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Mother's Mincemeat Cookies

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on December 2, 2014

Time

1¼ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling

Yield

Makes 20 cookies

Mother's Mincemeat Cookies

Ingredients

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar ¾ cup jarred mincemeat 3 tablespoons brandy ½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped fine4 (9-inch) store-bought pie dough rounds

Before You Begin

You will need a 3-inch cookie cutter for this recipe.

Instructions

  1. Whisk 1/4 cup water, flour, and sugar together in medium saucepan until smooth. Stir in mincemeat and brandy. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl, stir in walnuts, and let cool completely.
  2. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 2 pie dough rounds at a time, roll into 12-inch rounds on lightly floured counter. Using 3-inch cookie cutter, cut 10 circles from each dough round.
  3. Working with 1 circle at a time, moisten edge with water and place 2 teaspoons mincemeat filling in center. Top with second circle and press edges to seal. Crimp cookie edge with your fingers. Cut small vent hole in center of cookie. Repeat with remaining circles and filling. Place 10 cookies on each prepared sheet, 1 1/2 inches apart.
  4. Bake until light golden brown around edges, 16 to 18 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely. Serve.
Mother's Mincemeat Cookies

Mother's Mincemeat Cookies

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1¼ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling

Yield

Makes 20 cookies

Ingredients

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¾ cup jarred mincemeat
3 tablespoons brandy
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped fine
4 (9-inch) store-bought pie dough rounds

Ingredients

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¾ cup jarred mincemeat
3 tablespoons brandy
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped fine
4 (9-inch) store-bought pie dough rounds

Ingredients

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¾ cup jarred mincemeat
3 tablespoons brandy
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped fine
4 (9-inch) store-bought pie dough rounds

Why This Recipe Works

This old-fashioned cookie recipe comes together quickly with store-bought pie dough. To deepen the flavor of the filling, we add 3 tablespoons of brandy to a base of store-bought mincemeat, made from dried fruits and sugar (no meat!).

Before You Begin

You will need a 3-inch cookie cutter for this recipe.

Instructions

  1. Whisk 1/4 cup water, flour, and sugar together in medium saucepan until smooth. Stir in mincemeat and brandy. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl, stir in walnuts, and let cool completely.
  2. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 2 pie dough rounds at a time, roll into 12-inch rounds on lightly floured counter. Using 3-inch cookie cutter, cut 10 circles from each dough round.
  3. Working with 1 circle at a time, moisten edge with water and place 2 teaspoons mincemeat filling in center. Top with second circle and press edges to seal. Crimp cookie edge with your fingers. Cut small vent hole in center of cookie. Repeat with remaining circles and filling. Place 10 cookies on each prepared sheet, 1 1/2 inches apart.
  4. Bake until light golden brown around edges, 16 to 18 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely. Serve.

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