I do enjoy a mince pie at Christmas so this year, for the first time I thought I’d have a go at making my own mincemeat, using Delia Smith’s recipe. I have usually used jars of the stuff so I was looking forward to filling the kitchen with the wonderful aroma of herbs and fruits.

I gathered all the ingredients and worked my way through Delia’s instructions to the letter.

I admit it looked a bit weird to me in the jars, different to the shop bought but I have faith in Delia so I got the book I always use for the pastry recipe and started baking.

I could barely wait till they were cool enough to handle to take a bite. The verdict? Honestly, I loved it! Problem is, I have made loads so most of them are in the freezer….but I still have pastry and mincemeat left over!