Let them eat pie...

Nothing beats a good old fashioned mince pie any time of the year. So Christmas is over you may say; I can't deny that but I felt like baking mince pies and so I did. When did I ever do as I was told? And why are we so intent on following unnecessary rules made centuries ago? There is something to be said about food traditions like turkey at Thanksgiving and mince pies at Christmas but who says we can't bend the rules? I say eat what you want- when you want. Besides, I did have a lot of home-made mincemeat left over from the holidays.

A mince pie is a fruit filled pie originating in England eons ago and to this day eaten at Christmas time. It is filled with dried fruit, nuts, distilled spirits and spices that are mixed and left to marinade together. A mature mincemeat is infused with spice and alcohol and literally melts in the mouth.

I ate my first mince pie in my uncles house in Nottingham, England some thirty years ago and recall sneaking into the kitchen at night when everyone else was sleeping. I've loved them since and now my children love them and do the sneaking around...

Recipe for Mince Pies:

Mincemeat- store bought or home-made

350 gms All Purpose Flour

a pinch of salt

2 tbsp icing sugar

2 eggs

220 gms unsalted butter

Combine all the dry ingredients and mix in the fat till it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the eggs with a pastry mixer or a metal spatula just until it comes together into a ball. Wrap and chill. Roll out onto a floured cutting board and cut out circles . Cut larger ones to make the cases and smaller ones for the lids. Spray a muffin tray with cooking spray and lay the cases neatly. Fill in the cases and place lids on top , squeezing them down gently. Cut a slit on top of each and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

For home-made mincemeat combine: peeled diced green apples, raisins, currants, sultanas, mixed candied peel, juice and rind of oranges and lemons, ground cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, suet, dark brown sugar and brandy.

Note : Most recipes call for suet, which is animal fat. I substitute that with a small blob of butter in the center of each pie filling before I put the lids on.