Mince pie
Mince pie is a sweet pastry traditionally eaten in the UK at Christmas and New Year.
Manufacturing
Mince pies are small pastries filled with a fruit mixture. They can be made from both shortcrust pastry and puff pastry . As a rule, they are covered with batter. If the dough lid is missing, it is called a mince tart or mincemeat tart . The English mince pies have a diameter of 5 to 7 centimeters, in the USA mince pies are usually much larger (diameter up to 25 centimeters).
The name mince pie is derived from the filling called mincemeat (literally: minced meat ), although it does not contain meat. A typical mince pie is filled with dried fruits like raisins , currants , apricots , cherries and candied fruits, as well as with chopped nuts like walnuts and almonds. The mixture is seasoned with cinnamon or nutmeg . It often contains some alcohol, usually brandy or rum . Beef kidney tallow is traditionally used as the fat .
The finished mince pie is garnished with icing or powdered sugar. It is served warm with brandy butter .
history
Mince pies are based on a medieval pastry called chewette . Chewettes were either baked or fried and were filled with liver or pieces of meat mixed with boiled eggs and ginger . As a variant, the chewettes were filled with dried fruits and other sweet ingredients. In the 16th century they developed into a Christmas specialty. During the 17th century the liver and meat were increasingly replaced by kidney fat , and since the 19th century the sweet form has largely established itself as the typical mince pie in Great Britain and North America. Mince pies with meat have not been common since the 19th century.
Traditions
Mince pies are considered one of Santa's favorite dishes . One or two mince pies are traditionally placed in front of the fireplace on Christmas Eve, along with a glass of sherry , brandy or milk and a carrot for the reindeer to say thanks for the stockings filled with presents.
