Ingredients

• 100g/3½oz currants
• 100g/3½oz raisins
• 100g/3½oz sultanas
• 100g/3½oz dried cranberries
• 100g/3½oz dried apricots
• chopped
• 50g/1¾oz mixed peel
• 1 large cooking apple
• peeled
• cored and roughly chopped
• 75g/2¾oz butter
• cubed
• 25g/1oz whole blanched almonds
• roughly chopped
• 125g/4oz light muscovado sugar
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground mixed spice
• 1 lemon
• finely grated zest and juice of half a lemon
• 100ml/3½fl oz brandy
• rum or sherry
• 175g/6oz plain white flour
• 1½ tbsp icing sugar
• sifted
• 100g/3½oz butter
• cubed
• plus extra for greasing
• 75g/3oz butter
• 75g/3oz self-raising white flour
• 40g/1½oz semolina
• 40g/1½oz caster sugar
• fresh cream or brandy butter

Directions

• For the mincemeat
• place the currants
• raisins
• sultanas
• cranberries
• apricots
• mixed peel
• apple
• butter
• almonds
• sugar
• cinnamon
• mixed spice
• lemon zest and juice into a large pan and cook over a low heat
• stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat
• leave to cool
• then stir in the brandy
• rum or sherry.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (fan 180C) and grease a 23x33cm/9x13in Swiss roll tin or equivalent.
• For the pastry
• sift the flour and icing sugar into a mixing bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
• Add just sufficient cold water to mix to a firm dough - if you prefer this can be made in a processor. If time allows
• wrap the dough in cling film and chill for about 30 minutes.
• On a lightly floured work surface
• roll out the pastry to a rectangle slightly larger than the prepared tin
• then line the base and sides of the tin with pastry.
• Trim the pastry level with the top edges of the tin and patch any gaps if necessary.
• Spread the mincemeat evenly over the pastry base.
• To make the topping
• melt the butter and allow this to cool slightly.
• Put the remaining ingredients into a bowl and pour the melted butter over. Mix together until the ingredients combine to form a dough. If time allows
• chill this mixture - this makes grating easier.
• Using a coarse grater
• grate the topping over the mincemeat and spread evenly.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes
• or until golden-brown.
• Cut into 16 slices
• dust with icing sugar and serve warm with cream or brandy butter.