Much Maligned Christmas Accoutrements

[willow]

I love fruit cake. My fruit is soaked in brandy not whiskey. Cake baked weeks in advance and 'fed' a teaspoon of brandy every week to keep it moist. Iced with a layer each of apricot jam, marzipan and royal icing (icing sugar, egg white and lemon juice) and decorated with a penguin scene because I wuvs penguns.



Really not the worlds no.1 cranberry fan but I do like a tiny bit of the jellied kind on my turkey and am especially partial to a little spread on the bread when having the obligatory boxing day 'turkey dinner' sandwich.

The other Christmasy sweet stuff I can take or leave. My Christmas night chill time snack/supper will be a small mixed cheese board, crackers and fruit.

[Greyson]

I love mincemeat pie. My father loved this pie and every year at our big Christmas Eve dinner at his house, we had mincemeat pie. I did have to learn to acquire a taste for this pie when I was a child but once I did.

I have been unable to find a mincemeat pie for most of my adult life. Then this year, I befriended my personal trainer who is an only child and his parents had him late in life. His father was a professional baker and my friend/trainer bakes home made pies for the holidays. My twin sister and I enjoyed mincemeat pie with our Thanksgiving dinner. Again for Christmas dinner I will savour mincemeat pie.

I do have a question, why is this pie called mincemeat? There is no meat in this pie. It is all fruit.

[1QuirkyKiwi]

Originally Posted by Greyson

I love mincemeat pie. My father loved this pie and every year at our big Christmas Eve dinner at his house, we had mincemeat pie. I did have to learn to acquire a taste for this pie when I was a child but once I did.

I have been unable to find a mincemeat pie for most of my adult life. Then this year, I befriended my personal trainer who is an only child and his parents had him late in life. His father was a professional baker and my friend/trainer bakes home made pies for the holidays. My twin sister and I enjoyed mincemeat pie with our Thanksgiving dinner. Again for Christmas dinner I will savour mincemeat pie.

I do have a question, why is this pie called mincemeat? There is no meat in this pie. It is all fruit.

Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, alcohol and spices, and vegetable shortening….originally, in medieval times mincemeat always contained meat. In the UK, NZ and Autralia they are called Mince pies. I'll have one small one every few years, lol!