![]() The humble mince pie (or Christmas-pie) has more than a passing association with Christmas. Its origins can be traced back to the 13th century, when Crusaders, returning from the Middle East, bought back eastern recipes, which often combined meat (such as mutton) with fruits and spices. Traditional 13th century ingredients would have been a mixture of shredded meat, suet, various dried fruits, and spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. The meat portion of the mixture was removed during Victorian times. Originally these small sweet pies were oval in shape, the pie representing the crib and the filling the good things bought by the wise men. Another tradition suggest that there were once 13 ingredients, representing Christ and his 12 Apostles. Ingredients for Mince Pies
How to Make Mince Pies
Serving SuggestionsServe cold, warm or hot. Can also be served with either pouring or whipped cream. Other recipes to try: Christmas Cake | Christmas Pudding | Recipe Index |