Mince Pies

Tonight I thought I would share a Christmas tradition that my family has had for as long as I can remember. Mince Pies. My Dad is from England and my Mom from Newfoundland. Growing up, we had many traditions that I thought everyone in NL had. It wasn't until I lived in England that I realized that these traditions were actually from England rather than from NL. Of course, many Newfoundlanders are of English descent, so there are a lot of people who also have these traditions, but there are also many who don't. Being married to an Englishman means that this tradition will continue. This was especially confirmed this afternoon when Charlotte came in and right away asked to have one. She loves all the traditional Christmas goodies -  Fruit cake, mince pies, and I am assuming Christmas pudding as evident this weekend when she wanted to try Daddy's 'cake'. 


Mince pies are very easy to make. Especially the way I make them. I'm a pretty good baker, but one thing I can't make is pastry. So, I cheat and buy the Pillsbury pastry. I have to say, it's pretty good. Well, good for someone who can't make pastry. With regards to mince meat, that's easy too. It comes in a jar that's found in the baking section in your local grocery store. It's made of raisins, currants, cherries and spices. All the traditional Christmas ingredients. 


To make the pies, use two different sized round cookie cutters (or even two different sized glasses) and cut out enough tops and bottoms that the pastry will make. Put the bottoms in a shallow muffin pan. Put about a teaspoon (amount depends on size of bottom) of mixture in each cup and cover with the tops. Pinch the tops and bottoms together. Prick the top of each pie.


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake pies for 6 mins. Remove from the oven and brush each pie with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Return to the oven for a further 6-8 minutes or until the pies are golden.


Remove, cool and enjoy. They are great on their own or with vanilla ice cream.


It's tradition that each time you have a mince pie from someone new, you make a wish. I made my first wish tonight and will probably make my second one Saturday night when we go to my Mom's. Now her pastry is excellent! Looking forward to it!


If you like fruit-based baked goods like Christmas cake, you should give these a try and maybe start a new tradition of your own. Don't forget to make your wish!

Make a wish and enjoy!