Lemanski then heads farther off-piste with thoughts of giving the classic summer pudding a winter makeover, although that’s something she’s yet to try. Instead of filling the old-fashioned pud with the usual berry suspects, she envisions mincemeat bulked out with nuts and seasonal fruits, such as chopped apples.
Cakes are also good companions to mincemeat. “Take a good, moist bundt recipe, put the mix in the tin, add a layer of mincemeat, then a thick layer of crumble,” Peerbhai says. For the crumble, she uses equal parts flour and demerara sugar and 40% butter. Alternatively, try a gateau Basque, putting a layer of mincemeat on the base, then custard on top. “It will take away some of the [mincemeat’s] intensity,” Lemanski says.