Dr. Cameron Roberts Favorite Thanksgiving Treat

MINCEMEAT SUGAR COOKIES: (No animal was harmed in the making of this product.)

My husband LOVES mincemeat. Let me preface this by saying I think mincemeat is TOTALLY, COMPLETELY, 100% GROSS. So every year he begs me to make mincemeat pie for Thanksgiving dinner and very year I tell him he is crazy. (In a loving, supportive way....) Last year I conceded, made it and he of course was they only one that ate it. After speaking with Dr. Cameron Roberts' mom, she gave me a great idea for a compromise; this also happened to be a favorite of his-mincemeat sugar cookies. 

WHAT IS MINCEMEAT?

As I said, no animals were harmed in the making of this product. Originally, mincemeat literally had meat juice as part of the ingredients along with dried fruits such as raisins, apples, and apricots, spices, and distilled spirits. Today it is mostly the dried fruits and spices although one can opt for the "spirits" kind. We did not. I found it extremely hard to make mincemeat from scratch. Things like "beef suet" just simply aren't on the local grocery stores shelves.(Who knew!?) I could buy a pre-made mixture (seen above) on the baking isle that did not include the meat juice. 

THE RECIPE INGREDIENTS

3 Cups Powdered Sugar

2 Cups Butter

2 Eggs

2 Tsp Vanilla

1 1/2 Tsp Almond Extract (This is KEY- I LOVE almond flavoring. It makes everything taste heavenly. I actually increase this in my sugar cookie recipe.  If you do not like almond flavoring you can delete or decrease to normal amount of 1 tsp.)

5 Cups Flour

2 Tsp Cream of Tarter

2 Tsp Baking Soda

DIRECTIONS

*Pre-heat oven to 375 Degrees. 

1. Take Sugar and Butter and Cream them in a large bowl. (This is a double batch so really- make sure it is a large bowl).
2. Add eggs, vanilla, tarter,  baking soda, and almond extract
3. Add Flour a cup at a time, stirring with mixer until completely mixed. 
4. Sprinkle a flat clean surface with flour or for an added treat powdered sugar. Place a ball of dough on the surface.  Roll flat with pin covered in powdered sugar or flour. 
5. I like to use fun seasonal cookie cutters such as turkeys and pumpkins. Make sure you have two cut outs for each cookie. (2 pumpkins, 2 turkeys)

. 

 6. Place the 1st pumpkin on the baking sheet. Put a dollop of mincemeat on the cookie. Trust me, only a little dab will do. 

7. Take the second matching cookie cutout and place it directly over the top. You can lightly press the edges but really there is no need. 

8. Bake at 375 for 7-10 mins depending on your oven and elevation. I am at basically sea level with a basic, non convection oven, and it takes about 8 1/2 minutes for mine to be done.

And WALA! I will admit these are MUCH better than mincemeat pie. I fed it to my very excited 2 year old however and she commented " Mommy dhese cookie yucky."  At the same time it did go over well with some of the other children at Thanksgiving dinner- My husband included.