Thursday Treat: Mock Mince Pie

Mincemeat pie is a traditional British holiday staple that has been traced back to the 13th century.  Many modern recipes omit the meat and use more fruit instead - hence the "mock" above - making this a wonderfully sweet treat.  The recipe below is for a full-sized dish pie but it can be divided to make tarts.

Mock Mince Pie

To make this you will need:

Large saucepan and spoon
Grater
Nine-inch pie dish

1-1/2 cups seedless raisins
4 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and sliced
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup apple cider (apple juice also works but it's sweeter)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 soda crackers, finely crushed
Pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C).
Stir the raisins, apples, grated orange peel, orange juice, and apple cider together in a pan.
Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are very soft, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and soda crackers until well blended.
Refrigerate until ready to use, or pour apple mixture into the prepared pie crust. Top with the second crust.
Pinch and crimp edges to seal the crusts. Pierce the top crust in several places with a fork.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 F (175 C), and bake until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Cool before serving.