Mincemeat for Pies

Ingredients

• 1 quart calves or hogs' feet, boiled tender and forced through colander
• 1 quart chopped apples
• 1 quart currants
• 1 quart raisins, stoned and cut
• 1 quart good brown sugar
• 1 quart suet, chopped
• 1 quart cider
• 1 pint brandy
• 1 teaspoon mace, pounded
• 1 teaspoon cloves, pounded
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg, pounded
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, pounded
• 1 teaspoon salt
• citron, sliced thin
• paste

Instructions

1. Boil calves or hogs' feet until perfectly tender. Rub them through a colander. When cold, pass them through again—they will come out resembling pearl barley.
2. Take one quart of this prepared foot mixture and combine it with one quart each of chopped apples, currants (washed and picked), raisins (stoned and cut), good brown sugar, nicely chopped suet, and cider. Add one pint of brandy and mix intimately.
3. Add one teaspoon each of pounded mace, cloves, and nutmeg to the whole mass and mix thoroughly. This base mixture can be stored.
4. When making the pies, take out as much of this mixture as needed. To each quart of it, add one teaspoon of pounded black pepper and one of salt—this improves the flavour and mixes better with a small portion than with the whole mass.
5. Cover the pie moulds with paste. Put in a sufficient amount of mincemeat. Cover the top with citron sliced thin, and lay on it a lid garnished around with paste cut in fanciful shapes.
6. The pies may be eaten either hot or cold, but are best when hot.