Mincemeat Tart with Apple and Streusel Topping

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It stands to reason that those who make and preserve mincemeat would have plans to use it. That's pretty much the case here, save for this one tart. I never plan to make it, but it always ends up on our table, You see, Bob and I are of two minds when it comes to desserts like this. He loves them and I don't. Don't get me wrong, I love mincemeat, but I have a barely sweet tooth and find this particular pie almost treacly in its sweetness. I snipped the recipe from Family Circle magazine some thirty years ago, but I suspect is roots are firmly planted in the kitchens of Mennonite and Amish communities. On reflection, it is very much like the Funeral Pie I featured here several months ago. Over the years, less and less mincemeat seems to make it into the jars that are sold for the holidays. There was a time when a jar could make a lovely 9-inch pie, but when you shave an ounce here and an ounce there, pies that are suppose to celebrate abundance get mighty stingy. I'm convinced that the apples and streusel that are piled onto this tart were devised to camouflage the scant amount of filling in the pie shell. The original recipe called for piling apples onto the mincemeat and then covering them with streusel. It was a bit of a mess to look at , so I decided to use spirals of overlapping apple slices and less of the streusel topping. It's still awfully sweet , too sweet for my tastes, but at least it looks more planned and festive. I use two, rather than the three, apples called for in the original recipe and I cut the streusel ingredients in half. Those among you who love mincemeat and highly sweetened desserts will love this tart. Here's the recipe.

Mincemeat Tart with Apples and Streusel Topping...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Family Circle magazine

Ingredients:
1 unbaked pastry shell for a 9-inch pie or tart pan
2 cups homemade or bottled mincemeat
2 apples, pared cored and thinly sliced
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a pie or tart pan with pastry.
2) Spread mincemeat evenly in pie shell. Place apples in a medium bowl. Add lemon juice and granulated sugar and toss to coat. Spread in an overlapping pattern of concentric rings on top of mincemeat filling.
3) Combine flour and brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle over apples.
4) Place pie or tart pan on a baking sheet to catch spills. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Mince Pies - The English Kitchen
Mincemeat Gingerbread - Cooking with K
Mincemeat - Felice in the Kitchen
Christmas Flavor Ice Cream - Antics of a Cycling Cook
Cranberry Port Mincemeat Brioche Rolls - What's for Lunch Honey?
Funeral Pie - One Perfect Bite
Green Tomato Mincemeat - One Perfect Bite

Green Tomato Mincemeat - Daring Cook's September Challenge

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The September 2010 Daring Cooks’ challenge was hosted by John whose work can be found at Eat4Fun. John asked the Daring Cooks to study and experiment with food preservation, particularly canning and freezing. Participants in the challenge were asked to make a recipe and preserve it. His post, which can be found here, contains advice and recipes so clear, that those new to food preservation would have no trouble duplicating the recipes he provides. The years when the jewel tones of tomatoes, peaches, pears and sundry condiments swayed my pantry shelves have passed, but I still dabble with canning and thought it would be fun to share something a little different as my response to John's challenge. It probably gets no different than green tomato mincemeat. This recipe is very similar to ones used at the turn of the century by farm wives preparing for the holidays. Their large gardens were laden with green tomatoes that would become pig fodder were it not for relish, mincemeat and that old Southern favorite fried green tomatoes. It has been years since mincemeat contained meat. While some recipes call for suet, they have fallen from grace and are rarely used by food preservers. I can't attribute today's recipe to an individual, but it can be found in the recipe files of most extension services throughout the country. It is very easy to do and uses the most common of canning paraphernalia. Mincemeat has become very expensive and this is an inexpensive alternative to a holiday staple that is still loved by many. I'm featuring the recipe as it was written, but I actually double the amount of spice when I make this. If you like mincemeat, I think you'll like this recipe. Here's how it's done.

Green Tomato Mincemeat

Ingredients:
3 quarts finely chopped green tomatoes
3 quarts peeled and finely chopped apples
1 cup vegetable oil or butter (a substitute for suet)
1 pound raisins
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
5 cups well packed brown sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons salt

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large kettle, and bring to boiling, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer until dark and thick - about 2 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally. Pour boiling hot into pint jars, allowing 1/2 inch headroom, seal promptly and process in a boiling water bath for 25 minutes. Store in a cool dry place. To freeze, pack cold mincemeat into freezer jars or containers, leaving about an inch headroom for expansion. Seal and freeze promptly. Yield: 8 pints.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Fried Okra and Green Tomatoes - The Teacher Cooks
Fried Green Tomatoes - Delicious Dishings
Pickled Green Tomatoes - Closet Cooking
Green Tomato Chocolate Cake - Ciao Chow Linda
Green Tomato Relish - Mommy's Kitchen
Chow Chow - Town and Country Farming

This recipe is also being linked to The Daring Kitchen.