Ingredient: dried currants

December is just around the corner and when I was growing up, that was officially ‘baking season’ for my mom. Many of the ingredients for the special things she would bake at this time of year were just too expensive to have on hand all the time. While we were at school, over the weeks prior to Christmas, she would bake many different kinds of cookies and squares. When we would arrive home in the late afternoon, there was no trace of what she had baked. Every cookie tin and various other containers were being filled with these glorious goodies. It all became part of the mystery and suspense of the season.

Like many traditions, the origin of the Christmas baking ‘bonanza’ comes from medieval times. Winter solstice rituals were conducted long before Christmas became the huge commercial holiday it is today. Celebrations revolved around food. By the Middle Ages, the Christmas holiday had overtaken solstice rituals and the pastry world was experiencing some big changes. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper as well as dried exotic fruits were becoming available. Expensive delicacies like sugar, lard and butter all became treasured ingredients that could only be afforded on this most important holiday.

Unlike pies and cakes, cookies could easily be shared and given to friends and neighbors. Our modern-day Christmas cookies are baked for similar reasons. They’re given as hostess gifts in festive tins, used on giant dessert trays and of course they make for wonderful family baking traditions.

I realize ‘mincemeat’ doesn’t appeal to everyone’s pallet. These days the ‘all-fruit’ varieties have made it much more appealing. Since Brion and I both enjoy the all-fruit mincemeat, I thought I’d do a Christmas version. Pairing the flavors of anise, apple, mincemeat and lemon was really nice.

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Mincemeat Filled Cookies

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Rating: 5
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Cuisine

American

Keyword

mincemeat filled cookies

Servings

DOZEN MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Mincemeat

• 87.5 gm (3 oz) raisins
• 27.5 gm (1 oz) dried currants
• 27.5 gm (1 oz) dried apricots, chopped small
• 55 gm (2 oz) candied mixed peel, finely chopped
• 42.5 gm (1 1/2 oz) vegetable shortening
• 112.5 gm (4 oz) dark brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp *spice combo SEE NOTES BELOW
• 1/2 lemon, grated zest & juice
• 1/2 orange, grated zest & juice
• 1 small cooking apple, cored & finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp brandy OR spiced rum
• If you wish to purchase mincemeat already prepared SEE NOTES BELOW

Cheesecake Cookies

• 230 gm cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure star anise extract
• 1 tsp anise seed
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Lemon Glaze

• 20 gm cream cheese, softened
• 1-2 Tbsp powdered sugar (to taste)
• enough fresh lemon juice to make glaze a drizzle consistency

Cuisine American Keyword mincemeat filled cookies Servings DOZEN MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Mincemeat 87.5 gm (3 oz) raisins 27.5 gm (1 oz) dried currants 27.5 gm (1 oz) dried apricots, chopped small 55 gm (2 oz) candied mixed peel, finely chopped 42.5 gm (1 1/2 oz) vegetable shortening 112.5 gm (4 oz) dark brown sugar 2 1/2 tsp *spice combo SEE NOTES BELOW 1/2 lemon, grated zest & juice 1/2 orange, grated zest & juice 1 small cooking apple, cored & finely chopped 3 Tbsp brandy OR spiced rum If you wish to purchase mincemeat already prepared SEE NOTES BELOW Cheesecake Cookies 230 gm cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 tsp pure star anise extract 1 tsp anise seed 2 1/2 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt Lemon Glaze 20 gm cream cheese, softened 1-2 Tbsp powdered sugar (to taste) enough fresh lemon juice to make glaze a drizzle consistency

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

Mincemeat

1. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Over a medium-low heat bring to a simmer. Turn heat to low & continue to simmer, stirring often, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat & cool until ready to use.

Cookies

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese & butter until fluffy & smooth; 1-2 minutes. Add sugar; beat another 1-2 minutes then add eggs & anise extract & continue beating 1 more minute.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, anise seed & salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture & stir just until incorporated. Do NOT over mix. Divide dough in half.
3. Between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll each half of the dough to a 1/8"-1/4" thickness. Remove top sheet & using a 2 1/2" (6 cm) round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Using the top sheet of parchment, lay rounds about 2" apart. Slide a plastic cutting board under parchment paper & transfer to freezer for about 30 minutes. (I found this made it much easier to continue the procedure).
4. Preheat oven to 350 F.
5. Remove cookies from freezer. Spoon about a teaspoon of COLD mincemeat filling onto center of each circle. Wet edges a bit with water or beaten egg. Fold cookies in half & using a fork, press edges to seal. (If your mincemeat filling is well chilled, I found it didn't run out of the cookies while being baked).
6. Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes. Cookies should be light in color, not browned & just starting to brown on bottom. * Length of baking time may vary from oven to oven. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon Glaze

1. In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients & beat to a drizzle consistency. When cookies are cooled, drizzle with glaze.

Recipe Notes

• SPICE COMBO
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• Combine well & store in a spice bottle.
• PREPARED MINCEMEAT FILLING
• 700 ml 5-fruit mincemeat (suet-free)
• 1 1/2 cups apple, cored & finely chopped
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Combine mincemeat filling ingredients & refrigerate until needed.