These crumbly and decadent pies are Santa’s favorite treats, and Irish children leave them out on Christmas Eve for him to enjoy by the chimney, just as American kids leave cookies. My children always loved these, and they are always a large part of our Irish Christmas. Just as the name suggests, over the centuries the original recipe would have included meat as a filling, but today’s mince pies fillings have been transformed to festive dried winter fruits, citrus, nuts, and spices, or sweet mince pies. You may want to double up the pastry recipe!

Saint Nicholas Sweet Mince Pies

Makes 1–1½ dozen pies & 1½ pounds sweet mincemeat

Pastry Ingredients

9 ounces all-purpose flour
1 ounce powdered sugar
¼ cup ground almonds
½ teaspoon salt
6 ounces unsalted butter (or 3 ounces of margarine and 3 ounces butter)
½ tablespoon of egg yolk (beaten)
1½ to 2 tablespoons ice water
½ tablespoon lemon juice
6 ounces mincemeat (recipe below)
Powdered sugar (to sprinkle)

Sweet Mincemeat Ingredients

2 ounces currants
2 ounces raisins
2 ounces sultanas
2 ounces dried apricots (chopped)
2 ounces glazed cherries (chopped)
2 ounce fruit and peel mix
½ ounce chopped almonds
2 ounces soft brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½–1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons orange juice (plus the zest of one orange)
2 tablespoons of brandy
2 tablespoons of sherry

How to Make

1. To make the mincemeat, stir all the ingredients together in a large bowl. If made in advance it can be stored in sterilized jars for up to 2 months.
2. To make the mince pies preheat the oven to 425°F.
3. Combine the flour, salt, and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Add in the ground almonds. Rub in the butter and margarine until it resembles breadcrumbs.
4. Blend the egg yolk, lemon juice and the water together and gradually add to the dry ingredients, until just enough to hold together.
5. Turn the pastry on to a lightly floured board and knead lightly. Cover the pastry and put aside in the fridge to relax for at least an hour or overnight.
6. Roll out the pastry very thin and using a pastry cutter cut in to 2-inch rounds. Spoon 1 teaspoon of mincemeat on to half the rounds. Brush edges all around with cold water. Place another on top and press edges together. Prick with a fork.
7. Bake for about 9 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes and then place mince pies on a cooling rack.
8. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

[This recipe is included in A Return to Ireland: A Culinary Journey from America to Ireland by Judith McLoughlin]

Judith McLoughlin is an Irish chef and owner of a gourmet food business in Georgia called The Shamrock and Peach. Specializing in Irish cuisine, Judith has created her own unique food fusion by blending the techniques of her homeland with the newfound flavors of the South. Growing up in County Armagh in Northern Ireland and setting down roots in the South, over the past decade Judith has become one of the most recognized Irish faces and brands in Atlanta, throughout the American South and abroad. She regularly contributes to food columns in national newspapers and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic and leads numerous discovery tours from the U.S. to Ireland each year. Before A Return to Ireland, she published a cookbook entitled The Shamrock and Peach.