Mince Pies Royal is a traditional British recipe, based on Eliza Acton's recipe of 1845, for a classic Christmas dish of a rich shortcrust pastry base filled with mincemeat that's part-baked, topped with an egg white meringue and re-baked until the meringue is cooked. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Mince Pies Royal.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
This is a traditional British recipe redacted from Eliza Acton's 1845 volume Modern Cookery, the first classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
MINCE PIES ROYAL. (ENTREMETS.)
Add to half a pound of good mincemeat an ounce and a half of pounded sugar, the grated rind and the strained juice of a large lemon, one ounce of clarified butter, and the yolks of four eggs; beat these well together, and half fill, or rather more, with the mixture, some pattypans lined with fine paste; put them into a moderate oven, and when the insides are just set, ice them thickly with the whites of the eggs beaten to snow, and mixed quickly at the moment with four heaped tablespoonsful of pounded sugar; set them immediately into the oven again, and bake them slowly of a fine light brown.
Prepare the pastry then roll out until large enough to cover the base and sides of four pattypans. Use the pastry to line the tins then trim off the excess.
Mix together the mincemeat, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, clarified butter and egg yolks in a bowl. Use this mixture to half fill the pattypans then place on a baking tray and transfer to an oven pre-heated to 160°C. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the mincemeat mixture has just set then remove from the oven.
Add the egg yolks to a clean and dry bowl and whisk until it stands in firm peaks. Fold in the sugar then whisk the mixture once again until stiff and glossy.
Use this meringue to cover the top of the mince pies then return to the oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meringue is set and just golden brown on top.
