Mince Pie Memories -

I may try these next time - similar to the traditional mince pie, but with an

almond frangipane topping!

After making my usual mince pie recipe for Christmas, I still

 have plenty of delicious little tarts remaining to see us through New Year!  

Yes, I make a lot because that's what my mother always did back home in

 Merry Old England. After all, it was only polite if a neighbor or friend stopped

 by during the holiday season to offer a glass of sherry and a mince pie!

The sweet little pies/tarts filled with 'alcoholic mincemeat', just fruits no

 meat, were a tradition, as was fruitcake topped with almond paste (similar

 to marzipan) and thick white royal icing forked up to resemble snow.  

The addition of a sprig of holly, tiny bottle-brush tree, ceramic snowman etc. 

turned a plain dark fruitcake into the loved-by-all Brits, well most of them, 

Christmas Cake, and everyone's Mum hoped to win the title "Best Fruitcake'

 in the family or neighborhood!

Sugar overloads were never a concern when baking for Christmas back

 in those days!  I guess we were better at pulling on our wellies and

 mackintoshes and "walking it off" after a slap-up meal, heading up the

 sodden country lanes in rain and wind, but rarely snow down south in Devon.

With no central heating it was always chilly in the house unless you

sat close to the hearth, so a little extra fat was needed to stay warm

in that damp climate.

At dinner on the 25th there was always the steamed Christmas Pudding 

(or plum pudding), topped with brandy butter or clotted cream, or a

 pour-over of rich, hot vanilla custard. . . . . after being doused in more

 brandy and set alight, often a bit scary!  A good portion of sugar and fat

in the Christmas 'pud', but nobody talked about calories or passed 

up at least a small portion that I recall!

For me, those childhood Christmases were the best - the ones revolving 

around hours in the kitchen learning from Mum how to put on a real

 traditional Christmas year after year.

So, are you eating leftovers or planning to bake again for New Year's Eve?

Once again, due to COVID, sadly there will be no 'First Night '

celebration downtown here. We are left up to our own means to plan

 something. For us it won't be much. We'll most likely be here alone, 

nibbling good cheese and crackers and those Christmas leftovers, along

 with a bottle of Champagne as we watch something dramatic or 

criminal on the television!!!

New Year's Day?  Walking off the nibbles and bubbly, writing a plan

 for the coming months - but not really RESOLUTIONS, they are broken

 too easily - and still hoping for at least a dusting of snow sometime 

before winter is over.

Staying home might take up much of our time in the coming few

months, but definitely hoping for travel possibilities come spring!