Mincemeat Tart

Mincemeat Tarts are large (8 inch (20cm) diameter or more) open pastry tarts, sometimes with a lattice pastry top, and occasionally also containing baked or stewed apple. The smaller pastry topped tarts traditionally served at Christmas are known as Mince Pies.

March 21, 2019
Muddy Waters Muddy Waters

Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices, and often beef suet, usually used as a pie or pastry filling. Mincemeat formerly contained meat, notably beef or venison. Many modern recipes replace the suet with vegetable shortening. Mincemeat is found in the Anglosphere.

Mincemeat Tarts are large (8 inch (20cm) diameter or more) open pastry tarts, sometimes with a lattice pastry top, and occasionally also containing baked or stewed apple. The smaller pastry topped tarts traditionally served at Christmas are known as Mince Pies.

Traditional British Mince Pies are made using shortcrust pastry - have a look at our Mince Pie recipe (PDF).

Etymology

The "mince" in mincemeat comes from the Middle English mincen, and the Old French mincier both traceable to the Vulgar Latin minutiare, meaning chop finely. The word mincemeat is an adaptation of an earlier term minced meat, meaning finely chopped meat. Meat was also a term for food in general, not only animal flesh.

Recipe:

Traditional British Mince Pies recipe

Mincemeat ingredients

For 4½ pints (2.25 liters):

And a bit of brandy or rum if desired (recommended: ½ cup, 120 mL) , as well as 1tbsp of salt.

Additional ingredients for assembly:

Procedure

Cooking times and temperatures:
Oven °F °C Cooking time
Gas 400 210 18 min
Electric 425 220 20 min
Fan 375 200 16 min

Expected yield:

Yield Instructions
1 large tart

Use amounts as-is
2 small tarts

Use amounts as-is
8 small mincemeat pies

Use amounts as-is
16 small mincemeat pies

1.5x all amounts

Mincemeat

  • Wash and dry currants. Set aside.

  • Put citron, orange peel, lemon rind, raisins, apples, and suet through a meat grinder using the course grinder blade.

  • Mix in the currants, brandy, and spices.

  • Store in a tightly covered plastic container in the refrigerator (do not freeze) for up to one year.

Assembly

  • Let the pastry warm slightly to almost room temperature. Place on a floured cutting board and roll it out as necessary.

  • Use a doughnut cutter with the center removed or a 2½ inch round cookie cutter to cut out tart shells. Gently press into 1½ inch (4 cm) tart pans.

  • Fill shells with mincemeat and top with a 1 inch (2.5 cm) round piece of pastry cut with the doughnut hole cutter. For added decoration, cut or press a design into the 1 inch pastry round before placing in the center of the filled tart.

  • Lightly brush the pastry lids with milk, or a mixture of milk and beaten egg.

  • Bake at the needed temperature for approximately 20 mins or until pastry is lightly browned at the edges.

  • Allow to cool on a wire rack, and dust with icing sugar.

Notes, tips, and variations

  • If you don't want to make your own pastry, store-bought pie crust will work well.
  • Candied orange peel and citron can be found in most markets around Thanksgiving.
  • Suet is pure beef fat and can be obtained from a butcher (they will grind it on request.) Vegetarians can substitute a solid vegetable fat such as Pura Vegetable Suet.
  • People wanting a more alcoholic kick to their Mince Pie may also want to inject them with a little extra Brandy.