Do You Know the Mincemeat Muffin Man? (I'm Married to Him!)

Remember how I had to have the Loaves and Fishes cookbook because Auntie said so?

Well, I apparently also had to have the Tate's Bake Shop cookbook because Auntie wrote the forward to it.

Fortunately, it is much less of a disaster than her first suggestion. I mean, how can you mess up baked goods?

The book is full of some fantastic looking ideas, like Almond Butter Cake, Ginger-Apricot Scones, Chocolate-Nutella Shortbread Sandwiches and Cinnamon-Swirl Bread.

Did I make any of those?

Nooooo.....

My choice may make you wrinkle up your nose.

I made Mincemeat Muffins.

Yeah, I said mincemeat.

Before 1997 I didn't even really know what mincemeat was. I mean, I had heard of it...but had never come into contact with it until my first Christmas with my now-husband.

My future mother-in-law made a mincemeat pie for dessert. I took a bite and forced myself to swallow it. I took another bite to be polite. I also took another bite because my boyfriend was filming me with the video camera and I didn't want to be caught gagging or spitting on film. Through a clenched smile, I believe I muttered the words "It's weird." Ahh, my first Christmas.

Needless to say, I have not touched mincemeat since.

My husband is another story.

Every once in a while, he craves mincemeat. Most of the time it passes without having to indulge him. This year, I figured I would incorporate it into my cookbook project.

Enter, Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook (#25 of 99)....

Out of all of the delectable items in here, I went with the mincemeat muffins.

It was really just a basic muffin recipe with some jarred mincemeat mixed in. I tried to keep Auntie in my head and asked myself "How baaaaad can thaaaat be?"

Umm.

Pretty bad.

Unless you slapped a lot of butter and jam on them...

And then they were somewhat better.

But not enough for me to ever eat a bite of one again.

Now, if you enjoy mincemeat....you would probably like these muffins. Despite the fact that I thought they were gross, I am still keeping the book. Not because it has Ina's endorsement, but because those Chocolate-Nutella Shortbread Sandwiches are going to have to be tested out. You know. Purely for literary and science sake!