Every year at Thanksgiving I make pies—apple for my husband, pumpkin for the kids. This year, however, I made a pie for myself. A mincemeat pie is one of my favorites and one which my husband and kids won’t eat.
I grew up in a New England family, and mincemeat pie was a staple in our house at holiday time. For whatever reason, mince pie seems to be the neighbor no one wants to invite to the party.
I don’t know if people think there is meat in mincemeat (there was at one time) or what the mystery ingredients are, but whatever the issue is, whenever I mention mincemeat, there is a negative reaction.
Consequently, I never make mincemeat pie. This year I decided I didn’t care whether anyone else was going to eat it, I was going to indulge myself. Out came the trusty jar of Mother’s mincemeat, which my mother also used. I covered it with a lattice pie crust and impatiently waited for it to bake, all the while getting intoxicated on the wafts of spices emanating from the oven. Eager for it to cool, I can’t wait to savor it.
Early English history mentions mincemeat as a way of preserving meat by chopping it and adding brandy and vinegar. Adding spices like clove, cinnamon and nutmeg brought back by Crusaders turned the pie into something that was tart, spicy and sweet in the mouth.
Mincemeat originally included suet and meat as well as brandy and vinegar, giving it a slight tang in the mouth. I’ve made the meat recipe by hand but I never was that enthusiastic about meat in it and bowing to my mother’s traditional pie—just opened the jar of Mother’s mincemeat, doctored it a bit with brandy, cranraisens—basically, made it my own. Other ways to use mincemeat include putting it on top of ice cream for a decadent mincemeat treat.
David Lebovitz (www.davidlebovitz.com)
Has a nice recipe to try.
2/3 cup (90g) coarsely chopped raisins, dark or golden
1/2 cup (60g) chopped candied orange peel
1/4 cup (60ml) brandy, plus more, if necessary
grated zest of one orange (preferably unsprayed)
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon (each) ground cinnamon and nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- Mix everything together and put in a jar.
- Let stand for at least one to three days before using. If the brandy absorbs quickly and the mixture appears dry, add another pour, just enough so the mixture is thoroughly moistened.
- Add to apple or pear-based fruit fillings prior to baking.
Note: For those avoiding alcohol, try substituting apple cider or juice and a teaspoon of vanilla extract in place of the brandy. If omitting the brandy, this mixture should be refrigerated and used within three or four days.
Update: Some readers noted that grated apple can be added to mixtures such as this. I’ve done it before, but I didn’t do it with this batch. But you’re welcome to add a grated apple to the mixture and let it steep along with the raisins and orange peel, although I can’t advise how long it will keep, so use your best judgment. If someone has more specific storage advice, please leave it in the comments.
