Whistlers Mothers Mince Pies |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 72 |
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Another recipe from ‘Whistler’s Mother’s Cook Book’. The editor, Margaret MacDonald, describes them thus: ‘Rich, spicy and juicy mincemeat in light flaky pastry. The pies are definitely a sweet and not a savoury, despite the beef…. Read more . From medieval times until the nineteenth century, mince pies contained a mixture of meat and fruit…In Victorian times the proportion of meat became less and less until now, our mincemeat contains only a little shredded suet with large amounts of fruit and spices.’ This makes 72 pies. (Whistler’s Mother’s Cook Book, ed. Margaret MacDonald, published by Paul Elek Ltd., London, 1979. ISBN 0 236 40171 8) Ingredients:
mrs. whistler’s version |
‘paste |
‘rub fresh lard into your flour work it up quick with cold water roll it out three times with butter spread over it about 3/4 of a pound to a pound of flour strew dry flour do not work it any after rolling it any after rolling in the butter. |
‘mince pies |
‘1 part tender beef one of fresh suet or butter one of apples one of fruit, consisting of raisins, stoned and chaped, currants and citron, wet it with equal parts of brandy sweet wine, and sweet cider, cloves nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, dried orange peel, the juice of a fresh lemon |
Directions:
1. Pastry, modern version:
2. Note: the prep time includes an hour in total of chilling time. I am estimating the time for making the pastry and filling and assembling the pies at about an hour.
3. 6 cups flour
4. 1 tsp. salt
5. 1/2 cup lard
6. 1/2 cup iced water
7. 11/2 cups butter, softened
8. Sift 4 cups of the flour and the salt into a bowl.
9. Rub in the lard until it resembles breadcrumbs.
10. Make it into dough with the iced water.
11. Put the dough onto a floured board and roll it out into a rectangular shape.
12. Spread 1/2 cup of the butter over two-thirds of the surface.
13. Scatter over that, one-third of the remaining flour.
14. Fold the dough into three, give it a half-turn on the floured board, and roll it out again in the other direction.
15. Fold it again.
16. Wrap in greaseproof paper and chill for 20 minutes.
17. Repeat the above steps twice more.
18. After the last chilling, the pastry can be used straight away, or can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen.
19. Filling, and assembly of pies, modern version:
20. 4 oz. chuck (shoulder) steak, minced
21. 4 oz. fresh beef suet, grated, or 1/2 cup butter
22. 1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
23. 1/3 cup raisins, chopped
24. 1/3 cup currants
25. 1/3 cup chopped candied peel
26. 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
27. 1/2 nutmeg, grated
28. 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
29. 1 orange rind, grated
30. Juice of 1 lemon
31. 2 tbsps. brandy
32. 2 tbsps. sweet white wine
33. 2 tbsps. sweet cider
34. 1 quantity ‘paste’ (pastry) made as above
35. Beaten egg to glaze
36. Preheat the oven to 425F/220C/Gas Mark 7.
37. Put the minced beef, grated suet, chopped apple and raisins, currants, chopped candied peel, ground cloves, grated nutmeg, ground allspice and grated orange rind into a bowl. (If you are using butter instead of suet, melt it and add it at this stage.)
38. Mix well together.
39. Add the lemon juice, brandy, wine and cider, and mix in well.
40. Roll out the pastry and stamp out 72 rounds with a 3-inch cutter.
41. Use them to line tartlet tins.
42. Put a small spoonful of mincemeat in each one and cover it with a 2 1/2 inch round.
43. Glaze with beaten egg, and prick each top with a fork.
44. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot.
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