Frozen mincemeat Christmas pudding

Once upon a time English mince pies actually contained minced meat. Nowadays the meat has disappeared, and the filling is a complex mixture of dried and fresh fruit and sometimes nuts as well, usually highly spiced and rather alcoholic. This is a frozen version of Christmas pudding, ideal for the hot Aussie summer weather.

Frozen mincemeat and iced Christmas pudding Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Christmas Dessert

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Ingredients

Christmas mincemeat (makes 1.75 kg)

• 500 g new season's crisp eating apples (pink lady, Granny Smith or your favourite variety)
• 250 g seedless raisins
• 350 g currants
• 150 g mixed peel
• 400 g dark brown sugar
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• 60 ml brandy, or more to taste

Iced Christmas pudding

• 1 cup Christmas mincemeat
• 3 cups softened vanilla ice cream
• 250 ml (1 cup) pure cream, lightly whipped
• 2 cups fresh mixed berries, to serve

You will need to begin this recipe at least 2 weeks ahead. 

Freezing time: overnight

Marinating time: 2 weeks

Instructions

1. For the mincemeat, peel the apples and cut into thinnish slices. Simmer in a minimum of water, stirring regularly, until quite soft, about 15 minutes. Cover and leave overnight.
2. Mix all the remaining mincemeat ingredients with the cooked apple, then transfer to a clean container with a lid and seal to exclude all the air. Leave for a few weeks to mature and mellow. It stores well for up to 1 year. (It probably lasts for several years, but I have never kept it that long!)
3. For the iced Christmas pudding, line a 1 litre hemisphere cake pan (bombe mould) with plastic wrap (tip; warming the outside of the mould helps you smooth out any wrinkles and allows the cling film to stick). Fold 1 cup of the Christmas mincemeat through the softened vanilla ice-cream to ribbon the mincemeat throughout. A spatula, fork or whisk will work well. Pack the ice cream down into the plastic-lined mould, cover and freeze until firm.
4. To serve, turn out the pudding and dollop a few large spoonfuls of lightly whipped cream over the top and let the cream trickle down the sides like an avalanche of snow. It will quickly freeze.
5. Return the pudding 'bombe' to the freezer for a few minutes before cutting and serving with berries.

 

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Christmas Dessert

Watch The Full Episode Here

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Watch The Full Episode Here

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