Perfect Mince Pies | Fruit Recipes | Jamie Oliver Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the filling in mince pies made of? ›

A mince pie (also mincemeat pie in North America, and fruit mince pie in Australia and New Zealand) is a sweet pie of English origin filled with mincemeat, being a mixture of fruit, spices and suet. The pies are traditionally served during the Christmas season in much of the English-speaking world.

I like to pimp up my mincemeat with a couple of extras though – a little apple adds some extra juiciness, and some dried cranberries for a modern (& tasty!) touch.

Mince pies have been eaten as part of a traditional British Christmas since at least the 16th century. Then they were made of a spiced, sweet minced meat mixture (often lamb), but they are now commonly made with sweet mincemeat, a mixture of dried fruits, sugar, spices, and brandy.

Traditions, folklore and superstitions

Stirring the mincemeat was quite an event, and English tradition dictates that it should only be stirred clockwise. Stirring the mincemeat anti-clockwise would lead to bad luck and poor fortune in the coming 12 months.

Ingredients included dried fruits like raisins prunes and figs, lamb or mutton (representing the shepherds) and spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg (for the Wise Men). By late Victorian England, mince pies ceased to contain meat and had all fruit fillings (with suet). This sweetmeat pie is one we eat today.

In the past mince pies were very different from what we enjoy today. They were stuffed with meats like mutton, rabbit, and pork which is why the filling is known as "mincemeat."

After knights returning from the Crusades came back with spices in-tow, they became common ingredients of the dish along with minced bits of meat (from a range of animals), suet, apples, sugar, raisins, and molasses. "They were about 30 to 50 percent meat in the late Tudor era," says food historian Annie Gray, Ph.

The filling from Aldi was enjoyable and tasty, but my word did it feel insubstantial compared to some of the alternative options. The biggest let down for the budget supermarket, however, has to be their pastry.

Romaniuk shares that apple pie is the most popular pie flavor across the nation – making up more than a quarter of all pie purchases, per the company's purchase data.

The Festive pie was a Christmassy apple pie, filled with sweet mincemeat and custard. It returned to menus in 2021 for the first time in five years, and it proved so popular that Maccies brought it back again last year.

When did they stop putting meat in mincemeat? ›

By the 18th century it was more likely to be tongue or even tripe, and in the 19th century it was minced beef. It was not until the late Victorian period and early 20th Century that mince pies dropped the meat and had all fruit fillings (albeit with suet). Even today there are traditions associated with mince pies.

Add a little more oil if your mince is less than 75% lean. Fat = flavor and many seasonings are fat-soluble. Bloom / soften / sautee some aromatics in said oil before adding your mince. Onions , garlic, green onions, leeks, shallots, celery or celery seed are the usual suspects.

Mincemeat over time does deepen in colour but the bitter taste may be that you pressed too hard when the citrus zests were grated!

Mincemeat

Mince pie / Main ingredient

We all love munching on mince pies but have you ever wondered why their filling is called 'mincemeat' even though there's no meat in it? This is because long ago mince pies actually did have meat in them. They went by different names like 'mutton pie,' 'shrid pie,' or 'Christmas pie. '

What has changed dramatically is the mince pie recipe, having begun as savoury pies filled with minced meat, suet, dried fruits, spices cloves and nutmeg. However, the modern mince pie is filled with a mixture of dried fruit and spices that is called 'mincemeat' but there is no meat in the mixture at all.