As I write, the Christmas pudding is simmering away on the hob. I have discovered my pasta pot is ideal for the exercise. I just popped the pudding basin in the basket and lowered it into the pot. Perfect fit.
Yesterday I was out at a food wholesalers looking for a little bit of inspiration and I found some very nice bags of pecans begging to come home to my place. They have now been spiced and roasted and are crisp and delicious - and hidden away from kitchen marauders.
Spiced Pecans
3 cups pecan nuts
1 egg white
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon each paprika and ground cumin
2 teaspoons curry powder
Place the pecans in a bowl and pour over the egg white. Turn the nuts over and over to ensure they are all covered in egg white.
Mix together the remaining ingredients and add to the nuts, stirring well to coat.
Place some baking paper in a roasting dish or lipped cookie sheet and bake at 150C for 30-40 minutes, turning the nuts over three or four times during cooking.
Remove from the oven, cool and store in an airtight container.
I HAD QUITE a bit of dried fruit left over from the pudding so I decided to make some Christmas mincemeat.
Mincemeat for Yuletide pies has undergone a few changes over the years. Once upon a time it actually did contain meat.
I have an 1869 edition of Mrs Beeton's book of Household Management and here is her recipe:
Mrs Beeton's Mincemeat
2lbs raisins
3lbs currants
1 1/2lbs lean beef
3lbs beef suet
2lbs moist sugar
2oz citron
2oz candied lemon peel
2oz candied orange peel
1 small nutmeg
1 pottle of apples [a pottle is 4lbs]
the rind of two lemons, the juice of one
½ pint brandy
Stone and cut the raisins once or twice across, but do not chop them; wash, dry and pick the currants free from stalks and grit, and mince the beef and suet, taking care the latter is chopped very fine; slice the citron and candied peel, grate the nutmeg, and pare, core and mince the apples; mince the lemon peel, strain the juice and when all the ingredients are thus prepared, mix them well together, adding the brandy when the other things are well blended; press the whole into a jar, carefully exclude the air, and the mincemeat will be ready for use in a fortnight.
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