Traditionally, holiday cookies conjure images in the mind of sugar cookie cutouts, slathered with unnatural icing and spiked with colored sugar. But there was a time when holiday desserts were more complex creations.
Filled with a sweet and savory mix of dried fruits, spices, sugar and animal fat inspired by Turkish sweetmeats, English mince pies appear every Christmas across the pond and have a history as rich as their filling.
 |
| chris mikesell / KA LAMAKUA You can use whatever spiced rum you like to make these mince cookies, but making your own takes some planning - a pint of rum, ten whole cloves and six cardamom pods left in a fridge for a couple of months makes an outstanding and unique spiced rum for baking. |
Englishman Sir Henry Ellis wrote, in his 1841 book “Observations of Popular Antiquities,” that the earliest recorded mention of mince pies in England dated back to the year 1651, describing their filling as “a most learned mixture of neat’s tongues, chicken, eggs, sugar, raisins, lemon and orange peel, (and) various kinds of spicery.”
While “neat’s tongue” is probably out of the comfort zones of most modern cooks, the theme of mixing sweet and savory is a delicious one to explore, and lard – pork fat – is the animal fat most compatible with sweet treatments. Just ask fans of chocolate-covered bacon.
You may have to warn your vegan and vegetarian friends about these cookies in advance, though, as their aroma and spicy flavor may entice even the most militant to dive right in.
English Mince Cookies
Ingredients:
12 ounces AND 3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 cups water
3/4 cup raisins
12 ounces lard (you can use butter, but it won’t be the same)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. brandy
1 1/2 tsp. spiced rum
2 eggs
14 ounces AP flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups water
3/4 cup raisins
12 ounces lard (you can use butter, but it won’t be the same)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. brandy
1 1/2 tsp. spiced rum
2 eggs
14 ounces AP flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Add the water and the raisins to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, add 3/4 cup of sugar and reduce until syrupy. Puree in a small food processor and set aside.
2) Cream the remaining 12 ounces of sugar into the lard in either a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Beat in the extract, brandy, rum and eggs until thoroughly combined. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, then at low speed integrate the flour mixture into the sugar mixture a few ounces at a time until thoroughly combined, making sure to scare down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
3) Once all of the flour mixture is integrated, add the raisin syrup puree and beat until thoroughly combined.
4) Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a foil lined sheet pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 12 minutes at 325°F, let cool for at least 2 minutes on the sheet pan before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Makes 4 dozen cookies.
2) Cream the remaining 12 ounces of sugar into the lard in either a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Beat in the extract, brandy, rum and eggs until thoroughly combined. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, then at low speed integrate the flour mixture into the sugar mixture a few ounces at a time until thoroughly combined, making sure to scare down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
3) Once all of the flour mixture is integrated, add the raisin syrup puree and beat until thoroughly combined.
4) Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a foil lined sheet pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 12 minutes at 325°F, let cool for at least 2 minutes on the sheet pan before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Makes 4 dozen cookies.
No comments:
Post a Comment