Mince Pie

I  have been told on good authority (my British husband!) that this recipe tastes just like an authentic British mince pie: absolutely essential for the holidays. This is a "mock" mince recipe; that is, there is no actual minced MEAT in it. (Don't laugh; there used to be real meat in mincemeat, and even after that was no longer fashionable, chopped beef tallow was an essential ingredient!) Mine consists mostly of apples and raisins; it is the spices which give mince pie its unique flavor.
The filling recipe is adapted from an ancient edition of Joy of Cooking; the crust recipe is my old stand-by of many years.
Makes 1 lattice-crust 9" pie.


Ingredients for filling:
1 1/2 cups raisins or dried currants
4 large apples
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 cup white sugar
Generous 1/2 tsp. each cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice (or mace)
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 TBS chopped candied citron
1 TBS chopped candied orange peel (arancini)
1 TBS brandy
2-3 TBS crushed soda crackers

How to make it:
If the raisins are large, snip them in half with a scissors.
Pare, core and coarsely chop the apples.
In a stovepot, combine the apples and raisins; add the orange juice and rind, apple cider and sugar.
Bring to a low boil, lower heat, cover and simmer until fruit is soft (about 10 minutes).
Remove from heat; stir in spices, walnuts, candied fruit and brandy until well combined.
Add enough of the soda crackers to thicken the filling without making it solid.
Set aside to cool while making the crust.

Ingredients for pie crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cold lard
1/3 cup cold vegetable shortening (If you object to lard, use 2/3 cup shortening; but I guarantee you, lard will make the crust flakier and much tastier, and you don't taste it!)
2 TBS cold unsalted butter
3-4 TBS very cold water

How to make it:
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together.
Cut the lard, shortening and butter into this mixture with a pastry cutter, 2 knives, or use a food processor. The bits should be the size of oatmeal flakes when done.
Add just enough water to allow the dough to form a ball.
Wrap in clear plastic wrap and chill for at least 1/2 hour.

Assembly and baking the pie:
Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
Divide the chilled dough into 2 pieces, one a bit larger than the other.
Roll the larger piece out on a floured surface to fit a 9" pie pan (glass is best for even browning).
Line the pie pan, leaving an overlap of at least 1" on the edges.
Fill this with the cooled mince.
Roll the other piece out, a bit thicker, to 9" and cut into 1" strips.
Layer these strips carefully over the filling in a criss-cross pattern.
Fold the edges of the crust over the ends of the strips and seal well, crimping into a decorative pattern.
Bake at high heat for 10 minutes; then turn the oven down to 350°F/175°C and continue baking for another 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
Cool on a rack.
Will keep stored at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Alternatively, you can make 12 Mince Tarts:
Roll all the dough out at once.
Cut 12 circles large enough to fit into muffin tins, and 12 stars just big enough for the edges to touch the sides of the tins, re-rolling scraps if necessary.
Line 12 muffin cups with dough and divide filling evenly among them.
Lay 1 star on top of each and crimp the edges.
Bake as above, but probably for not quite as long; keep checking.
Carefully remove from tins to cool on a rack.