Mince pies! do you Know??

Question

mince pies what do they actually have in them what is it made from/with! does it have alcohol in it any ideas.... only most of the people i have asked have no idea!! do you??

Answer 1

The mince is made from mixed fruit and suet, and if you wish, a little alcohol. It`s a matter of taste.

Answer 2

Mincemeat developed as a way of preserving meat without salting or smoking some 500 years ago in England, where mince pies are still considered an essential accompaniment to holiday dinners just like the traditional plum pudding. This pie is a remnant of a medieval tradition of spiced meat dishes, usually minced mutton, that have survived because of its association with Christmas. This pies have also been known as Christmas Pies. Mince pie as part of the Christmas table had long been an English custom.

As fruits and spices became more plentiful in the 17th century, the spiciness of the pies increased accordingly.
Recipes & food lore from Irelandhints that mince pies do have some biblical references. It seems they were once made in cradle-shaped tins in memory of the Christ Child's manger and the spices added to the mincemeat were a commemoration of the gifts given by the Three Wise Men. Today we seem to have replaced the cradle shape with the ever popular 9" pie crust.. The pie, however is better if the top is also sealed with the crust, as well

I start my mince pies with a commercially made mincemeat but, of course, use homemade if you can. There are excellent brands of mincemeat out there,(most major grocery chains carry it at this time of year) which can be made even better when doctored with a little grated apple and lemon zest. Depending on your likes and dislikes you can also add orange zest, chopped nuts, candied or dried fruits and a splash or two of brandy or rum. (Alcohol is an option YOU can use. It does not come in the commercial brands.)

Answer 3

Just read the ingredients list on the packet. I read in the newspaper a couple of weeks ago that it's actually illegal to eat a mince pie on Christmas day, some age old law that didn't actually get overturned.
Here's a recipe for you.
1 lb (450 g) Bramley apples, cored and chopped small (no need to peel them)
8 oz (225 g) shredded suet
12 oz (350 g) raisins
8 oz (225 g) sultanas
8 oz (225 g) currants
8 oz (225 g) whole mixed candied peel, finely chopped
12 oz (350 g) soft dark brown sugar
grated zest and juice 2 oranges
grated zest and juice 2 lemons
2 oz (50 g) whole almonds, cut into slivers
4 level teaspoons mixed ground spice
½ level teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ level teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
6 tablespoons brandy

Answer 4

Mincemeat on the inside and shortcrust pastry on the outside (traditionally).
Mincemeat is basically a mixture of dried fruit, alcohol, spices, and beef or vegetable suet. Not all mince pies contain alcohol..it depends how you make them or which ones you buy. There are many variations on mince pies which use different pastry or have an iced top instead of pastry.
I love mince pies...they are so scrummy and lucky me we have about 4 boxes of them downstairs!

Answer 5

Mince pies
Makes 24 pies



Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time 10 to 30 mins







Ingredients
1 quantity puff pastry
450g/1lb mincemeat
1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
55g/2oz caster sugar
60ml/2fl oz milk



Method
1. Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas6.
2. Roll out the pastry until it is 2mm thick. Stamp out 24 7.5cm/3inch rounds with a pastry cutter and put in the base of 2 patty trays.
3. Fill each case with 2 tsp mincemeat and brush the edges with a little milk.
4. Stamp out 24 6cm/2½ in rounds for the lids and put on top of the mincemeat, sealing to the edges of the bases. Brush the egg wash over the pies and sprinkle with the caster sugar.
5. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown and cool or serve warm.
6. If you make them in advance, store in an air-tight tin and re-heat when needed.

Answer 6

Mince pies made by our church ladies every year contain a small amount of suet minced (beef fat, and no I don't know why)chopped apples, tart cherries and currents.While it doesnt contain any alcohol in that recipe, I've heard of people adding brandy or rum to the mixture as a flavouring

Answer 7

Mince pies are made with spices like cinnamon nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice along with apples and
nuts. I do renmenber meat in some that my grandmother made but that was a long long time ago.

Answer 8

They are made with pastry with dried mixed fruit, sugar etc. They can have alcohol in them or not. If you are making them its up to you but if you are buying them just read the back of the packet, it will tell you. In Medieval times they actually had mince lamb in them but not now, although you could try that too.

Answer 9

YES I DO
here is the simple answer
look in the dictionary
Like the one Yahoo has on the toolbar

mince·meat
NOUN:

1: A mixture, as of finely chopped apples, raisins, spices, *"meat"*, and sometimes rum or brandy, used especially as a pie filling.
2: Finely chopped meat.

Don't spread rumors until you have tried it..
many people leave the meat out....

Answer 10

They were originally made from real mincemeat (that you get from the butchers). They're not any more fortunately. Go and look on the back of the jar. Fruit, fruit peel, spices etc.