My Mum is world-famous-in-New-Zealand
for her christmas mince pies
No exaggeration. My Mum makes the BEST christmas mince pies. Ever. In the history of christmas mince pies, even.
And, I have not had one for over two years. (sigh).
Because they contain lots and lots of yummy tasting ingredients that are not part of the Autoimmune Protocol.
Things like sugar. And, alcohol. And, nuts. And, forbidden spices.
I miss them.
I really miss them
And then, back in August when I cracked the AIP pastry conundrum with my Chicken, Leek and Bacon Mini Pies, I started dreaming of an AIP version of christmas mince pies.
In my excitement, I may even have mentioned it to a few people. Which generated some interest.
“Never promise to make pie and fail to deliver on that promise.”
― Kate Lebo, A Commonplace Book of Pie
So today, I bring you part 1 in my 2 part Christmas Mince Pie series.
AIP-Friendly Christmas Mince!
I have to tell you, I’m pretty chuffed about this baby.
Now, a wee caveat. Before we go too crazy and stand at the bench stuffing christmas mince into our mouths by the spoonful…
This recipe has no added sugar. Which is good. But it is full of fruit – both fresh and dried – which has a lot of natural sugar. Which, in turn, means it is a special occasion food item. Especially for those on the protocol.
Onto the recipe!
As with many recipes ‘Christmas-y’, while there are a few ingredients in this baby, the actual preparation is pretty simple.
So don’t you be thinking this is super complicated. It’s super easy. And, super yummy, too!
I’ve given you a couple of optional ingredients – especially for those who may have successfully reintroduced foods like nuts or a little alcohol.
This recipe makes 6 cups of fruit mince. Double it for a crowd!
- 280g currants
- 225g raisins
- 60g dried cranberries
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon mace
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 170g mixed peel
- Zest of ½ lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Zest of ½ orange
- Juice of ½ orange
- 4 Granny Smith apples, preferably organic
- 110g coconut oil
- 3 bananas
- Place the currants, raisins, cranberries, salt and spices into a large bowl. Give it a good stir.
- Chop the mixed peel and add to the bowl.
- Add the zest and juice of the lemon and orange. Stir well.
- Wash and dry your apples. Grate, leaving skin on. (I use the grate attachment of my food processor for this step). Add to the fruit mix and stir well.
- In a large frying pan, melt the coconut oil over a medium heat. Peel and slice the bananas. Add to the coconut oil and fry until soft and just caramelising.
- Pour the banana and coconut oil mixture into the fruit. Mix well.
- Spoon into large jars.
If nuts are tolerated, add 60g slivered almonds to the fruit mix
Will keep up to 2 weeks in the fridge
In the unlikely event that you happen to be one of those until-now-deprived peeps who are unfamiliar with the fabulousness that is Christmas mince, I encourage you to give it a go.
In part 2 of my Christmas Mince Pie series, I’ll talk AIP-friendly Christmas pies.
But Christmas mince should not be limited to pies.
Oh no!
Consider partnered with some dairy-free custard. Mixed into coconut ice cream as a form of ‘Christmas mince Cassata’! Perhaps, a Christmas mince Bakewell? Or, if you are a generous soul, you could make some to give away as Christmas gifts…
E N J O Y !
This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix Recipe Roundtable
YES!!! THANK YOU!
Deb – I’d love your verdict!
Thanks for this recipe…I love mincemeat too. I’m just not sure what “mixed peel” is…could you clarify? I would love to make this for Christmas.
Hi Nanete – mixed peel is a mixture of orange and lemon peel that has been ‘candied’ to preserve it – the peel is soaked in sugar syrup until the sugar replaces the moisture in the peel to extend its keeping qualities. It is commonly used in fruit cakes and puddings. It is widely available commercially here and in the UK.
Are you in the US? I wonder if you might know it as a different name? Candied peel, perhaps? To be honest, if you can’t find it, just sub in another dried fruit.
Good luck!
Do you know if mixed peel can be found for AIPers without sugar? Or do you have a recipe for it?
Julie – I suspect you’d have a hard job finding mixed peel without added sugar. This recipe very definitely falls under the ‘occasional AIP treat’ banner given all the dried fruit in contains.
If the added sugar in mixed peel is a deal breaker, just leave the mixed peel out and add in extra cranberries and raisins.
Merry Christmas!
Fantástica receita. Obrigada por compartilhar conosco. Thank You.
Você é muito bem-vindo!