Why mince pies at Christmas?
Andy Robertson - Head Baker at Harts Barn Cookery School

As the mince pies hit the shelves of the super markets for yet another festive season I am reminded of one of my first solo projects as a bakery technologist. The challenge was to double the shelf life of our mince pies from six weeks to twelve. (Yes it’s true the mince pie’s you could be eating with your Christmas pudding on the day are likely to 12 weeks old!) So how do you start to extent the shelf life? Well you start by making up different variations of mincemeat and pastry in lots of combinations . Then you put them on the self and wait and wait then after six weeks to start to taste. Now picture it, you've made over 120 different samples which need tasting weekly that means …every morning coming in and tasting 24 different mince pies daily for six weeks……guess who didn't have a mince pie that Christmas!!

This project got me thinking why mince pies at Christmas? Being a bit of a food history geek I started to explore …. It is suggested in a 1783 Gentleman’s Magazine that mince pies originated in the presentation of gifts to the baby Jesus. It suggested that to celebrate this event, cradle shaped cakes filled with fruits and meats, spiced and sweetened were made and eaten. From early times spice has been used to preserve meat although over the last century meat in one form or other has been excluded from mincemeat with beef suet being the only contribution from animal sources. (Now you know why mincemeat is called mincemeat!)

Up until the Reformation, mince pies where still being made in the shape of cradles. There is evidence that this was taken one step further with a cut being made in the top crust and a figure of the baby Jesus place in the cut. The Puritans are then said to have banned the mince pie and at the same time of course they banned Christmas for good measure.

During the Restoration the mince pie returned but as the round pie we know and love today.

My Tips for Mince Pies

• If you don’t get round to making your own, personalise a standard jar by adding:
  • Chopped apricots, glacé cherries and almonds.
  • Diced raw apple
  • Glacé fruit and or crystallised ginger
  • Brandy/sherry or my favourite Amaretto!
  • If fact, why not have a play …. and add what you fancy
• Why not leave the top crust of your pies and bake as normal then top with meringue and toast under the grill or top with icing…. two great variations.
• I love brandy butter…made with butter, ground almonds, caster sugar and brandy…. I will often lift the lid of either my shortcrust or puff pastry pie and place a good dollop of brandy butter and then replace the lid …delicious…