The summer holidays are an ideal time for a bit of nostalgic baking.
Is enjoyment of the traditional mince pie a generational thing? My paternal grandmother was exceptionally fond of making the small, fragile tarts filled with rich sweetmeat, and it is about the only baking my mother does these days, filling the biscuit tin with tantalising little tarts heavily dusted with icing sugar, which I find are hard to resist.
The younger generation is not so enamoured with the mince pie and I am sure this is because supermarkets and bakeries mass-produce villainous pies that bear slim resemblance to the real thing – the pastry is too thick and hard, instead of being delicate, rich and crumbly, and they go far too light on a filling that should be generous and near bursting through the lid. Mince pies that are partially covered with a fancy pastry shape can be dry and much of the flavour and scents that are the secrets to a great pie are lost. It’s no wonder these little tarts have lost their appeal.
When it comes to baking, time is a big issue, and consequently I didn’t get to make my own mince pies before Christmas, but there is bound to be a rainy day during the holidays when an afternoon in the kitchen, filling it with the smell of baking biscuits, spices and dried fruits, will be time well spent.
As nostalgic as it may sound, isn’t that what these holidays are partly about? A traditional mince pie will get a look-in and I will also make a tray or two of creamed sugar biscuits with a filling of dried fruit paste that, when served warm and slightly chewy, always seem to please. I’ll make my favourite cherry pie, which has a lard crust that crumbles easily to let the burgundy-hued filling trickle across the plate.
The success of the sugar biscuit, one of the simplest of all biscuits to make, lies in the initial creaming of the butter and sugar. Beat the butter until pale and creamy before adding the sugar. The sugar crystals force air into the butter, increasing the volume. The egg moistens the mix, which is then strengthened with flour. They are best eaten slightly warm.
Creamed Sugar Biscuits with Dried Fruit
250g dried mixed fruit
300ml water
250g caster sugar
BISCUITS
175g unsalted butter
300g light muscovado or caster sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
zest of 1 lemon
350g plain flour
Bring the fruit and water to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until the fruit swells slightly. Add the sugar and cook for 10 minutes until the fruit becomes a thick paste.
Set the oven to 160°C. Cream the butter until pale using an electric mixer with a beater attachment. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg, egg yolk and lemon zest, and add the flour gradually and slowly with the beater running on a low speed. Take a tablespoon of dough and roll into a small ball between your palms. Press a finger into the centre to make a hollow and spoon a little of the fruit filling into it. Press the dough over the filling to seal it, then place on a lightly buttered baking tray (or use baking paper) and flatten slightly. Repeat the process with the rest of the mixture, spacing the balls well apart on the tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until golden. Dredge with a thick layer of icing sugar while the biscuits are still hot, then cool on a wire rack.
Makes about 20.
Lard pastry was a favourite of my grandmother, a naturally gifted baker from the north of England, and this is what you need here because you don’t blind bake the pastry first. Buy the lard from a supermarket or butcher.
Fresh Cherry Pie
250g pitted fresh cherries
60g caster sugar
1 tbsp brandy
zest of 1 orange
1 cup water
Pastry
250g plain flour
250g self-raising flour
a good pinch of salt
250g lard
200ml cold water
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the cherries, sugar, brandy, zest and water in a small saucepan. Dissolve the sugar over a medium heat for 20 minutes until a loose “jam” forms, then remove the -cherries from the heat and cool.
To make the pastry, sift the flours and salt together into a large bowl and rub the lard in using an electric mixer with a beater attachment. When the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, add the water and knead for 3-4 minutes until you have a smooth dough. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before using. Grease and flour four 10cm diameter pie tins and roll out the pastry until it is about 5mm thick. Cut out 8 circles about 12cm across. Use half the pastry circles to line the pie tins, then spoon the cherry mixture into the pastry shells and cover with another piece of pastry, pressing the sides together to seal. Place the tins on a flat baking tray and slide it carefully into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Carefully remove the pies from the tins and turn out onto individual serving plates. Serve hot with spoonfuls of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Makes 4 pies.
My sister BELIEVES our mother’s fruit mince tarts are a family heirloom recipe – one that, it has to be said, she has never made herself. My mother uses a pastry recipe from an old cookbook that promotes the use of margarine, an ingredient I cannot abide. You could use the lard pastry recipe as above, or this shortcrust recipe. You will need a miniature tart tray, with indents about 5cm in diameter and 2cm deep.
Fruit Mince Pies
200g unsalted butter
400g plain flour
2 egg yolks
a little cold water
400g quality fruit mincemeat
icing sugar
Set the oven to 200°C. Using the beater on an electric mixer, rub the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and just enough water to bring together a smooth dough in a firm ball. Cut the dough in half, then roll out one half on a floured board and set the other aside. Using a 7cm biscuit cutter, cut out 18 circles of pastry and place them in the tart tins, smoothing up the sides so that the pastry stands above the rim. Fill each one with a generous spoonful of mincemeat, roll out the remaining pastry and cut a further 18 circles. Dampen each edge with a little water and press together firmly to seal. Make a small cut in the top of each pie and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool in the tins before gently prising them out with the point of a sharp knife. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
Makes 18 small pies.