Mince Pie Central
After several weeks of deliberation, and more than a little procrastination, I decided that the lounge room coffee table would be Mince Pie Central this year.
The back porch table would have been better, as it's larger and of a more suitable height.
The back porch however is quite windy most days, and while that's often a good thing, it's not really suitable to be making mince pies there while the wind is blowing dust and leaves in and out.
So the coffee table was thoroughly washed down, (and dried) and that's where I knelt on the floor to roll out pastry and cut the little rounds for bases and lids.
In spite of the house being breezy and cool from the wind, it did get quite warm in there as I rolled, cut and filled those tiny pies. Part of that heat was filtering in from the kitchen where the oven was heating up ready for the baking.
My hat goes off to the early settlers putting up with baking on a daily basis, with a wood oven constantly going, in our dreadful summer heat.
No airconditioning back then, unless you opened a window so the flies could come in.
They did it so much tougher than we do now.
By the time the first batch was done, (2 dozen), I'd had enough and called it quits.
I'll be making another batch later in the week to take out to no-one and the boy.
This first batch? All mine baby!!
I'm just kidding. They're going to work to be shared with my friends.
The back porch table would have been better, as it's larger and of a more suitable height.
The back porch however is quite windy most days, and while that's often a good thing, it's not really suitable to be making mince pies there while the wind is blowing dust and leaves in and out.
So the coffee table was thoroughly washed down, (and dried) and that's where I knelt on the floor to roll out pastry and cut the little rounds for bases and lids.
In spite of the house being breezy and cool from the wind, it did get quite warm in there as I rolled, cut and filled those tiny pies. Part of that heat was filtering in from the kitchen where the oven was heating up ready for the baking.
My hat goes off to the early settlers putting up with baking on a daily basis, with a wood oven constantly going, in our dreadful summer heat.
No airconditioning back then, unless you opened a window so the flies could come in.
They did it so much tougher than we do now.
By the time the first batch was done, (2 dozen), I'd had enough and called it quits.
I'll be making another batch later in the week to take out to no-one and the boy.
This first batch? All mine baby!!
I'm just kidding. They're going to work to be shared with my friends.
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You are far more ambitious than I am.
ReplyDeleteWow. Cakes I make, but I have chickened out on mince pies for quite a few years now. Do you make your own pastry too?
ReplyDeleteYay mince pies! I'll give you some home made tomato sauce as a swap.
ReplyDeleteyummy!! the one and only time I made mince pies, my exes family spat them out in disgust. Seems they were expecting MINCE.
ReplyDeleteYummmy mince pies i can just smell the aroma from here :-).
ReplyDeleteDelores; I've made my own mince pies for several years now. They're far better than store bought.
ReplyDeleteEC; Absolutely I make my own pastry! The pre-made stuff is just awful in my opinion.
no-one; thanks, I'm looking forward to tasting it.
Toni; I think a lot of people expect meat mince and are surprised to find out that Christmas pies are fruit mince. maybe you should have warned them, then maybe they still wouldn't like them.....
Windsmoke; they did smell nice while baking.
You are so right about pastry. Though I don't make puff or phyllo pastries. A good shortcrust one though.
ReplyDeleteThe short story is that it's usually cheaper and easier to buy stuff like this instead of going to all that hassle. Wonderful that a few of you die hards are keeping on making your own though
ReplyDeleteWhere are the PHOTOS, River? Visuals, I need visuals baby!
ReplyDeleteEC; I used to make puff pastry to top the meat pies with, but I've never made phyllo. I just don't have a use for it.
ReplyDeleteTempo; it is easier and cheaper to buy, but if you want something that has actual taste, and good texture, home made is the way to go.
Kath Lockett; I thought about taking photos, but my hands were floury and....anyway, check my archives for November 7th last year, there's mince pie photos there. Of course this year's batch is prettier, no burnt ones. I'll be making more on Friday, I could get the camera out for that batch....