Hi Dave, I grew up in New England, and large mince pies were always had at Thanksgiving. But mini English mince pies were a delight: better ratio of pastry to filling. I make my own pies every Christmas but no suet(yuck) but extra apple to make up for that. Yummy and a bit healthier - but not for12 days (but sounds like fun idea)
Pies in general have always been a source of confusion for me. Here in what was once the States, most pies are round and sweet and mostly fruit-based, although there are nut-based pies like the pecan pie with its rich sugary filling, topped with a solid layer of pecan halves.
My mother used to make mince pies (known as mincemeat pies here) when I was a kid. I refused to eat them, using the logic of a child that they couldn’t possibly be good because they had fruit and fat, and might possibly have raisins hidden inside, which I detested. Heck, there is even a pie known as the pinto bean pie where pinto beans are cooked, drained, mashed into a paste, then combined with sugar and spices and used as a filling. That pie may even be covered with pecans as well. And of course there are a whole raft of custard pies.
The exception to these fruity pies would be what we call pot pies, which can be made with chicken, turkey, beef, or I suppose, other kinds of meat. They are generally made in small heavy aluminum foil pie pans that are 4-6 inches across. The cooked meat is shredded and combined with veggies like peas and cubed carrots and potatoes in a thick, rich sauce and covered with pastry. The pie may or may not have a bottom crust.
Pot pies were big in the 50’s and 60’s as something that could grab frozen at the market, and stored in the freezer to be taken out laterand popped in the oven. Today, KFC sells a lot of their own version here, but I have on idea if they sell them in the UK.
The traditional homemade pot pie ingredients are also made into casseroles as well. Pot pies come in loads of variations here, depending on the preferences of the person making them.
I am so pleased that Jodi’s books have provided such wonderful insight into every day life in the UK, mostly as a rich byproduct of the telling of her fabulous stories.
I thought that this mince pie recipe closely resembles the one my mother makes (they are much better than the shop bought ones) but I'm not sure that hers have apple and suet in them, and they do have glace cherries and chopped almonds. Mind you, we're in the southern hemisphere, putting Christmas in the middle of summer, so the recipe may have been adjusted for climate reasons.
Hi Dave, I grew up in New England, and large mince pies were always had at Thanksgiving. But mini English mince pies were a delight: better ratio of pastry to filling. I make my own pies every Christmas but no suet(yuck) but extra apple to make up for that. Yummy and a bit healthier - but not for12 days (but sounds like fun idea)
Pies in general have always been a source of confusion for me. Here in what was once the States, most pies are round and sweet and mostly fruit-based, although there are nut-based pies like the pecan pie with its rich sugary filling, topped with a solid layer of pecan halves.
My mother used to make mince pies (known as mincemeat pies here) when I was a kid. I refused to eat them, using the logic of a child that they couldn’t possibly be good because they had fruit and fat, and might possibly have raisins hidden inside, which I detested. Heck, there is even a pie known as the pinto bean pie where pinto beans are cooked, drained, mashed into a paste, then combined with sugar and spices and used as a filling. That pie may even be covered with pecans as well. And of course there are a whole raft of custard pies.
The exception to these fruity pies would be what we call pot pies, which can be made with chicken, turkey, beef, or I suppose, other kinds of meat. They are generally made in small heavy aluminum foil pie pans that are 4-6 inches across. The cooked meat is shredded and combined with veggies like peas and cubed carrots and potatoes in a thick, rich sauce and covered with pastry. The pie may or may not have a bottom crust.
Pot pies were big in the 50’s and 60’s as something that could grab frozen at the market, and stored in the freezer to be taken out laterand popped in the oven. Today, KFC sells a lot of their own version here, but I have on idea if they sell them in the UK.
The traditional homemade pot pie ingredients are also made into casseroles as well. Pot pies come in loads of variations here, depending on the preferences of the person making them.
I am so pleased that Jodi’s books have provided such wonderful insight into every day life in the UK, mostly as a rich byproduct of the telling of her fabulous stories.
I thought that this mince pie recipe closely resembles the one my mother makes (they are much better than the shop bought ones) but I'm not sure that hers have apple and suet in them, and they do have glace cherries and chopped almonds. Mind you, we're in the southern hemisphere, putting Christmas in the middle of summer, so the recipe may have been adjusted for climate reasons.