Mince Pies
By: Charlotte Campbell
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Mince pies: A generation of baking
Mince pies: A generation of baking
For as long as I can remember, my early childhood is filled with memories of spending time in the kitchen baking with my grandmother. Despite the countless amounts of desserts we prepared, the one dish I still enjoy making to this day is mince pies. Every year around Christmas, my English relatives come and visit to eagerly gather at my grandparents house to celebrate the holidays. During this annual tradition, everyone looks forward to my grandmother's mince pie recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation.
Mince pies are English desserts filled with all kinds of different spices and dried fruits that are placed inside of a pastry crust. These pies are very well known in different parts of the world, but particularly in the United Kingdom. My grandmother always made sure that she had patience when she was teaching me this recipe and always made sure I perfected it. She always insisted on this recipe because it had a specific role to play in our English culture. These mince pies are very significant in my family’s cultural identity because they represent a generational bond, tying our family closer to our heritage.
Photo by: Leslie Campbell (mom)
Interested in making this holiday classic?
Interested in making this holiday classic?
Charlotte Campbell via Canva
In order to make this dessert you’re going to need all of the required ingredients. Mince pies are most known for their mincemeat. To make mincemeat you're going to need: 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, cloves, ground ginger, nutmeg and allspice. One diced green apple and lots of different types of raisins: 1 ¼ cups sultana raisins, ½ each of dried currants, and regular raisins. Lastly, you'll add the remaining ingredients which are 1 ⅛ cups of white sugar, ½ cup each of butter and chopped almonds, 1 ½ tablespoon of grated orange zest, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 cup of brandy.
Now how to make it? Mix all of the ingredients together in a big saucepan and turn on medium heat. Once the mixture is heated through for about 15 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the brandy. Once it is cool enough to handle, place the mixture in clean jars and cover with a lid. You can use old jam jars for this. It’s best for this mixture to stay in the jar for at least a week so that the flavors can really mix together.
Charlotte Campbell via Canva
For the dough, you can either get store bought or make homemade, which is what I prefer. For the homemade dough option you’re going to need 2 cups of flour and a stick of butter. “Cut” the butter into the flour using knives or a pastry cutter, until it resembles crumbly sand. Very slowly, pour in a small amount of ice water, about a tablespoon or more at time. Using a fork, mix the flour and water mixture together to make a ball. Then use your hands to knead the dough for it to come together. Refrigerate for an hour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and use a rolling pin to roll it out to 1⁄4 inch thickness. Use round cookie cutters to cut out 3 inch circles. Place the dough circles in a tart pan. Finally, put some of the mincemeat into the center of the dough circle.
I like to cut out star shapes with the extra dough and put that as the top crust of the little pies. Mix some egg whites and then place on top of the dough stars. I also like to sprinkle some sugar on top of the stars to make it extra fun. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees, until golden brown. Cool and eat!
But what is the meaning behind this dessert?
But what is the meaning behind this dessert?
The history behind mince pies is strange because of its connection towards Christmas. It goes back to the 11th century when it was originally known as the “Christmas pie”. These pies weren’t always in the shape of a circle. They were first made in the shape of a rectangle to represent Jesus’ cradle. The original spices of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg symbolized the three gifts the wise men gave to Jesus when he was born.
The original recipes called for small pieces of meat to be mixed with fruit and spices. It was served as a main course, instead of the dessert that it is known as today. During the Tudor period, the spices increased to 13 to represent Jesus’ disciples. Over the years, the recipe changed from a very complicated pie to a more simple one using fruit as the filling instead of actual meat.
One very interesting part of the history of mince pies involved Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell proclaimed himself Lord, and decided by himself to declare Christmas a non-religious holiday. Without anyone’s approval, he banned it on December 22, 1657. He ordered soldiers to go around town and to see if anyone was making Christmas related food and remove it by force. Since mince pies were connected with the symbols of Jesus’ birth, Cromwell decided the pies were guilty and had the food banned. When Oliver Cromwell was thrown out of power, his Christmas ban was ended when the new leader, Charles II became the King.
This pie is so significant to English culture, mainly because of how it relates back to the Christmas story. It shows how each ingredient plays a role in the nativity where Jesus is born, as well as later in his life with his disciples.
Wrap up
Wrap up
While learning more about mince pies, there are so many different aspects I never would have realized about English tradition. This recipe is not just any English dessert, it's a symbol of religion that dates back to many years ago in England. By learning how to make mince pies, I hope to keep this tradition alive with my own family one day and to keep inspiring those who are interested in English culture.
Photo by: Leslie Campbell (mom)
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