into a piping bag with plain nozzle.
4. Remove the pies from the oven and reduce oven temperature to 140°C, gas mark 1. Top each one with a swirl of meringue, then return to the oven for 10 minutes until golden. Serve warm or cold and store in an airtight container.

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.