Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without Christmas mincemeat pies. Nowadays ‘mincemeat’ it is a spicy mix of dried fruits and chopped nuts. However, in mediaeval times – when the earliest type was identified – it was a small pastry called a “chewette”, containing chopped/shredded meat or liver, mixed with hard-boiled egg and ginger before being baked or fried. In later times the filling was enhanced with dried fruit, orange and lemon peel and sugar, which eventually usurped the meat altogether, to be replaced by suet. It was in the 16^th century that such pies became associated with Christmas.

While the Christmas mince pie is still usually a small, individual pie of short pastry, the Americans introduced a larger version to serve several. It sometimes makes a change to have it as a dessert, in a pie dish with either a pastry top, pastry lattice topping or meringue topping…although doubtless there are those who follow the English custom of endeavouring to eat one mince pie in a different house over the 12 days of Christmas to ensure 12 happy months to come!

Lots of Christmas customs are traceable back to the old Celtic winter solstice fire festival, which celebrated the sun’s renaissance after the shortest day on December 21 or 22, and signs of that pagan festival are still extant today – such as the Yule log kept burning for all 12 days of the festival, the log-shaped traditional French Christmas cake and the Up Helly A festival in Scotland’s Orkney Islands when a replica of a Viking ship is burned.

You can make Christmas mince in advance of Christmas but don’t forget some brandy to help keep it fresh and moist.

Try Almond Crumble Christmas Mince Tarts as a variation on the plain variety, while Christmas Puffs are a light alternative in case everyone is too full by mince pie time! Christmas Slice is another variation on the mincemeat theme – very handy for when friends drop in over the holidays as it keeps well in an airtight container. If you want to really impress, use Rich Short Chocolate Pastry to make your Christmas Cranberry and Chocolate Mince Tarts…these are other varations on the theme.

Talking about the original mincemeat, you can make your own Real Mincemeat With Beef Mince; it makes a delicious stuffing for pork roast as in Roast Loin Pork With Real Mincemeat Stuffing.