Day 8 – The History of Mince Pies
“Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12
Mince pies, are small, normally round pies. They’re very popular in England and some other countries like Australia and New Zealand.
They were originally filled with ground up or ‘minced’ meat, such as lamb, as well as dried fruit and spices, which was where they got their name. Over the years the meat went out of them, as sugar and dried fruit became more affordable. Although they are still called mince pies, and their filling is still called mincemeat, there’s no longer meat in them!
During the Stuart and Georgian times, in England, mince pies were a status symbol at Christmas. Very rich people liked to show off at their Christmas parties by having pies made is different shapes (like stars, crescents, hearts, tears, & flowers). The fancy shaped pies could often fit together a bit like a jigsaw! They also had pies which looked like the ‘knot gardens’ that were popular during those periods. Having pies like this meant you were rich and could afford to employ the best, and most expensive, pastry cooks.
During the Victorian period, less and less meat was put into mincemeat and the pies became small and round as we know them today.
Some Victorian historians also said that the first mince pies were made in an oval shape to represent the manger that Jesus slept in as a baby, with the top representing his swaddling clothes; and that sometimes they even had a pastry baby Jesus on the top.
Now mince pies are eaten hot or cold. I haven’t made them yet but since I’m a simple baker I looked up these to try.
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7