Holiday Dessert Ideas

I'll be jumping off here shortly in favor of family time, the creation of my second Bûche de Nöel of the season, and a "Through the Looking Glass" New Year's masquerade ball, but before I do, here's an offering of some favorite desserts for your holiday table, from all things chocolate, to savory sides. Whatever your winter celebrations, sending love and light to you and yours.

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate
Chocolate Orange Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie, pictured top right
Katharine Hepburn Brownie Pie
Milk Chocolate & Salted Caramel Hazelnut Tart
Peppermint Pattie Tart

Fruits & Nuts
Bourbon Ginger Pecan Pie
Cranberry Goat Cheese Tart with Almond Shortbread Crust
Key Lime Pie,
Red Wine-Poached Seckel Pear Tartlets, pictured top left
Shaker Orange Tarts

Preserves & Icebox
Bakewell Tart with Apple Rosemary Jelly
Jam Cookies
Joulutorttu or Finish Jam Tarts, pictured bottom right
Meyer Lemon Honey Marmalade Linzer Torte
Speculoos Icebox Pie

Cakes
Beignets
Chocolate Almond Snow Day Cake, pictured bottom left
Cranberry Upside Down Cake
Lime Bundt Cake
Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

Savory
Beef Picadillo Pie with Mashed Potatoes
Ham, Gruyère & Caramelized Onion Galette with Fried Egg
Puff Pastry Hand Pies with Goat Cheese & Hot Pepper Jelly
Tri-color Potato, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese & Rosemary Galette

For more ideas, visit Christmas dessert guides from 2015, 2013, 2012 and as always, you can find many more recipes via the Recipe Index.

Christmas Pie Ideas

My trip home for Christmas has been delayed by a pesky migraine, but the upshot is that this extra recovery time offers me chance to squeeze in a little post before the holiday. Things have been busy for me, with a new city and job and all, and I realize my previous post was of a similar bent, just for Thanksgiving, but I'm looking forward to digging back in to some regular posts in the new year. In the meantime, enjoy your winter holiday celebrations, whatever they may be, and hope there's some sweetness to go with it. 

Chocolate
Chocolate Orange Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie with Nabs Crust, pictured top left
Milk Chocolate & Salted Caramel Hazelnut Tart
Peppermint Pattie Tart

Fruit & Nut
Bourbon Ginger Pecan Pie
Cranberry Pie, pictured bottom right
Fig-Pistachio Tarte Tatin
Shaker Orange Tarts

Preserves & Icebox
Almond & Grapefruit-Ginger Marmalade Crostata
Bakewell Tart with Apple Rosemary Jelly, pictured bottom left
Meyer Lemon Honey Marmalade Linzer Torte
Speculoos Icebox Pie

Cookies & Cakes
Pea & Corn Cookies
Sandy Spring Sand Tarts, pictured top right
Whiskey-Soaked Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

Savory
Corn and Black Pepper Crackers
Ham, Gruyère & Caramelized Onion Galette with Fried Egg
Red & Golden Beet & Goat Cheese Tart
Tri-color Potato, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese & Rosemary Galette

As always, you can find many more recipes, via the Recipe Index.

Joulutorttu or Finnish Jam Tarts

I have a bad habit of putting away food for the winter--frozen berries, jams, pickles, and butters-- only to find them still lodged in the back of my freezer/pantry/fridge when their respective season rolls around again. Some of this is because I've in fact forgotten about said items as they inevitably find their way further and further to the dark corners of the shelves, and some of it is because I always think I need to save those precious jams/berries/pickles for something really special; apparently some impossible badge that no birthday, going away party, or worst snow day can ever merit.



I didn't put up much this year, but I'm more determined to use up what I've got, and as I've said before, I'm also always looking for a way to combine my love for baking with my penchant for preserving. I came across these Joulutorttu (pronounced YO-loo-TOR-too and translating as "Christmas tarts") or Finnish Jam Tarts on Pinterest, via Sweet Paul. The 4-pointed star tarts/cookies are typically enjoyed at Christmas, but I thought they were a delightful vehicle for a little spring cleaning for forgotten jams. Traditionally made with ricotta in the pastry, this recipe replaces it with cream cheese, resulting in a fluffy and flaky crust due to the high fat ratio. While prune jam is standard, you can use whatever flavor preserves you have on hand. I used a variety of cranberry, persimmon, and strawberry.

Joulutorttu

Adapted from Sweet Paul

Makes 3-4 dozen, depending on size

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into chunks

8 oz. cream cheese (ricotta is traditional), softened and cut into chunks

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1 egg yolk + 1 egg for sealing tarts

1 cup jam of your choice (I used cranberry, strawberry, and persimmon though prune is traditional)

Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter and cream cheese, pulsing to combine. Add heavy cream and yolk of one egg. Pulse until well combined then bring dough together in a ball with your hands. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2-3 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. One a clean, floured surface, roll out dough until thin, about 1/8-inch. Cut into 2-3-inch squares. Cut a 1-inch diagonal slice in the center of each corner. Spoon 1 teaspoon of jam in the center of the square, then fold down alternating corners of the square over the jam, using an egg wash to seal.

3. Place tarts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden, about 12-13 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack and dust with confectioner's sugar once cooled. Serve at room temperature.

Related recipes:

Almond and Grapefruit Ginger Marmalade Crostata

Bakewell Tart with Apple Rosemary Jelly

Blueberry-Basil Jam

Cranberry Hand Pies

Meyer Lemon Honey Marmalade Linzer Torte

Christmas Pie Ideas

I came home a little earlier than usual for Christmas this year. So far I've had a sleepover with best friends in Chicago, visited favorite local haunts (and some new ones), and hosted a music party at our house with family friends. I've also done a bit of holiday baking, but we still haven't yet planned our Christmas menu. So if you're like us, here are a few ideas for Christmas pies from brunch, to appetizers, to dessert. If you can't quite find what suits your table here, check out this list of Thanksgiving pie ideas or visit the Recipe Index.

Chocolate & Nut
Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie
Chocolate Orange Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Milk Chocolate & Salted Caramel Hazelnut Tart
Peppermint Pattie Tart, pictured top right

Fruit & Nut
Cranberry Chess Pie, pictured bottom left
Fig-Pistachio Tarte Tatin
Pear Tarte Tatin
Shaker Orange Tarts, pictured bottom right

Preserves & Icebox
Almond & Grapefruit-Ginger Marmalade Crostata
Bakewell Tart with Apple Rosemary Jelly
Meyer Lemon Honey Marmalade Linzer Torte
Speculoos Icebox Pie, pictured top left

Savory
Ham, Gruyère & Caramelized Onion Galette with Fried Egg
Quiche Lorraine
Red & Golden Beet & Goat Cheese Tart
Tri-color Potato, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese & Rosemary Galette

Whatever you bake,  from this list or not, I'd love to hear about it. Have a very Merry Christmas, all!

Peppermint Pattie Tart Place Setting

A few weeks ago, BYT featured a holiday place setting guide with inspiring table arrangements by local favorites Mutiny DC, Holley Simmons, and Panda Head. Pie Almanac illustrator and good pal Elizabeth Graeber created this fun 'n' fanciful part-illustrated part-real dessert spread featuring her An Illustrated Guide To Cocktails and Nothing-in-the-House's Peppermint Pattie Tart!

You can find the recipe for the tart on the blog here as well as in my recent story for NPR's Kitchen Window, "Get Freshly Minted This Holiday Season," which also includes recipes for making your own mint extract and Mint Julep Hot Chocolate. 

Photo by Jeff Martin for BYT

Mom Blogs: Christmas Quiche Lorraine

My mom shared this story and recipe from our Christmas morning brunch--Quiche Lorraine. For a change from my usual habits, the only things I did to help with this "pie" were take photos and eat-- and it was DELICIOUS! Take it away, mom!

Quiche Lorraine is a pie-loving family's choice for Christmas brunch. Our breakfast tradition is a collaboration between the men and women of the family. Grant slow-cooks the bacon to seal the flavor, reasoning that slightly undercooking the bacon ensures the perfect flavor. Joe grates the cheese and dices the onion.

We often debate the choice of cheese. I always pick Gruyere, instead of the standard Swiss. Joe and Grant lean toward sharp Cheddar. I however, don't completely assert my preference for fear of losing my kitchen help. Instead, we compromise, and the cheese and onion selections are a surprise waiting for me after I prepare the crust. This year Joe presented red onion.

I've abandoned my Crisco crust recipe inherited from my mother and grandmother for Emily's Nothing-in-the-House all-butter crust. The recipe we used this year, adapted from my disintegrating Betty Crocker Cookbook follows. I used this same recipe for my first quiche on Christmas morning, 1975-- 37 years ago.

Quiche Lorraine
Adapted from The Betty Crocker Cookbook

Ingredients
Nothing-in-the-House pie crust, halved
12 slices of bacon (about 1/2 lb.), crispy or slightly crispy fried and crumbled
1/3 c. Gruyere and 2/3 c. sharp Cheddar, shredded
1/3 c. onion (red or white), diced
5 large eggs
2 c. whipping cream
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. sugar

Directions
1. Prepare half of Nothing-in-the-House pie crust as per the directions. Let chill while you cook the bacon and grate the cheese.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Once crust dough has been chilled, roll out and fit into a greased and floured 9 or 10-inch quiche or pie pan (We used a 9 1/2-inch quiche pan), fluting decoratively. Sprinkle cooked bacon, cheese, and onion on the bottom of the pastry.

3. In a medium bowl, beat eggs slightly, then beat in the remaining ingredients. Pour the egg mixture into the pastry. Bake 15 minutes.

4. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees F and bake 30 minutes longer or until a knife inserted 1-inch from the edge comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serve in wedges. Makes 6 main course servings or 8 appetizer servings.

Eating A Christmas Pie

Merry Christmas, one and all! For the second year in a row, a Jack Horner Christmas pie post. Though this common nursery rhyme was first published in 1725, this image comes from William Wallace Denslow's Mother Goose, c. 1902. Whether your Christmas pie contains plums or not, I hope you have plenty, and that you don't have to sit in a corner to eat it (unless you have some magical cozy corner full of friends and family and stocked well with pie). From the Nothing-in-the-House kitchen to yours, much love and happiness, music and food to all of you this holiday season. 

Peppermint Pattie Tart

I have fond childhood memories of music parties at our old Victorian house. My dad played in a band that would rehearse in our backyard, we had jams and house concerts by touring folk musicians in the living room, and once even had a contra dance in the old grocery store-turned-photography studio behind our house. As my brother and I got older and we all got busier, and eventually moved into a smaller home, those events became more infrequent. Recently, though, we've been making efforts to reinvigorate that tradition, and for the second year in a row, when I've come home for the holidays, we've had a music party.

So yesterday we busied ourselves in the little kitchen, cooking and stirring, whisking and slicing in preparation. My parents decided to make spiced beef, cooked overnight in a large crock, for chalupa, and we had chips and salsa, veggie and cheese plates, homemade pimento cheese and crackers, and other little treats for a fine spread. For dessert, I wanted to make something special, festive, and new. I'd been seeing lots of recipes for homemade peppermint patties (from Ashley English and Serious Eats and such), and thought the mint filling, topped with a chocolate ganache might just be the perfect thing for a Christmas tart.

I somehow got this notion when I was younger that peppermint patties were a treat for adults, possibly because, like avocados, my parents wanted to reserve them for themselves. I'm not sure if this tart is more grown 'n' decadent, or youthfully playful, but if you put in a little nip of peppermint schnapps like I did, you can tip that scale a little towards the former. Though optional, I decked the tart with bits of candy cane. It does add a lil' Christmas--right this very minute. I chose my standard tart crust, but this is another that would work well with other crust variations, be it graham cracker, Oreo, or shortbread, with or without nuts.

Peppermint Pattie Tart, or if you prefer, Dark Chocolate Peppermint Tart
Crust adapted from Dorie Greenspan, mint filling adapted from Serious Eats

Makes an 11-inch tart

Ingredients
For crust:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
9 Tblsp. unsalted butter, cold & cubed
1 egg yolk

For mint filling:
3 c. confectioner's sugar
2 1/2 Tblsp. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tblsp. peppermint extract
2 tsp. peppermint schnapps (optional)
3 Tblsp. heavy cream

For chocolate ganache:
8 oz. 60-70% chocolate, chopped (or use chocolate chips)
3/4 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. sugar

2 candy canes or peppermint candies, crushed (optional)

Directions
For crust:
1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cubed butter and pulse to incorporate until the mixture resembles cornmeal and peas. Add the egg yolk and pulse until the dough begins to form together.

2. Roll out the dough and pat it into your greased and floured tart pan. Freeze the tart shell for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

3. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit it tightly over the tart shell. Partially bake it (no need for pie weights) until golden in color, approximately 30-35 minutes. Remove the foil, gently pushing down any part of the crust that has puffed, and bake for about 5 minutes more. Let cool to room temperature while you prepare the tart filling.

For filling:
1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar, butter, extracts, schnapps (if using), and heavy cream (Make sure to add the ingredients in that order for proper mixing). Once combined, turn mixer to medium speed and beat for another minute or so until a smooth, thick paste (like the inside of a peppermint pattie) is formed.

2. On parchment paper, roll the pattie filling out in a 9-inch circle about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Place it in the bottom of the baked and cooled tart shell, piecing when necessary, and chill in the fridge about 30 minutes until filling has become slightly hard.

For chocolate ganache: 
1. Put chocolate, heavy cream, and sugar in the top of a double boiler. Put water in the bottom of the boiler and place on medium heat until the filling is melted, glossy, and thick. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

2. Once tart has chilled, remove from the fridge and pour chocolate ganache over the mint filling. Smooth with a knife and return to the fridge for about 30 minutes until chocolate is set. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

This tart-ified peppermint pattie was well received at the party, and I don't think it was just all the anticipation that was built when I made all the guests hold off on eating it until I got enough good photos (thanks for putting up with that, everyone). We had a really lovely reunion of old family friends, many who had met long ago but not seen each other in years. After dinner, a few of us migrated to the music room for some fiddle tunes, folk songs, and even some exhilarating Cajun accordion. Happy Christmas to all, and may it be filled with friends and family and music and sweet chocolatey minty things...

Five Holiday Pies on PBS Food

I was very excited when the writers of PBS Food asked if I would contribute a piece. All those years developing my part-Julia Child part-Mrs. Doubtfire cooking show host alter-ego Emily Pothole (pronounced poth-ole) finally paid off! Their request though, however unfortunately, was not for a prime-time TV spot between Martha Stewart and Mark Bittman, but instead for a written piece on their blog, to accompany their other "Five Ideas" holiday features. Though ENJOYING LIFE with Emily Pothole and Ms. Amanda Deitermeyer will have to be put on the back burner (so to speak), I was happy to oblige.

Five Ideas for Holiday Pies, though nothing especially new for Nothing-in-the-House readers, is a round-up of some of my favorite mostly seasonal and rather simple pie recipes for your winter celebration.  Check it out for blurbs on Shaker Orange Tarts, Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie, a Cranberry Lime Galette, Nutella Pie, and Apple Pie with Salted Caramel Glaze. And stay right here for all the recipes.

My Grandma Eileen's Lemon Meringue Pie

 My grandma Eileen's handwritten lemon meringue pie recipe

One tradition that is in decline in the internet age of food blogs and cooking sites is the handwritten recipe. Both my mom and grandma Georgette have boxes and binders full of old recipes that they or their friends had written on personalized cards "from the kitchen of..." or scraps of paper. I have a few of these binders, but they are mostly filled with printed out recipes from Smitten Kitchen, Epicurious, or some other food blog. Maybe it's just my nostalgic leanings, but it seems that there was once a time when you had a more personal connection with the recipes you used. Instead of celebrity cook Ruth Riechl's spiced chicken or the Barefoot Contessa's spaghetti and meatballs, it was your friend Beth's cheesecake, dad's famous potato leek soup, or your grandma Eileen's lemon meringue pie, even if it was just a special variation on Betty Crocker or Irma Rombauer's well-known recipe.

I don't really remember my grandma Eileen, my dad's mom. She died from breast cancer when I was two years old. I do know that she was from Pittsburgh, of Irish descent, raised four boys, and was a clogger and a partner roller skater. She also clearly made a killer lemon meringue pie, which my dad said he loved, and that it was such a special treat that she would make at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and sometimes Easter.

 

My mom found Eileen's handwritten lemon meringue pie recipe in one of her aforementioned recipe binders, and suggested I try it when I was home for Christmas. I had a little trouble reading the writing, especially as the paper was worn from years of what appears to be lemon meringue spills and crust crumbs, but my dad was able to decipher it and translated for me. Here's the recipe, with a few adaptations.

My Grandma Eileen's Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients for pie:

Nothing-in-the-house pie crust recipe (only 1 crust needed)

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 2/3 c. water

2 Tblsp. butter

1/2 c. cornstarch

4 tsp. cold water

8 Tblsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest

5 egg yolks

4 Tblsp. milk

Ingredients for meringue:

5 egg whites

6 Tblsp. sugar

Pinch cream of tartar

Directions:

1. Crust: Follow instructions for the Nothing-in-the-House pie crust (though halved, as you only need one bottom crust). Chill in fridge for about 1 hr. Preheat oven to 400, then roll out and fit into buttered and floured pie dish and flute edges. You may wish to chill the rolled crust for 10-20 minutes at this point to ensure it does not fall down in the oven. Line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and bake for 5-10 minutes more or until golden brown and flaky.

2. Lemon curd: Combine sugar, butter, and 1 1/2 c. water in a medium saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. Add cornstarch, blended with 4 tsp. cold water. Cook slowly until clear, about 8 minutes (mine did not get quite "clear" but you will notice it starting to thicken). Add lemon juice and zest, cook 2 minutes. Slowly add egg yolks (save whites for the meringue) beaten with milk. Bring to boiling, then cool. Pour into baked shell and chill.

3. Meringue: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add sugar gradually and pinch of cream of tartar. Spread over cooled filling and brown in oven, 13-15 minutes.

This pie turned out to be a true Christmas day family kitchen collaboration, with my dad helping to read the recipe, me on the crust and lemon curd, my mom tackling the meringue, and even my brother lending a hand to continuously stir the curd while I juiced and zested lemons and cracked eggs--a Christmas miracle!

My mom served up the slices, and we enjoyed it in the living room by the fire,  with my aunt, uncle and grandma, after our Christmas dinner.

As I never really knew my grandma Eileen, it felt important to me to be able to read her loopy cursive, similar to my own, try out her recipe, and bring one of her favorite desserts to life at our Christmas dinner this year. My dad said it tasted familiar, and maybe it will eventually become familiar to me too, as much as it was familial this Christmas.

May Your Christmas Pie Be As Full Of Plums

Little Jack Horner in the Christmas PEZ

There are no plums planned for Christmas pies here in the Nothing-in-the-House kitchen, but the sentiment still stands. Last night, for a music holiday party at my parents' I made a Shaker clementine pie, a salty honey pie (upon my dad's request) and collaborated on a green tomato pie with my dad. For Christmas dinner tomorrow, I'm making my grandma Eileen's lemon meringue pie, and perhaps another. 

What will your Christmas pie be full of? Whatever it is, I hope it is as full of that as Jack Horner's is of plums.

Mincemeat Pie by Julie Shepherd-Powell

I was put in touch with Julie via my friend Lora, after she came back from her New Year's celebration, raving about Julie's mincemeat pie. Several people have asked me when I would start posting about meat pies, but I don't eat meat, so I thought this the perfect opportunity to bring in an expert. I asked Julie if she would be interested in writing a post about it here, and she graciously agreed.

A little about Julie Shepherd-Powell...she is a mom, wife, home cook, banjo player, flat-footer, and PhD student galore from North Carolina, currently living in Nonesuch, KY. Her and her family's ultimate goal is to become homesteaders in the mountains of Virginia and open a business called Happy Hog Lard featuring organic, free range, lovable pork, and, of course, lard.
Here's what she has to say about mincemeat pie...

Mincemeat Pie: How did I ever live without you?

I never gave mincemeat, or mincemeat pie, much thought until a couple of years ago when I was browsing through my King Arthur Flour 20th Anniversary cookbook that my mother-in-law had picked up for me at a yard sale. I’m not even sure what I thought mincemeat was before I came across this recipe—perhaps in my subconscious I had linked it to some sort of weird English dish that involved livers and other parts of the animals that were not in favor with my conservatively raised Southern palate. In recent years, though, I’ve expanded my culinary horizon and am always excited to try new, different recipes. And well, I’m a sucker for Christmassy things, especially when it comes to recipes with long traditions, and frankly, I’m a sucker for the old world and like to think people eating these traditional foods for hundreds of years. Maybe Jane Austin herself ate mincemeat, and who doesn’t love a good classic novel set in the English countryside?

So when I first came across this recipe for mincemeat around Christmastime in 2009, I knew I wanted to try it—but I was unable to find the time I needed to do it. So this past year when I came across the recipe for a second time, I decided I would be sure to make room in my busy schedule for it--it takes a few hours to put together (most of it is not “active”), and after cooking the filling, you need to let it set for at least 2 weeks in the fridge to let the flavors meld.

When I speak of mincemeat pie now, I am always trying to convey the amazing sweet, Yuletide goodness that it embodies—it basically combines tons of delicious dried fruits, spices, apple cider, maple syrup, butter (or suet- a type of beef fat that you can get from your butcher with a little advance notice), wine, and yes beef into a delicious filling that melts in your mouth. Made with a rustic cornmeal crust, and topped with a homemade bourbon whipped cream, it’s a tradition that will definitely be part of my family’s holiday cuisine for years to come. And be assured--despite the fact that I have gone on and on about Christmas, this pie is one to try in any of the cooler/cold months—plan ahead, and when you finally bake it and take your first bite, you’ll know why it was worth the wait.

Mincemeat Pie in a Rustic Cornmeal Crust with Bourbon Whipped Cream

The Mincemeat: (Make two weeks in advance)
Note: This recipe makes enough mincemeat for 2 pies, so if you want to make 2, you'll need to make the crust recipe twice

1 pound lean beef
1 quart apple cider
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon mace
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ cup (1 stick) butter or ¼ pound ground suet (I used butter, see note below about suet*)
½ pound dried currants (1 1/2 cups firmly packed)
½ pound golden raisins (1 1/2 cups firmly packed)
¼ pound fresh cranberries, cut in half (about 2 cups)
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup "spirits" (I used wine, but brandy or bourbon would work well too!)

Trim the meat if necessary and dice it into small cubes. Pour the cider into a large saucepan and add the sweeteners and spices. Add the meat and bring this mixture to a boil, then turn down and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Skim any foam that comes to the top during the first hour of cooking.

After 2 hours, turn off the heat and remove the meat with a slotted spoon. Add the currants, raisins, cranberries and lemon rind and juice to the hot cider/broth mixture. Let these steep while you mince the meat.

Return the meat to the fruit mixture, bring back to a boil and then down to a simmer for about 1/2 hour. Boil off enough liquid so the mixture is thick. Melt and blend in the butter at this point. After the mixture has cooled, add 1/4 cup of "spirits." This adds flavor and helps preserve the mincemeat. Cover and store mincemeat in a cool place (the fridge) for 2 or more weeks.

A word about suet: You can find suet, a special kind of beef fat, at your local butcher shop/market. Often he or she just needs to know in advance to put some aside for you when they are butchering beef. Don’t order the suet online—this is the kind that is used for bird feeders—it has other additives and is not safe for human consumption. OKAY, so what to do if you are using suet instead of butter—you will want to “mince” it up WITH the beef—and add it back into the broth/spice mixture when you add the beef back, and of course, skip the butter. Pretty simple. I plan to try it with suet next year.

Rustic Cornmeal Crust: (and preparing/baking the pie)
Makes a single crust for one mincemeat pie, this is a rustic crust—so you only need a single crust per pie

1 ¾ cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup cornmeal
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick butter (cold and cut into ½ inch cubes)
1/3 cup buttermilk

PLUS:
2 tablespoons milk
1 egg white
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preparation:
To prepare pastry, combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a food processor; pulse a few times. Add butter to flour mixture; pulse 4-5 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, slowly add buttermilk through food chute; process just until dough forms a ball.** Gently press dough into a 4-inch circle on plastic wrap; cover. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator for an hour. (Be sure to get the dough VERY chilled, but not so hard you can’t roll it out)

Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap and place dough on a sheet of parchment paper, sprinkled with flour. Roll dough into a 12 or 13-inch circle. Your dough should be about 1/8 inch thick when rolled out. Place dough and parchment on a baking sheet (this is how it will bake—read on).

Arrange ½ of the mincemeat mixture (enough for one pie) in center of dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold edges of dough toward center, pressing gently to seal (dough will only partially cover the mincemeat mixture—try to make sure there are no holes in the edges, or you might have some juice spillage while the pie is baking).

Combine milk and egg white in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Brush dough with milk mixture; sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over dough. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes- 1 hour or until pastry is golden brown. Let stand 30 minutes; cut into wedges, and serve with Bourbon Whipped Cream (recipe follows).

** Note: If you don't have a food processor, combine flour, sugar, cornmeal, and salt and cut in butter using a pastry knife, until the dough resembles coarse meal. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add buttermilk. Stir until dough forms a ball. Continue with instructions from here!

Bourbon Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1-2 Tablespoons powdered sugar (to taste)
1 Tablespoon (or more) good-quality Bourbon

In a medium bowl whisk/whip the heavy until soft peaks are just about to form. Beat in bourbon and sugar until soft peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, or cream will become lumpy and butter-like.

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, Julie!

Christmas Pie

From wikipedia: Christmas Pie is a village, in Surrey, England. Named after Christmas Pie Farm (1823) a name probably associated with the Christmas family that is mentioned in 16th century records.

What kind of Christmas pie will you be making?