This is a great, surprising little treat to pack for the people you love. Mincemeat traditionally contains meat, and ours contains heart, for a truly Valentine themed, snout-to-tail treat (You may not want to tell your loved one this secret, or you may want to sub out the minced heart for ground beef). Sweet and spiced with cinnamon and other homey baking flavors, this is wonderful as a snack or lunchtime dessert.

1 recipe Pate Sucree
1 lbs. lean beef (we used beef heart, but you may use ground beef), minced very well (ie ground)
1/2 c reserved beef broth (from browning step) or water, or combination
1/3 lb. suet or shortening
1 lb. tart apples, washed, peeled and cored (chopped, too)
2/3 lb. seedless raisins
1/3 lb. dried currants
1 small tangerine or orange, chopped thoroughly
1 tsp. salt
2/3 tsp. powdered cinnamon
1/3 tsp. powdered allspice
1/3 tsp. powdered cloves
1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c. molasses
2/3 tsp. grated lemon peel
2/3 c. apple cider, brandy or cognac

Cook the minced beef with a little water in a saucepan or skillet until gently cooked through. Drain the beef and add enough water to the drained broth to equal 1/2 c. Allow meat to cool slightly.

Put the meat, suet, raisins, currants, tangerine or orange, and washed, pared and cored apples in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until thoroughly chopped into mince and well combined

Put meat/apple mixture in a large non reactive pan, add the salt, spices, sugar and molasses then add the reserved liquid and simmer until thick, on low heat, about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Add the cider or brandy or cognac and cook 5 minutes longer.

Preheat oven to 375.

Roll out the pate sucree until it is about 1/8 inch thick (or slightly thicker) – cut into heart shapes using a heart shaped cookie cutter. Divide hearts in half (half for the top of the pastry). Fill the remaining half of the hearts with mincemeat, leaving a 1/4 inch space all around the outside edge. Wet the edge and top with remaining heart pastry shapes. Press the top edge of crust to the wet edge of crust and crimp to seal.

Place on cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.