What is something you associate with Christmas besides Santa and presents? Did you say snow? The proverbial White Christmas. It is in the songs, the movies, the decorations, and cards everywhere! Well, not everywhere. Did you know that NOAA has an official definition of White Christmas? A must is at least 1 inch of snow on the ground. On average, this occurs in about 38% of the contiguous US. When Robyn and her husband, Steve, moved to Michigan, they thought they would always have a White Christmas. Their first Christmas there was 60 degrees and sunny. A perfectly lovely day—if it were Easter. When Easter rolled around, they were knee deep in snow.
So, we may not have the weather we want but, we can have the food we associate with Christmas. For Robyn, there must be a mincemeat pie. Medieval versions had a lot more meat than our readymade versions. Robyn insists on one brand only, Nonesuch Mincemeat. So much so that she had a friend in West Virginia ship her several jars when it suddenly became unavailable in Alabama. This pie could not be any simpler. A Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust and a jar of Nonesuch Mincemeat. Robyn admits that she is a lousy pie crust maker.
Place a crust in your pie pan, empty the jar of mincemeat into the crust, and top with the other crust. Use an egg wash for a lovely golden brown. Place a couple of slits in the top crust to let the steam out. Bake at 375° for about 50 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.
Savor that first bite and watch those Christmas memories come flying back. Gather your loved ones, keep traditions alive, and start new ones.
Merry Christmas wherever you may be.
Robyn's Christmas Mincemeat Pie
Serves 8
Ingredients- 1 jar Nonesuch Mincemeat (condensed)
- 1 package Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts (2 crusts)
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Whipped cream, for serving
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Unroll one pie crust and press it into a 9-inch pie pan. Empty the entire jar of Nonesuch Mincemeat into the crust and spread evenly.
Unroll the second crust and place it over the filling. Crimp the edges to seal, then brush the top crust with the beaten egg for a golden finish. Cut a couple of slits in the top crust to let the steam escape.
Bake at 375°F for about 50 minutes, or until the crust is a lovely golden brown. Let cool slightly. Serve warm with a generous dollop of whipped cream.