Simplicity Coimbatore , Mince pies are delightful
Ever since I was a little girl , old enough to read a story on my own ,I have had a fascination for pies. The pictures showing the golden dome of flaky pastry filled with the promise of delicious ingredients was, for me ,the most extravagant of treats. Despite being treated to incredibly tasty western fare made by my mother ,at home, when we were children, the pie was always a rare treat. My mother constantly admitted to being intimidated at the thought of making short crust pastry and subconsciously, I realised later, that I was too !
This year’s Christmas food gifts contained a box of mince pies. These mince pies are so festive and are traditionally made for the December holidays. Those of us familiar with mince pies know what the filling is made of. However we have all had that initial moment of doubt if the filling ,as the name suggested, was made up of meat or not. I remember learning very young that a Christmas “mincemeat pie” was in fact one that was filled with raisins, currants ,sultanas with the addition of warming spices like cinnamon, clove ,nutmeg and on occasion candied ginger.
The reason these pies are referred to as mincemeat pies is because they originally were made of minced lamb. Sometime around the 18th century with religious ideals taking different paths, the traditional mincemeat pie and it’s symbolism of using 13 ingredients began to undergo a change. With fruit and spices becoming increasingly popular they were added to these pies and soon the meat was completely replaced by fruit cooked in suet and spices. The name however stuck and today a mince pie or a mincemeat pie at Christmas is a sweet treat,made using butter instead of lard.
Home made mince pies contain fresh as well as dried fruit depending on what the family likes. Last of the season’s apples ,orange segments , almond meal ,raisins, prunes , dates ;all finely chopped (minced) are mixed with a variety of spices to make a flavourful ,well rounded filling. Black pepper is another spice which is added this time of year to ward off the seasonal chills. A combination of one or many of these ingredients are used for making these fruity mince pies. A home made pie is usually consumed withing two days unlike the commercial mince pies which last for upto a week refrigerated or at room temperature depending on the preservatives used.
Jams, preserves and marmalades are also at times added to give a more dessert like feel to these mince pies. Chefs like to fancy it up by serving warm mince pies with a cold artisanal icecream. Some recipes use rum and brandy to infuse the fruit ,giving it a boozy depth of flavour.
Mince pies are usually made in smaller sizes to fit individual serving options. The pastry at the top is either cut out to resemble a star and then placed on top before baking or a little star cutter is used to make an opening at the centre.It’s so lovely to see food with festive motifs, adds so much cheer.
While speaking to Chef .Ajeeth Janardhanan (head chef) at The Residency hotel,Coimbatore ,he was most enthusiastic about getting into the holiday baking spirit. His generosity with food and ingredients is an extension of his passion to serve good food.So the bakery at Residency (Krave) showcased mince pies large enough to feed a huge family gathering. It truly embodied the spirit of the season of spending time with family and friends while indulging in special treats !
The mince pies made at Residency were just right in every way. If we had a pie contest to grade on paper ,with tick boxes for every category , each square would feature a large swoosh! Crumbly pastry baked to a golden deliciousness, light mouth feel , dried fruit with just enough sweetness cooked to impart that wonderful chewy almost jam like consistency; all came together beautifully. They nailed it to perfection. When I mentioned to the Chef that we ‘hoped’ this recipe would be followed exactly to achieve just as perfect a pie the next time ,he came back with a “don’t we all live on hope”! A sense of humour is no doubt vital in the food business.
So for those of you who would like to try out these delicious mince pies made right here in Coimbatore , do check out ,the Residency hotel as well as Bakeroe where mince pies are being made on order. Do give them a day’s notice to make the pies.
A mince pie served warm with the aroma of the baked flour, spices and fruit tastes best only at this time of year. The chill in the air ,with the sun playing peek-a-boo from behind the clouds pushes the senses to yearn for a warm mug of creamy hot chocolate , a strong filter coffee, or a ginger tea.I can’t think of a better side to that than a wedge of this delicious mince pie. Happy holidays !
For mince pie orders ,contact;
Bakeroe :7200020073
Residency hotel, Krave (Patisserie) :0422-2241414 (small and large sizes are available)
Shanthini Rajkumar
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