Easy Mincemeat

Ingredients: Makes about 3½lb (1.6kg)

50 g blanched almonds	100g candied peel
1 Bramley apple, peeled, cored and chopped into large chunks	50g stem ginger, plus two tablespoons of syrup from the jar
50g glacé cherries	50g ready-to-eat dried pineapple
225g sultanas	225g raisins
225g currants	140g shredded suet
225g light muscavado sugar	¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon mixed spice	¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
Grated zest and juice of one orange	150ml brandy or dark rum

Method:

1. Fix the chopping attachment to your food processor.
2. Place almonds, peel, apple, ginger, cherries and pineapple in the bowl and pulse until chopped.  Don’t let the mixture go mushy.
3. Tip the mixture into a large mixing bowl.
4. By degrees, using the processor, pulse in the sultanas, raisins, and currants until just chopped a little then add these to the mixing bowl.
5. Add the suet, sugar and spices to the mixing bowl and mix well.
6. Pour the ginger syrup, orange juice, zest and alcohol into the mixture and stir well.
7. Spoon the mixture into sterilised jars and keep until needed.