Mincemeat 'Haggis': Tried & Tested!

"Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!"

Address to a Haggis by Robert Burns

I originally created this as a nod to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows but, as I was on holiday at the time, the recipe in the original post remained untested. As the launch of Pottermore draws ever closer, I thought it was time to give it a go.

It also happens to be great for using up any leftover mincemeat, biscuits, nuts and dried cranberries that may be lingering in the back of the cupboard come Burns Night on January 25th.The result is extremely rich so you'll only need a small slice - especially if you've already had a proper helping of haggis, neeps and tatties. I found it tastes best served chilled or at room temperature with a drizzle of unsweetened cream. So feel free to make this up to 3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve.

Note: All the measurements below are approximate - this isn't something you need to weigh accurately.

Mincemeat 'Haggis'
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

400g (1 1/4 cup) mincemeat

80g (1/3 cup) oatmeal

50g (1/4 cup) biscuits (I had Amaretti left from Pineapple & Amaretto Crème de la Chranachan)

60g (1/4 cup) mixed nuts (I had walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds in my cupboard)

20g (2 Tbsp) dessicated coconut

20g (1 1/2 Tbsp) dried cranberries

50g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
3 sheets filo pastry, covered with cling film and a damp cloth until needed.
(The rest of the package can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months and defrosted thoroughly in the fridge before using again. Once thawed, do not re-freeze).

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 190*C (375*F)

In a food processor, crush the biscuits until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add the nuts and pulse to roughly chop, then place in a large mixing bowl. Add the mincemeat, oatmeal, coconut and cranberries and stir until well combined.

Layer three sheets of filo on top of each other brushing each sheet liberally with butter as you stack them. Shape mixture into a ball and place at the short end of your rectangle of filo. Gently roll it up, placing it seam face down on your baking tray. Crimp the ends as though you were making a Christmas cracker and tie with string. Trim off any excess filo. It should look a bit like this silhouette. Place on a baking tray, brush with more butter and bake for 30-40min or until filo is golden brown. 

Mine isn't quite round enough. I think I squished it while rolling.

Ale 'Custard' Pie: An experiment too far

Obviously drunk on the success of my Hogsmeade Butterbeer Tarts, a mischievous little voice in my head cried, "More Ale!" So I got to thinking... Is it possible to use an entire pint of ale in a sweet pie filling?

Because of it's high egg content, I reasoned I could substitute Tudor Buttered Beere for the custard in a baked custard tart as long as I added some cream to tone the flavour down and give the mixture a thicker consistency. You see, I've always imagined the Butterbeer in Harry Potter to taste like a frothy, creamed honey ale with a bit of a kick that lingers at the back of your throat. (Nothing like the insipid butterscotch-flavoured root beer concoctions floating about). But let me tell you, the flavour of ale in this was something else. Not for the faint hearted.

The article does warn:

 "The taste is ‘sharp’, as the cloves bind with the ale to make it the lingering, lasting taste on the tongue, drying the mouth, (it is almost unpleasant at first) but carry on drinking and it soon mellows and it becomes acceptable, then very drinkable ... [if] chilled and blended with cold milk it is very enjoyable ... tasting of caramel and winter spices; and this is how we recommend it"

It was far too bitter for my taste, even after dumping in a whole cup of brown sugar.So I got to thinking... If adding more milk makes it more drinkable, would adding the filling to a cheesecake make it more edible?
Thankfully, I came to my senses and admitted defeat.


I'll post the recipe for the sake of curiosity only. I don't actually recommend making it. I was going to finish this pie with a meringue top because that's what every ale needs, right? A nice bit of froth on top? Sufficed to say, it never happened.

Ale 'Custard' Pie (An epic fail)

For the pie:

1 package unsweetened shortcrust pastry (or homemade)

1 bottle (500ml / 2 cups) real ale

1/8 tsp ground ginger

pinch ground nutmeg

pinch ground cloves

3 large eggs + 2 egg yolks, reserve whites

500g (1 cup, packed) light brown sugar

120ml (1/2 cup) double cream or whipping cream

30g unsalted butter

For the Meringue:

Reserved egg whites

¼ tsp cream of tartar

4Tbsp light brown sugar

½ tsp vanilla

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 220*C (425*F)

Prepare a 18cm x 4cm (1½ inch x 7 inch) pie tin with short crust pastry.

Pour the ale into a saucepan without letting it fizz too much and add the spices. Gently bring to a low boil, remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and cream. Gradually pour the ale mixture into the bowl, stirring constantly. (Be careful not to scramble the eggs). Add the butter and whisk until dissolved.

Pour into the prepared pie tin and bake for 10 minutes before reducing the temperature to

180*C (350*F) and baking for another 20 minutes or until the middle has set.

While the pie is in the oven:

Whisk the eggs whites with cream of tartar until it foams. Add brown sugar 1Tbsp at a time, whisking well between each addition until stiff and glossy. (You should be able to turn the bowl upside down and none will fall out). Whisk in vanilla.

Spoon onto hot pie filling and spread right to the edges of the crust to form a seal. Bake until just golden and allow to cool.