Retro Christmas Mince Meat Ad & Chocolate Mincemeat Pie Recipe

There's something very odd about the notion of mincemeat pie, albeit, it's all in the name. For many Mincemeat Pie is a holiday tradition. I saw this Retro Advertisement with a tip from Elsie, the Borden Cow, and I just had to post it. Too Funny! So here's a little history on Mincemeat Pies--and a recipe for individual Chocolate Mincemeat Pies!

What exactly is mince meat? Mincemeat (one word or two) is a mixture of currants, raisins, sugar, apples, candied citrus peel, spices, and suet, typically baked in a pie.

History of Mincemeat from: Whatscookingamerica.net

Mincemeat developed as a way of preserving meat without salting or smoking some 500 years ago in England, where mince pies are still considered an essential accompaniment to holiday dinners just like the traditional plum pudding. This pie is a remnant of a medieval tradition of spiced meat dishes, usually minced mutton, that have survived because of its association with Christmas. These pies have also been known as Christmas Pies. Mince pie as part of the Christmas table had long been an English custom. Today, we are accustomed to eating mince pie as a dessert, but actually "minced" pie and its follow-up "mincemeat pie" began as a main course dish with with more meat than fruit (a mixture of meat, dried fruits, and spices). As fruits and spices became more plentiful in the 17th century, the spiciness of the pies increased accordingly. Read more HERE.

And what's a chocolate blog without chocolate? Here's a great recipe from the BBC for individual Chocolate Mincemeat Pies.

CHOCOLATE MINCEMEAT PIES

Ingredients
280g/10 oz plain flour, sifted
125g/4½ oz icing sugar, sifted (powdered/confectioners sugar)
50g/2 oz cocoa powder, sifted
pinch salt
200g/7 oz cold butter, diced
2 free-range egg yolks
500g/1 lb 2oz ready-made mincemeat
2 clementines, zest and juice
2 tbsp milk
1 free-range egg, beaten

Directions
Mix flour, icing sugar, cocoa powder and salt together in a bowl. Mix in butter with fingertips until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in egg until the mixture comes together in clumps (you may need to a little cold water).
Knead the dough briefly until smooth, wrap in plastic wrap and leave to chill in refrigerator for one hour.
Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Mix mincemeat, clementine zest and juice together in a bowl.
Remove pastry from fridge, and roll out to thickness of 0.5cm/¼in.
Using a 7.5cm/3in fluted cutter, stamp out 12 discs from the pastry and use them to line a 12-hole bun tin.
Fill each hole with two teaspoons of mincemeat mixture and brush edges with a little milk.
Using a 6cm/2½in fluted cutter, cut out 12 circles and use them to top the mince pies, pressing the edges together with your fingertips.
Re-roll any remaining pastry and cut our snowflakes or star shapes to decorate the top.
Brush top of each mince pie with beaten egg and gently place the decorations on top, then brush again with egg.
Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked through.