Minced meat in ancient times was contained in a crust and was known as Christmas cake. The Puritans associated the cake with Catholics and therefore it was banned. But the concoction survived and can be found pre-made in jars at Christmas.
Composed of apples and other fruits, it actually once contained meat. Today the only meat in the picadillo is beef tallow or fat found around the kidneys of cows, sheep or pigs. Read the label. You can buy it vegetarian style too. Tallow is usually replaced by palm oil. I do it without any oil.
Because of the spices and brandy in most recipes, ground beef is best if the fruit is allowed to absorb these flavors for several days. Some recommend three days, while others feel that two weeks is better. Simply assemble and refrigerate ahead of time, so you can make the cookies later.
Double the following ground beef recipe if you are making a pie. I prefer these bite sized Christmas cookies filled puff pastry. It’s a bit of work, because you have to roll the dough, but you would also roll the dough for a cake.
Peel, core and dice a Granny Smith apple. Chop and add ½ cup of grapes and ¼ cup of figs. Add ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon orange peel, 2 teaspoons ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon cloves. Add 2 tablespoons of brandy. You can also add ground walnuts if you like. I wait to see what the consistency is going to be and thicken with the nuts if necessary or dilute with a little orange juice. You can add blueberries or dates as well for variety. To blend or chop more finely (you will use ½ teaspoon of this filling for the cookies) puree everything in a food processor.
For the dough, and trust me it’s worth the effort, cream 6 ounces softened cream cheese with 1 cup softened real butter. (A lower-fat or low-fat version of butter doesn’t set well enough to roll.) Cut 2 cups of unbleached flour and 2 teaspoons of grated lemon or orange peel. You can use bleached flour, but it tends to be stickier when you spread it out. The dough will fall apart; knead it until it forms a smooth ball. Shape into a rectangle, cover and refrigerate until firm. An hour should do it. Flatten it more and it won’t take as long to firm up.
Roll it out into a 17½-by-12½-inch rectangle and cut into about 35 2.5-inch squares. Spread it out on parchment paper to easily transfer them to a cookie sheet. A pizza cutter works great. Place ½ teaspoon of ground meat in the center of each square. Fold the dough over it to form a small rectangle and firmly seal the 3 open edges with a fork. If it’s not firm enough, they will split open as they bake. Dusting with powdered sugar after they cool makes them look a little more festive.
Bake these at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 14 to 16 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Grease your cookie sheet or use parchment paper. You are going to love these. Don’t forget to reserve some of them as a reward for all your hard work. They melt in your mouth and you’ll be sorry you didn’t double the recipe. But then, you should have enough minced meat to do just that.