Mincemeat: Quaintly old fashioned to some, yet disgusting and primitive to others. Mincemeat Pie has a bad reputation, mostly among those who have never tried it. Even fellow Pie Commissioner LeAnn threatened to throw me out on my tush, should I dare bring a mincemeat pie to the Pie Off this year. Yet, LeAnn fully admits she’s never had mincemeat pie. It’s the thought that counts with this particular pie: Oh, the horror! Like something out of Sweeny Todd, “I’ll make Mincemeat out of ye all!”

It’s true that  mincemeat from the days of yore did contain delectable morsels of mystery meats like chopped liver or dried beef, mixed with suet (beef fat), egg yolks and the appalling addition of dried fruits and spices in order to make it palatable enough to choke it down. Who the hell wants to eat that? Apparently the British; the dish goes as far back to medieval times and remained steadily popular throughout the ages. By the Victorian era, Mincemeat pie became something of a Christmas tradition, so much so that British children to this day often leave mincemeat pies near their chimneys as a thank you to Father Christmas. But mincemeat did have its detractors: Cranky Lord Cromwell declared it law in the 17th century: It still remains illegal to eat Mincemeat on Christmas in England!

But we are free here in AMERICA to eat whatever damn pie we want whenever we want it, and modern American versions of Mincemeat Pie can be beautiful things. First off, American Mincemeat contains no meat. Ok, I will repeat: Mincemeat Pies generally do not contain meat, although they often do still contain beef suet. Mincemeat has morphed over the years and the typical ingredients include: apples, raisins, dried figs and cherries, crystallized ginger, orange and lemon zest, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, brown sugar and brandy. Lots of brandy. The suet can also be easily omitted, with vegetable oil added as a substitute. The lazy bakers among us can even buy a decent jarred version of premade filling ready to be poured.

See, that’s not so bad, is it?

There are variations on a Mincemeat theme of course, and some of them are outstanding. Southerners are known for adding chopped pecans and/or walnuts along with copious amounts of rum. My Mother, the wonderful baker, makes a stellar Mincemeat Chiffon Pie every Christmas. It’s reminiscent of Rum Raisin Ice Cream – creamy, sweet and aromatic – the wallop of rum gives it a punch.

Mincemeat Pie; traditional, tasty and nothing murderous about it.

Recipes:

Old Fashioned Mincemeat Pie (With MEAT!)

Traditional Mincemeat Pie (NO MEAT!)

Saveur Magazine’s recipe for Mincemeat Pie

Mincemeat Chiffon Pie