Page 84 - United States of Pie

Homemade Mincemeat Pie

Traditional mincemeat is a dark, sweet paste made of dried fruit,
warm spices, oftentimes brandy or some other type of liquor, and
meat—either beef, venison, or, at the very least, beef suet, the type
of fat typically found around the loins and kidneys of a cow.
Mincemeat is an old food—early recipes date to the late Middle

Ages, when cooking meat in spirits was a useful method of
preserving. English settlers brought mincemeat to the American
colonies, and though it was still popular through the early twentieth
century, few Americans eat real mincemeat today, and even fewer
make it themselves. You might find jarred mincemeat in the baking
aisle of a supermarket—it’s usually lurking on a bottom shelf next to
the canned cherry and apple pie filling. See that jar of deep brown

filling? The one that looks like lumpy gravy? That’s the stuff I’m
talking about. Mincemeat is a lot like fruitcake—great when
homemade, but the store-bought variety leaves much to be desired.
My recipe makes a delicious traditional-tasting mincemeat while
maintaining a meatless list of ingredients, and will have each of your
diners asking for another slice.

1 recipe Standard Pie Dough or
Sour Cream Pie Dough

One 8-ounce jar homemade mincemeat (recipe follows)

Optional
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon turbinado or sanding sugar

Preheat the oven to 425°F.