Easy Pear Mincemeat, without the meat!

Maybe the title of this blog post doesn't make sense to you, but please bear with me for a minute.

Some people don't realize traditional mincemeat usually contains beef and/or beef suet, and when they find out, they visibly cringe.

I adore "real" mincemeat, but it isn't realistic to think that all of my guests are carnivores. Normally holiday pies, cakes and tarts are "safe" foods for my vegetarian friends...

...and I don't want anyone unexpectedly eating meat when they indulge in my tasty little turnovers. This is why I've created a perfect vegetarian and vegan-friendly Pear Mincemeat recipe that captures the sweet & spicy essence of mincemeat without the meat.

To make it even easier, I've included shortcuts, like using "Pumpkin Pie Spice " instead of several different spices. You can peel your pears, but I didn't. You can make it with or without brandy...if you add the brandy early on in the recipe, the alcohol cooks out. 

My Pear Mincemeat recipe makes enough filling for one  pie, but you could use the mincemeat for other holiday baking instead, like making these simple turnovers.

Start by rolling out a sheet of puff pastry and cutting it into 12 squares. Add a heaping tablespoon full of mincemeat to the center of each square.

Fold the square into a triangle and press the edges together with a fork. Next, use the fork tines to make holes for the steam to release while baking.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool a bit, then sprinkle powdered sugar over the turnovers. One of my turnovers didn't seal, so it became my test sample.

It was scrumptious!

This season, make your own Pear Mincemeat, using USA pears and omitting the meat. Pears are the perfect backdrop for the festive flavors of citrus & cloves, providing a sweetness, texture and taste that other fall fruits just can't match.

I've read about preserved mincemeat lasting for years, even decades, but a well-made mincemeat is so satisfying I honestly don't know how it would last much longer than a few weeks in anyone's pantry.