Something to go with the Mulled Wine...

Well, today was a day off. Good timing really because although yesterday was a good, productive day I was really shattered when work finally finished.

After a 9:00am sleep in...

*Intentions - clean out the cupboards in the back room. God knows what is in there.

*Reality - I spent the afternoon in the kitchen.

*Result - A fridge bursting with christmas fruit mince ready to be made into little sweet pies in a couple of weeks.

*Into the pot went
- a 2kg bag of mixed dried fruit that I snuck through customs Jack Bauer style
- two apples chopped finely
- four pineapple rings chopped finely
- big shakes of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg
- two big tablespoons of chunky Hagi mikan marmalade
- juice of one lemon
- even bigger shakes of my precious dark brown muscovado sugar (Jack Bauer)
- splashes of contraband vanilla essence
- fresh ginger root, finely chopped
- cubes of butter
- and then I basically looked out the window for 10 seconds as I upturned a bottle of brandy into the mix

I simmered it all up until a very gooey syrup had formed and the fruit was drunk.

Will I ever buy supermarket fruit mince ever again? Hell no!