JUMP TO RECIPES
As wonderful as it is, the holiday season can be a strange time of year. Many revel in its decorations, food and togetherness but it sometimes brings together family members who don’t get along well. Others spend it alone or with grief-stricken memories of missing loved ones. It can be a hectic time of shopping for too many gifts all at once or a time when the inability to spend money becomes painfully obvious. For those who don’t observe Christmas for various reasons, or who observe less popular holidays, it can be awkward. It can be an awfully cold time for such a warm season.
Nevertheless, the beginning of Winter holds its own particular kind of beauty. Where I live, roadside grasses sway in silvery greys and browns against an evergreen backdrop. The early morning skies seem to reflect the glittery frost on the ground. Other areas already have snow or are still enjoying balmy warmth. For our friends in the Southern hemisphere, Summer is on the way! Regardless of weather or circ*mstances, many of us feel the familiar thrill in our souls that comes from our own precious collection of memories and traditions.
A Very Special Memory
This week’s blog post features a very special memory of my friend, Debbie. Her grandparents lived during the Second World War so she also grew up hearing stories of that unique moment in history—complete with strict rationing, as her family is English. She still has her Gran’s ration books! The memory she shares here is after the War but includes her Gran. I hope you will enjoy her recollection and her Mum’s special recipe:
Christmas is that time of year when families come together and inevitably, are reminded of the loss of family members and close ones.
For me, mince pies are just one of the things that reminds me of my Mum. Although we lost her when I was very young, only 6 years old, I have grown up getting to know her through the memories of others and through my own character traits - my Uncle says the thing I do with my eyes and eyebrows when I disapprove of something is exactly the look my Mum used to give him!
Over the years I've wanted to do hobbies and learn skills that my Mum had in effort to feel closer to her. When I was 8 years old, I told my Dad I wanted to learn to play the piano to be like my Mum. At my piano recital for my Music degree, aged 23 a friend of mine said to me how proud my Mum would have been. It's really precious to dosomething a loved one used to enjoy - not just for nostalgia but a feeling of connecting with them and continuing that bond with them.
My Mum and my Gran were brilliant home cooks and instilled in me a love of cooking for self-pleasure and hospitality - to show others love. Christmas is especially hard for some people, even more so with the last few years we've had but sharing kindness and love in cooking is something most people really appreciate. Homemade mince pies can make a great Christmas gift but maybe there is something that your grandparent or loved one used to make that you could recreate as a memory and tribute to your love for them, but also as a gift to share with others.
I encourage you to connect with those who you have loved and have been loved by, commemorating them, sharing in the things they loved, the places they spent time and the food they served and shared.
Mum's Mince Pies
For the pastry mix 4 pounds each of butter and lard with 4 pounds of sugar. Add 16 pounds of flour and one egg, that's your pastry done.
It's flipping crumbly but that's what makes it so yummy!Halve the pastry, cover in cling film and fridge it before you roll it.
Mum also added a grated cooking apple and small carrot to a large jar of mincemeat.Bake the mince pies for 15-20 minutes at 220°C (425°F) until golden brown.
For anyone wondering, yes, those quantities are correct! The recipe made a very short-crust pastry that was divided to make 24 individual pies.
A Wartime Mincemeat Alternative
For centuries, one of the mainstays of December in England has been mince—or mincemeat—pies. They were once familiar holiday fare in the US as well but fell by the wayside sometime shortly after World War 2. It could be because they are labor intensive to make from scratch. Or, maybe Americans’ tastes simply changed.
During the War they would have been nearly impossible to make in England. They required a prodigious amount of white flour, fat, sugar, meat, spices and fresh fruits, including citrus. In fact, dried apples might have been the only ingredient readily available.
The Ministry of Food includes a wartime recipe sent in to The Farmers’ Weekly for Plum and Russet Mincemeat. It uses orchard fruits to replace the fat that would have been practically impossible to obtain. However, the recipe still uses ingredients most homemakers would have searched for diligently, long in advance of the holidays. It doesn’t include any instruction for pastry. White flour was illegal in England during the war so a whole meal or potato crust would have been needed. Thankfully, we have more appetizing options today.
I made the mincemeat recipe and used it to make a large pie as well as Honey Mincemeat Cookies, a recipe from the 1943 American cookbook Double-Quick Cooking. Both recipes are included here. The mincemeat does require a lot of time and effort but is pungent and delicious. You can also purchase mincemeat, as Debbie’s mum did. Mince pie has long since changed from a savory to sweet food so most jarred mincemeat is now produced without meat. However, some brands still include beef or suet so you’ll need to check ingredients according to what you prefer.
Whether your holiday season this year is merry and bright, or perhaps a more challenging time, I wish for you peace and comfort, and a moment of stillness to remember blessings. Love and shalom to you!
