Christmas Pudding, Mince Pies, and Mulled Wine

There is a very serious tradition of eating Christmas pudding and mince pies during the month of December, and drinking mulled wine. I have been to 6 Christmas parties (yes, we all know the Irish love a reason to celebrate...) and the standard dessert is mince pie.

So what are these edible traditions?

Christmas pudding may also be referred to as "plum pudding" and comes from the British traditions. When Americans hear "pudding," we think of a custard-like substance--creamy and dairy-based. However, pudding here contains no dairy whatsoever, and is more like a cake/bready thing. It is a mixture of raisins, currants, sultanas, and other dried fruits, with some flour/bread that is steamed for 3+ hours, so that it thickens and all congeals together. It is eaten warm with a brandy cream sauce (which is incredibly tasty...).

Now then, mince pies... I kept hearing reference to mince pies and seeing it on invitations, but I was confused...for isn't mince like ground meat?? So I had images of shepherd's pie or something being served for dessert and did not find it appealing at all. However, in this context, the mincemeat filling (yes, it is even called that in recipes) consists of no meat at all, but rather minced ingredients: raisins, currants, sultanas, apples, orange rind, with cinnamon and spices placed inside individual shortbread pastry crusts, with crust on the top as well. These are actually quite nice on a cold winter evening (which begins at 4pm now...) with coffee or tea.

I was at an outdoor market and a man was selling homemade mince pies. I asked him what I was eating (before I knew the ingredients), and he replied "Tradition." Yes, this is a deeply accurate statement.

Mulled wine is red wine combined with spices and served warm, a nice complement to the mince pies at evening Christmas parties. Lots'o'cheer at this time of year!