Mince meat pies are always made with covers, and should be eaten warm.
If baked the day before, heat them on the stove or before the
fire.

Mince-meat made early in the winter, and packed closely in stone
jars, will keep till spring, if it has a sufficiency of spice and
liquor. Whenever you take out any for use, pour some additional
brandy into the jar before you cover it again, and add some more
sugar. No mince-meat, however, will keep well unless all the
ingredients are of the best quality. The meat should always be
boiled the day before you want to chop it.

GOOD MINCE-MEAT.

Take a bullock's heart and boil it, or two pounds of the lean of
fresh beef. When it is quite cold, chop it very fine. Chop three
pounds of beef suet (first removing the skin and strings) and six
pounds of large juicy apples that have been pared and cored. Then,
stone six pounds of the best raisins, (or take sultana raisins
that are without stones,) and chop them also. Wash and dry three
pounds of currants. Mix all together; adding to them the grated
peel and the juice of two or three large oranges, two table-spoonfuls
of powdered cinnamon, two powdered nutmegs, and three
dozen powdered cloves, a tea-spoonful of beaten mace, one pound of
fine brown sugar, one quart of Madeira wine, one pint of French
brandy, and half a pound of citron cut into large slips. Having
thoroughly mixed the whole, put it into a stone jar, and tie it up
with brandy paper.


THE BEST MINCE-MEAT PIE

Take a large fresh tongue, rub it with a mixture, in equal
proportions, of salt, brown sugar, and powdered cloves. Cover it,
and let it lie two days, or at least twenty-four hours. Then boil
it two hours, and when, it is cold, skin it, and mince it very
fine. Chop also three pounds of beef suet, six pounds of sultana
raisins, and six pounds of the best pippin apples that have been
previously pared and cored. Add three pounds of currants, picked,
washed and dried; two large table-spoonfuls of powdered cinnamon;
the juice and grated rinds of four large lemons; one pound of
sweet almonds, one ounce of bitter almonds, blanched and pounded
in a mortar with half a pint of rose water; also four powdered
nutmegs; two dozen beaten cloves; and a dozen blades of mace
powdered. Add a pound of powdered white sugar, and a pound of
citron cut into slips. Mix all together, and moisten it with a
quart of Madeira, and a pint of brandy. Put it up closely in a
stone jar with brandy paper; and when you take any out, add some
more sugar and brandy.

Bake this mince-meat in puff paste.

You may reserve the citron to put in when you make the pies. Do
not cut the slips too small, or the taste will be almost
imperceptible.

VERY PLAIN MINCE-MEAT.

Take a piece of fresh beef, consisting of about two pounds of
lean, and one pound of fat. Boil it, and when it is quite cold,
chop it fine. Or you may substitute cold roast beef. Pare and core
some fine juicy apples, cut them in pieces, weigh three pounds,
and chop them. Stone four pounds of raisins, and chop them also.
Add a large table-spoonful of powdered cloves, and the same
quantity of powdered cinnamon. Also a pound of brown sugar. Mix
all thoroughly, moistening it with a quart of bottled or sweet
cider. You may add the grated peel and the juice of an orange.

Bake it in good common paste.

This mince-meat will do very well for children or for family use,
but is too plain to be set before a guest. Neither will it keep so
long as that which is richer and more highly seasoned. It is best
to make no more of it at once than you have immediate occasion
for.

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Orange Pie

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