My Christmas would not be Christmas without mince pies.
The shops here are already full of them.
But I am not a great fan of most shop bought mince pies.
The pastry is too thick and dry and sweet. The mincemeat is runny and palid. And they are just too big.
I like a much more traditional recipe that is richly sweet with dried fruit but harks back to the old English Christmas pie that has been eaten here since the 1400s.
I don't go as far as putting meat in them ... this was largely dropped in the 19th Century ... but I do think suet is essential and that they should be something that you can eat with savoury food ... cold meat, cheese and apples ... rather than just cakes and tarts.
I don't go as far as putting meat in them ... this was largely dropped in the 19th Century ... but I do think suet is essential and that they should be something that you can eat with savoury food ... cold meat, cheese and apples ... rather than just cakes and tarts.
I know mince pies don't figure in a traditional American Christmas ... I guess because Christmas pies were banned by the English puritans who became the Founding Fathers.
Apparently, they thought the meat representing Christ and the 12 fruits & spices representing the Apostles were sacrilegious.
Apparently, they thought the meat representing Christ and the 12 fruits & spices representing the Apostles were sacrilegious.
Whatever the origins of mince pies, North America has missed out on an absolute delicacy which is perfect for mid winter when local fresh fruit is scarce ...
... if you've never tried them before, do give them a go :-)
This is my favourite recipe inherited from my mum who slightly adapted my grandma's recipe.
The mincemeat should be made on "stir up Sunday" with the Christmas cake and pudding - the last Sunday before Advent - and a batch of pies can then be made every week and frozen from the second week of December.
Mincemeat
This will make enough for about 60 small mince pies ...
- 16oz apples peeled, cored and sliced
- 12oz raisins
- 8oz sultanas
- 8oz currants
- 8oz finely chopped candied peel
- 8oz suet minced or chopped finely
- 12oz brown sugar
- Juice and finely chopped rind of half an orange and half a lemon
- 1oz mixed spice
- 1/4 of a nutmeg grated
- 1/4 pint of brandy
- Mince the apples, the raisins and half of the sultanas and currants
- Stir all the rest of the ingredients into the minced apples and dried fruit
- Stir well - ideally keep in a huge covered pot that you can stir every day for a week but otherwise just put in jars
- Leave for a fortnight before making the first mince pies
Pastry
The pastry is just a very basic shortcrust ... the trick is, it has to be rolled out incredibly thinly. These quantities are enough for about 24 mince pies ..
- 8oz plain flour
- 4oz margarine (one of rare occasions I cook with margarine) or if you don't want to use marg half butter and half lard
- A pinch of salt
- A little milk
- A shallow patty tin - not a deep muffin tin
- Rub chopped margarine into sifted plain flour and salt to make fine breadcrumbs
- Add enough water to make a dough
- Put in a freezer bag in the fridge for 20 minutes or so
- Grease the patty tins
- Roll out about two thirds of the pastry as thinly as you can
- Cut out circles for the bases that will fit your patty tin and put in your patty tin
- Add a good dollop of mincemeat to each pie ... should reach the top of the pastry
- Roll out the rest of the pastry and cut the tops with a slightly smaller cutter
- Lightly brush the edges of the pastry tops with water
- Put them on the top of the pies and lightly press down
- Lightly glaze the pies with milk
- Prong with a fork
- Bake on about 200c/400f (although my oven gets very hot so I do them about 185)
- Bake for 10-15 minutes but keep an eye on them from 8 or 9 minutes
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