Hello Friends!
A small sherry and a mince pie, I don't mind if I do!
If there's one foodstuff synonymous with this time of year, it has to be mince pies. Those tiny morsels of deliciousness, rich, moist, lightly spiced dried fruits coated in an alcohol based sugary syrup, encased in light shortcrust pastry, crisp, full of flavour and just delicious. Two or three bites of heaven {if you like them, of course} They are everywhere, on menus in coffee shops and cafes, miniature ones served with your coffee after dinner, every supermarket bakery counter, and boxes of them piled high in every grocery department and shop from the corner shop to Fortnum and Mason's. They even make it acceptable, even respectable, to have a glass of sherry mid morning as long as it's with a mince pie!
My Mum made the best mince pies ever! I wish I'd paid more attention to her recipe, but I didn't so I just have to wing it. She never wrote it down. There are those who will make their mince pies completely from scratch, there are those who will buy them ready to eat, and there are those, like me, who {although I used to bake mine from scratch with homemade mincemeat} do self-assembly with bought pastry and a jar of mincemeat.
If you are looking for something a little more healthy, then pop on over to Jan's blog The Low Carb Diabetic and check out her recipe HERE. Her blog is worth a visit anyway, not only for this recipe but for all the information, recipes, trivia and more.
The origins of this festive treat go back many centuries to the late Middle Ages when the use of vinegar or wine, sugar, and spices, such as nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon, were used to mask the smells and taste of meat that was past it's best. Rancid or not, it wasn't wasted and this prolonged it's usefulness. Gradually, the sweet nature of this dish saw the slow progression from savoury main dishes to the dessert course. By Victorian days, the meat element had all but disappeared, having been replaced by apples, and the only nod to its origins was from the addition of shredded beef suet to the mixture. These days, beef suet has mostly been replaced by vegetarian suet which is readily available on the baking ingredients aisle of the supermarket.
Go into any supermarket and you will be confronted by every kind of mince pie imaginable from traditional, all pastry ones, to ones topped with streusel or crumble, soft icing, marzipan, and more. The dried fruits now include cranberries and blueberries. You can soak your fruit in any spirit based alcohol you like. Rum, whisky, or brandy are always popular choices. This year I've even seen plum and port mincemeat.
My favourite way to eat a mince pie? Gently warmed, lift the lid and spoon in a dollop of brandy butter! Slowly savoured sipping a mug of hot Russian Caravan tea!
I'm sure the sweet little bear on my Christmas Cherished Teddies plate would love one too!
