If you spend time in England in December, expect to encounter at least one mincemeat pie. An ancient Christmas tradition, mince pies contain centuries of competing histories. Some people trace mince pies’ origins to the 1413 coronation of King Henry V, while others link them to the Crusades, which introduced British soldiers to then far-flung ingredients like oranges and ground cloves. Eventually, mince pies became tied to English Christmas celebrations, and their components took on related meanings. Cooks would use certain spices in the mincemeat filling to signify the three wise men’s gifts, or their mincemeat pie recipe might include exactly 12 dried plums to represent each apostle.
Modern mince pies typically contain very little meat (if any), swapping the mutton or beef suet of yesteryear for an extra helping of the diced dried fruit that makes up the bulk of today’s mince pie fillings. Customize yours by substituting dried cranberries, cherries, or chopped apricots for some of the raisins and currants, or use apple cider instead of brandy. If you’re feeling especially crafty, instead of weaving a traditional lattice, use star-shaped cookie cutters to decorate the top crust.
Recipe information
Total Time
3 days
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
Mincemeat filling
Pie and assembly
Preparation
Mincemeat filling
Step 1
In a large airtight container, toss 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, finely chopped, ⅔ cup dark raisins, ⅔ cup golden raisins, ⅔ cup dried currants, ½ cup (packed; 105 g) dark brown sugar, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, ¼ cup brandy, 2 tsp. finely grated fresh lemon zest, 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp. finely grated fresh orange zest, ½ tsp. ground allspice, and ½ tsp. ground nutmeg. Cover and chill at least 3 days.
Do ahead: Mincemeat can be made 3 months ahead; keep chilled.
Pie and Assembly
Step 2
Place a baking sheet in middle of oven; preheat oven to 400°F.
Step 3
Roll out 1 disk of pastry dough (keep remaining disk chilled) on a lightly floured surface into a 13" round and unfurl into a 9" glass pie plate (4-cup capacity). Stir mincemeat, then spoon into pie shell. Chill pie while rolling out top.
Step 4
Roll out remaining disk into a 10" round on lightly floured surface. Cut into 10 (1"-wide) strips with a fluted pastry wheel or a knife. Arrange strips in a lattice pattern on top of filling and trim strips and edge of bottom pie crust, leaving a ½" overhang. Seal edges and crimp decoratively. Brush lattice and edge with egg wash made from 1 large egg, lightly beaten, and sprinkle with 2 tsp. granulated sugar.
Step 5
Transfer pie dish to hot baking sheet and bake until pastry is golden brown, 50 minutes to 1 hour. (If the edges of the pie crust get too dark, tent with foil.) Cool on a wire rack at least 2 hours before serving.
Do ahead: Pie can be baked 4 days in advance; after cooking, cover and chill. Bring to room temperature or reheat before serving.
Editor’s note: This mincemeat pie recipe first appeared in the December 2000 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of our favorite Christmas desserts, or over here for more classic British comfort foods →
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Reviews (7)
Back to TopI was really looking forward to this pie and should have figured out from the image in the web page that theh filling was going to be too bulky, falling apart as you try to lift it onto a fork. That's exactly what mine did. It smells wonderful but the mince pies I grew up on (yes, they were store-bought, no homemade) had a filling texture that held together in a sweet, almost syrupy consistency. Our dinner friends loved the texture this recipe produced but I did not. I'm now looking around for a different recipe that will produce the resultant filling I'm looking for.
Jay Jay
Ft Lauderdale, FL
11/24/2023
If you have memories of less than great mincemeat pies made from jarred mincemeat, they this recipe. I used butter because my grocery store did not have beef suet. The pie tasted very good, but I would like to try it with suet. This recipe does make enough filling for a 9 inch pie. The cooked fruit and allspice smells and tastes great and this is a very nice holiday pie.
Anonymous
Burien, WA
12/25/2008
I forgot to add that I made about 10 times this recipe, and used muffin tins to make little tarts. Tasty! I can't wait for christmas again!
Blairhoover
10/21/2006
I didn't follow this recipe exactly, but rather I read several recipes and combined that knowledge to make my own. I give mincemeat in general 4 forks. Mincemeat pie should be served at every holiday meal as far as I'm concerned. I used butter, and will use more liquor next time. If you're curious about mincemeat pie, please try it out. If you don't like the sound of suet in your pie, use butter. If you don't like raisins, omit them! Recipes should be adapted to your own taste. The mincemeat tastes better if it's given time to set before you use it. so make it several days or weeks before you plan to use it. (I jar mine up and keep it in the fridge until the day I want the pie) Now if only I could get my hands on some local heirloom apples....
Blairhoover
Savannah, Ga
10/21/2006
To Cook From Baltimore: Beef Suet is the hard fat about the kidneys and loins in beef and mutton that yields tallow and NO OTHER fat can or should be substituted. Please ask your butcher for this. TO Bill McGaughey from Branson,Mo.: Approx. 1/2 lean beef stew meat that has been boiled, cooled and put through a grinder or processor should be added per pie. You can also use leftover roast beef that has been ground in lieu of stew beef.
danjdc
Washington, DC
2/17/2006
To Cook From Baltimore:
danjdc
Washington, DC
2/17/2006
Beef suet is the fat that is taken from around the kidney of the animal. Not beef fat from any other cut. Here we make little mince pies which are very traditional at christmas time. I use an orange pastry very tasty served with fresh cream.
Anonymous
Yorkshire England
12/6/2003
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