Experience the Holidays: Mincemeat Cookies! When my friend, Ray, “gifted” me with a batch of his time-honored traditional homemade mincemeat, I felt as though I had received a portion of the Holy Grail. Could this secret from the past hold special powers? Would one bite provide happiness, eternal youth, and food in infinite abundance? You tell me. Ray carefully coached me on how to “season” the mixture by adding flavored brandy (I chose apricot) over a three-week period, stirring it occasionally in a covered clay crock. I was an awestruck student following his instructions to the letter. The results were phenomenal and elegant. Don’t let anyone tell you mincemeat is awful. When prepared correctly, some things are worth the wait.
MINCEMEAT COOKIES
Ingredients for Cookies:
2/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup mincemeat*
2 cups flour
1 cup pecans, chopped
Pecan halves for garnish
Ingredients for Icing:
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon apricot brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons warm milk, as needed
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°. Cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add eggs and mincemeat. Gradually stir in the flour. Fold in chopped pecans. Drop by spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until tops of cookies are dry and set. Bottoms will be slightly golden. Remove from oven. Transfer to a wired rack. Frost while slightly warm. Top each cookie with a pecan half before frosting sets.
Instructions for Icing:
In a medium bowl gently mix powdered sugar and butter until smooth. Add brandy and vanilla. Stir well. As needed, add warm milk to create a thick consistency. Place a dollop of icing on each cookie. Garnish with pecan half.
*The “Elegant Homemade Mincemeat” recipe can be found in the 1972 Farm Journal’s Country Cookbook, page 371.
snapshotsincursive 
Good timing. I have a bottle mincemeat in the cupboard.
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Awesome! Enjoy! 😍🍃
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Hmmm – I have some leftover mincement from that bread I made. It might be enough to try this.
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Chris, you must! They’re incredibly divine. (‘Course that’s just my opinion. 😜)
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I MUST STAY FOCUSED! More sugar! Stay calm! Okay! Just this once! 😋😋😋😋😋
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🤣🤣🤣
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Great minds Gail, I’m making my mom’s filled mincemeat cookies this weekend. Nothing says Christmas like those little morsels! Homemade mincemeat is a wonderful ingredient.
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We are the Lucky Ones. 🌲😍
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That we are!xxoo
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Would you believe I’ve never worked with mincemeat? And I’ve lived in Lancaster County for almost twenty five years . . .
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Find yourself a local co-op where others specialize in making it from scratch. Then you can add your favorite spirit to create a phenomenon. 😜🍃🥃
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Genius!
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Yum!
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Santa always appreciates a few of these on a long winter’s night. 🌟✨💫
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It obviously seems…hehe.
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These are such a fresh idea. I’ve never seen mincemeat in cookies before!
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You gotta try it, Ang. 👏🍃😋
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It’s definitely on my list to try!
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I love mincemeat pie! I will have to look into putting this together when I get a moment or two. But first, I must do something with the brandy that doesn’t fit in the recipe.
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Hahaha. I can think of a thing or two. 🤣🍃🥃
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:})
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I have used up my mincemeat.. 😉
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Time for more. 😜
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Here in the UK we have mince pies everywhere. They look fantastic.
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I noticed on your blog. Thanks for the mincemeat “nod”. 🙏🏻🍃
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