Oh pshaw, on Sun 25 Nov 2007 08:07:29a, Julia Altshuler meant to say...

> Linda wrote:
>> I'm looking at making some fruit mince (for pies) - this is a recipe I
>> found and looks good with a couple of variations-
>>
>> 1 lemon
>> 150g raisins
>> 150g sultanas
>> 85g mixed peel
>> 1 cooking apple, washed, cored and quartered
>> 150g currants
>> 150g brown sugar
>> 150g shredded suet
>> 1/2 tsp ground ginger
>> 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
>> 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
>> 4 tbsp. dark rum, brandy or whisky (or a mixture)
>>
>> but I'm pregnant and cannot handle the idea of using suet - beef or
>> vegetarian (call it a freaky fettish - but it's just not going to
>> happen) so what can I replace it with? Anything like lard or great
>> lumps of fat is going to have bad results with my stomach, so.... what
>> can I do? Or another recipe completely?
>> Oh - variations I was going to do as well is substitue chopped dates
>> for currants, and just peel and candy the peel from an orange and the
>> lemon I use - basically because it's cheaper and then I'll already have
>> all the ingredients I need.
>
>
> You can substitute butter, but if anything fatty is hurting you, that
> would probably wreak havoc with your stomach too. In this recipe, I
> believe (never tried it) you ought to be able to leave it out. The fat
> is there for the mouthfeel and flavor, not to hold it together. What
> holds it together? Wouldn't the fruit run out of the pie crust the
> moment it was sliced? I think some starch should be in there to act as
> glue.
>
>
> --Lia
>

Yes, you can certainly make mince filling without any suet or suet
substitute. When baking a pie, add 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with a
bit of liquid. This will compensate for the texture. After all, the suet
melts and is not in visible pieces once the mince mixture is cooked/baked.

--
Wayne Boatwright

Date: Sunday, November(XI) 25th(XXV),2007(MMVII)

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