Mince Pies: the original recipe for preparing traditional English sweets

THE tartlets they are gods Christmas treats typical of the English traditionfragrant and spicy in taste, get ready to native it’s up to new years. In the United Kingdom and in Anglo-Saxon countries, they are left under the tree as a gift to Santa Claus, or served at tea time throughout the end-of-year celebrations: it is however no longer rare now also to find them at other times of the year. .

These small tartlets originated in medieval times and are made from a crumbly shell of pastryan egg-free preparation very similar to shortcrust pastrywhich contains a rich and spicy filling – the Minced meatsaid in the United States fruit mince -, based on body, candied fruit, dried and dehydrated fruits, donkey e spicesso called because it was originally salty and prepared with minced meat.

Like all traditional recipes, even that of mince pies has variations, especially with regard to the ingredients and the marinade times of the filling. What must certainly never be missing for a perfect filling, however, are the dehydrated berriesthere dried fruit and the alcoholic part.

The preparation of these Anglo-Saxon sweets is simple, but it takes a long time to marinate the filling. According to the traditional recipe, the Minced meat perfect is the one that is left to marinate longer. Some, in fact, even prepare it 6-7 weeks before using it: in this case, it must be stored in the refrigerator, covered with plastic film.

Once made, mince pâtés can be kept for more than a week and are also excellent to eat cold or warm.

Find out how to make them by following our recipe step by step, and also try them. christmas puddinganother typical English candy of the Christmas period.

With the doses of our recipe, you will get approximately 15 tarts of the diameter of 5-7cm.

How to make mince pies

To prepare the mince pâtés, start with the mince: the filling made from dried fruit, apples and spices, ideal to make at least 8 hours before the pie shell. Finely chop the apple or, if you prefer, grate it with a coarse grater. Transfer it to a bowl and add the dehydrated berries and dried fruits 1.

Mix first and add the candied fruit, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon 2.

Mix the honey 3, brandy and butter, previously melted and left to cool. Mix the mixture well, cover and leave to macerate for at least one night at room temperature, so that all the flavors settle and blend perfectly.

The next day you were making the pie crust. In an aluminum bowl or in a food processor, mix the flour with the sugar and salt, then add the diced butter and work until you get a sandy consistency 4.

Finally, add very cold water and knead by hand: you should obtain a smooth and compact mixture. 5.

Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to 2 hours 6.

When the pie dough is ready, take it out and roll it out with a rolling pin into a thin rectangle about 5 mm thick 7.

Using a pasta dish, cut discs with a diameter of 10-13 cm 8.

Place them in muffin molds previously buttered and floured 9.

Stuff each shell with minced meat ten.

Decorate the surface of the sweets with the remains of the dough that must be cut to create the molds of your choice 11.

Brush with beaten egg yolk 12.

Then bake at 180°C for 20-25 minutes, in a preheated convection oven, until the tarts are golden brown on the surface. 13.

Let the candies cool in the cups and, once installed, decorate them with a dusting of icing sugar 14.

The tarts are ready: serve them cold or warm 15.

Advice

Regarding the choice of the alcoholic ingredient, opinions diverge: some foresee the use of rumothers that of Brandystill others, especially those who like fruity aromas, prefer and recommend the use of Sherryor, in rarer cases, del Grand Marnier. Therefore, you can use whatever liquor suits your taste best.

For an Italian version of these sweets, you can replace the English pie dough with a classic pastry or with some puff pastry, homemade or even ready. You can also stuff them with Creamjam or with walnut cream: the result will be just as delicious.

storage

Canned tarts up to 10 days A ambient temperature in an airtight container.

They are traditionally eaten cold but, if you prefer, you can let them cool for a few seconds in the microwave: the important thing is that they are not too hot.

The History of Chopped Pies

Chop pies have their roots in the middle ages. At that time, however, they were made in their own salty versionbased on minced meat, but always enriched with dried and fresh fruits and spices. However, there is a much more romantic tradition related to this candy, which is directly related to the period in which they are made. In fact, this dessert is said to be the Santa’s favorite and, as such, must never be missing under the tree on Christmas night, next to a glass of cognac and a carrot for the reindeer. But the legends about the preparation of these little pies do not stop there: according to some, it is important always mix the topping clockwiseto ward off bad luck for the following year.

Mince pies are now widespread all over the world and are prepared with different recipes from the classic recipe. In New Zealand, for example, they always have a meat filling.