Making mince pies for Christmas

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di reston

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Mar 25, 2010
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Calosso, Piemonte
The title of my post seems banal. Having said that, every year I make a large number of mince pies at Christmas time so that I can give 12 each to my neighbours and friends (1 per month for the forthcoming year). In the UK this is an ancient but, sadly, a disapearing tradition that dates back to the 16th Century, and legend has it that doing that will give good health and good luck for the forthcoming year. So I make them all myself, including the pastry and the mincemeat, because legend has it that must be done that way. I can give them before Christmas and up to Twelfth Night, January 6th. After that the spell doesn't work!

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde
 
I forgot to ask you: what special thing do you do throughout the year or on one like the above. I would love to hear about it.


di reston (again)


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde
 
I make glazed pecans for friends and family. I use butter, brown sugar and real maple syrup for my glaze, and bake them in the oven to harden the glaze.

CD
 
They sound really good! I think they'd be lovely presents. We don't get pecans in Italy - would they work with almonds?


di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde
 
They sound really good! I think they'd be lovely presents. We don't get pecans in Italy - would they work with almonds?

It would work, but one of the great things about pecans is that the glaze gets into the nooks and crannies. Walnuts would also work.

Some people like to spice up the glaze with cinnamon, cloves and other warm spices.
 
They sound really good! I think they'd be lovely presents. We don't get pecans in Italy - would they work with almonds?


di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

Yes, almonds would work quite well. So would walnuts.

I don't go by a recipe anymore. It is roughly equal parts of the three ingredients. The maple syrup really adds a nice flavor.

CD
 
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I love the warm spices for spiced pecans too, GG, and usually make them every year around this time to give away to friends and family. OMGosh, they are so good. I somewhat follow this recipe I found online several years ago - the egg whites make a nice light crispy coating and give the spices something to stick to.

Spiced Pecans Recipe - Allrecipes.com

I reduce the amount of sugar, omit (or reduce) the cloves since some family members aren't too fond of cloves, and stir them a little more often than suggested in the recipe. They can burn in a heartbeat.

I just looked in the freezer and have about 4 pounds of vacuum sealed pecan halves, so I better get busy. :huh::LOL:
 
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