Spiced Pie

I've never had minced meat pie before, but my husband loves it. From all that I've heard about it from him and others, I thought I had a good idea of what went into it. Of course, I had to try and make it myself, but with my own touches and flavor. My husband thought it smelled right, tasted really good and was not as spicy as regular minced meat. He also liked that it wasn't blended together like a paste.

So, here's the recipe for the filling.

Ingredients:

- 2 large granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced

- 2 C raisins

- 1 C golden raisins

- 1 stick (1/2 C) butter

- 1 C chopped almonds

- 1 1/2 C chopped pecans

- 1 t ground cloves

- 1 t ground cinnamon

- 1/2 t ground cardamon

- 1/2 t ground allspice

- 1/2 C brown sugar

- 1/4 C corn syrup

- 1/2 C molasses

- 1 T salt

- 1/2 C orange juice

Preparation:

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the apples, raisins, and nuts to the butter. Stir to cover with the melted butter. Add the orange juice, spices and salt. Stir to combine. Add the sugar, syrup, and molasses. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom of the pan. Cook for approximately 30 minutes. Makes filling for one large, 9-inch pie.