If you are like me, you will find yourself with a half empty jar of mincemeat after the holidays. I love mincemeat and usually make my own every year, but it is also something which I tend to keep a few jars of on hand all the time. It comes in handy for making all sorts of lovely desserts and bakes.
Once I have a jar opened however, I want to use it up. I had about half a jar of it left over after I made my frangipane mince pies for the holidays. There are, of course, lots of things I could have done with it, but I decided to bake some muffins with it. I knew that I would enjoy them and that they were something which I could freeze to enjoy as and when I desired a muffin.
- 1 3/4 cup (219g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) soft dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (225g) mincemeat
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk (see notes)
- 1/2 cup (58g) chopped walnuts or pecans
- Whisk together equal parts of whole milk and full fat plain yogurt. Leave for a few minutes to clabber.
- Add 1/2 TBS of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and add whole milk to the level of milk required. Leave for 5 minutes to clabber.

Mincemeat Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup (219g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) soft dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (225g) mincemeat
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk (see notes)
- 1/2 cup (58g) chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a 12-cup muffin in with paper liners or spray it generously with non-stick cooking spray.
- Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg into a medium sized bowl.
- Cream the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, taking the time to incorporate each egg fully before adding the next and proceeding. Stir in the vanilla.
- Fold in the mincemeat and buttermilk, alternately with the dry ingredients, making three dry additions and two wet additions. Mix together just to combine.
- Spoon into the prepared muffin tins, dividing the mixture equally amongst the cups. They should be filled about 2/3 full.
- Sprinkle the chopped nuts on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes. 'When done a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean and the tops should spring back when lightly touched.
- Leave in the tin to cool for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
If you don't have any buttermilk, you can use one of the following substitutions:
- Whisk together equal parts of whole milk and full fat plain yogurt. Leave for a few minutes to clabber.
- Add 1/2 TBS of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and add whole milk to the level of milk required. Leave for 5 minutes to clabber.
Did you make this recipe?
I had a quantity of leftover cooked turkey left over from the holiday meal along with an assortment of veggies, stuffing and gravy. One thing which we always loved when we were growing up was that our mother would make dinner sized pot pies from the leftovers of most holiday meals.
My father was not fond of leftovers of any kind, so if she could present them as something completely different, he was happier about it, and, like all of us, he loved a savory pie more than anything else.
The nice thing is that you can make a pot pie out of just about any leftovers that you have in the kitchen. Any kind of protein, vegetables, gravy, etc. And if, like me, you always keep ready rolled puff pastry in the freezer, this automatically becomes even easier to do!
- 1 sheet of all butter puff pastry
- 1 mug of leftover gravy, heated through
- 2 mugs of leftover protein, cubed into bite sized pieces
- 2 mugs of leftover cooked vegetables (see notes)
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 egg yolk beaten together with1 tsp water
Notes
If you have leftover turkey, it is nice to also have a layer of stuffing in the bottom of the pie dish. I used a mug of diced cooked potato on top of the stuffing layer, then the turkey and then mixed vegetables on top.

How to make a Pot Pie out of Just About Anything
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of all butter puff pastry
- 1 mug of leftover gravy, heated through
- 2 mugs of leftover protein, cubed into bite sized pieces
- 2 mugs of leftover cooked vegetables (see notes)
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 egg yolk beaten together with1 tsp water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Have ready an 8-inch round deep pie dish with a lip.
- Butter the pie dish.
- Layer in your ingredients as follows. Half of the vegetables. All of the protein. The remaining half of the vegetables. You can season as you go.
- Pour the warm gravy over top of everything in the pie dish.
- Cut an 8-inch round out of the pastry and two strips, each about 1/2 inch wide. Yu can cut shapes out of the remainder of the pastry to decorate, using small cookie cutters if desired.
- Brush some egg wash around the lip of the pie dish. Affix the pastry strips to the lip. Brush the strips with some of the egg wash.
- Place the pasty round on top of the pie dish, pressing it gently around the edges to stick it to the pastry covered rim.
- Vent the dish in the center and then brush with some of the egg wash. Stick on any pastry trimmings you wish to use. Brush them with the egg wash also.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the filling is bubbling up through the vent in the center and the pastry is golden brown.
- Serve warm. Spoon out to serve.
Notes
If you have leftover turkey, it is nice to also have a layer of stuffing in the bottom of the pie dish. I used a mug of diced cooked potato on top of the stuffing layer, then the turkey and then mixed vegetables on top.
Did you make this recipe?
It is hard to believe that it is already Christmas Eve. I did not get half of the recipes cooked and tried that I had wanted to this Christmas holiday season, but that's okay. It gives me more to try next year.
- 1 1/8 cup (145g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1/2 TBS baking powder (6g)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 fluid ounces (89ml) eggnog
- 3 TBS butter, melted (38g)
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup (50g) fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
- 1 TBS granulated sugar (12g)
- 2 TBS plain all-purpose flour (16g)
- 2 TBS granulated sugar (24g)
- 1 TBS butter, softened (14g)
- 3 TBS coarsely chopped pecans (23g)

Cranberry Eggnog Muffins (SMALL BATCH)
Ingredients
- 1 1/8 cup (145g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1/2 TBS baking powder (6g)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 fluid ounces (89ml) eggnog
- 3 TBS butter, melted (38g)
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup (50g) fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
- 1 TBS granulated sugar (12g)
- 2 TBS plain all-purpose flour (16g)
- 2 TBS granulated sugar (24g)
- 1 TBS butter, softened (14g)
- 3 TBS coarsely chopped pecans (23g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter 8 cups in a medium muffin tin really well or line with paper liners. Put some water in the unused cups to prevent the pan from buckling.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, and baking powder together in a bowl. Whisk the egg, melted butter, almond extract and eggnog together in a beaker. Mix the TBS of sugar and chopped cranberries together.
- Rub the flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, butter and pecans for the streusel topping together until you get a crumbly mixture.
- Add the wet ingredients to the flour/sugar/baking powder mixture and give everything a whisk together just to combine. Stir in the sugared cranberries.
- Divide the mixture between the prepared muffin cups. Top each with a portion of the streusel topping.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the muffins test done. They should spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.



























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