I have been
deliberating about making a chocolatey variation on mincemeat for a while, I
couldn't imagine if it would be a pleasant or disappointing change to a
classic. I don’t follow the mindset that an addition of chocolate will make any
sweet dish better, but having tried the Nigella Christmas cake with added
chocolate, and seeing this recipe, I thought it would be worth a try. If I didn't
love it, it’s not like non-chocolately mince pies wouldn't be available to me
over the Christmas period. As well as the addition of chocolate (from cocoa and
chips) I added made up some of the dried fruit weight with dried cherries,
which I love, and thought would go well with the chocolate.
I used a tried and tested Delia Smith Mincemeat recipe,
halving the weight of the currants and sultanas, and using 225g dried sour
cherries. I also added in 50g of cocoa powder, and used an extra orange’s worth
of juice, as the cocoa made the consistency of the mincemeat mix thicker. After
cooking and cooling, I stirred in 200g chocolate chips along with the brandy.
I have tasted it, but I think it needs a little time to
settle- for now, I’ll say it is very rich! I will be doing some cooking with
it- obviously regular mince pies, but I
have made enough for some further experimentation. My ideas so far have
included making mincemeat brownies, making rolls similar to cinnamon rolls,
with the chocolate mincemeat in place of or alongside the cinnamon butter, and
some puff pastry turnovers, with a chocolate mincemeat filling.
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