by Rachel Gaffney
Mince pies in Ireland are as much a part of Christmas as Midnight Mass, spiced beef and the Christmas turkey. Omitting them now, would be gross negligence on my part!
Throughout my travels, I have tried several varieties from home made to store bought and still to this day, the mince pies made by Margot Gaffney, also lovingly known as ‘Mum’ to me, are without a doubt, the best. I wonder what makes them the best?
Every year, our kitchen was a hive of activity, with the cupboards and fridge brimming with fresh ingredients including, oranges, lemons, fresh herbs, potatoes, brussels sprouts, carrots and meats.
Everything was made from scratch months and weeks ahead. The traditional Christmas cake and puddings were prepared well ahead of time, preserved with plenty of alcohol and neatly wrapped in ‘Mason Cash’ pudding bowls and wrapped in brown paper and twine.
I have fond memories of mum making a fresh batch of mince pies on Christmas Eve, and my father waiting eagerly to be the recipient of the first one. I idled around, also waiting for these sweet treats to emerge, listening to Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas” in the background. The memory of that first bite of pastry melting in my mouth and the taste of the sweet and spiced filling is indelibly printed in my memory bank.
Mince pies, or minced pies as they were once called, were a delicacy in the medieval times before arriving at the Tudor Court in England. They were indeed made from minced meat. Everything from swan to veal and later mutton and beef. They were then mixed with spices, apples and dried fruits. The mince pies that I grew up with were made from suet instead of actual minced meat. Suet is the fat from mutton and beef found around the kidneys and loins of the animal. This fat was shredded and mixed with spices, lemon zest, sugar, brandy and dried fruits. If you did not want to get suet from your butcher then you could purchase Atora brand suet in a box which was suet mixed with flour.
I watched my mother bake these delicacies year after year. Growing up next to your mother in the kitchen is by far the best way to learn how to bake and cook. Many years later I lived in Chicago, now with a family of my own, and whilst there, I asked the butcher to save me some suet for my Christmas baking. He expressed surprise as it had been a long time since he had been asked for suet. My mother always told me that your butcher is a great friend to have. Those were different times but there are indeed some great butchers still around, and my advice to you is to seek them out.
One such butcher in Ireland is Pat Whelan from County Tipperary. Proprietor of ‘James Whelan Butchers,’ award winning butchers for over forty years. Recently I read Pat’s beautiful book An Irish Butcher Shop. It arrived, wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine. The photographs in this book are simply a work of art and one of my personal favorites is a photograph of succulent lamb chops, with a smattering of rosemary and a sprinkling of sea salt. These photographs almost jump off the page, inviting you to try. This book is available on www.amazon.co.uk and www.jameswhelanbutchers.com.
Recently, Pat and I were talking about Christmas and although we are now an ocean apart, we both have the same nostalgia associated with Christmas. His customers are nostalgic and are on a quest to create the perfect holiday, recreating childhood memories.
“I think in a funny way,” says Whelan, “the smells associated with winter are my favorite—the smell of the fire burning, the warm feeling that it gives me, but particularly the smell of seasonal food cooking reminds me of times past. One of the most unique smells for me at Christmas time is Spiced Beef, it’s one of those products that makes Christmas unique because it’s not available at any other time of the year.”
Smells become memories and it is those memories that evoke nostalgia.
I know that my mince pies are delicious, but what makes my mother’s mince pies the best are the memories.
I also know that what comes along with those delicious treats, those sweet morsels, are the memories of Bing Crosby singing, my father, almost childlike waiting for that hot pastry, the aroma of baked dried fruits, the sound of a crackling fire and the flickering candle on the window sill, guiding those weary travelers.
The secret ingredient for a great tasting mince pie is love. The love of a mother.
Mince Pies With Kerrygold Butter Crust
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur unbleached)
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons KERRYGOLD unsalted Butter, cut into cubes
6-10 teaspoons ice cold water
1 egg yolk (reserve egg white for pastry)
Filling
1 jar of mince meat. (if you are not making home made)
Utensils… Food Processor, Rolling Pin, 2 cookie cutters 3-1/2” & 3”
Cup cake pan, fork & pastry brush.
Method
Preheat oven to 425° F. You will need to grease a cup cake pan. Keep your water in the fridge until needed.
In a food processor, whirl together flour and salt. Add butter next, pulsing until it resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk. Slowly add water, 1 teaspoon at a time and pulse again until dough begins to form a ball. You can wrap this dough in plastic wrap and keep in fridge until ready to use or just flour surface and roll with rolling pin.
You will need 2 cookie cutters. Round or fluted edge. I prefer fluted for decorative purposes. Roll the dough out and, using your 3-1/2” cookie cutter, cut out the pieces and place in pan. Spoon mince meat into the center, then using your smaller 3” cookie cutter, cut out the tops and place on top as lids.
You can use the egg & milk wash as a seal for the lids by brushing the pieces before placing them on top.
Prick each mince pie with a fork, once in the center.
Bake for approx. 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire baking tray. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
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