What is mincemeat? This sweet holiday dessert is different than it sounds — here's how to make it.

There are certain foods constantly associated with the holiday season. Depending on the tradition and the part of the world, this may be anything from eggnog to fruitcake. But for centuries, many traditions have included mincemeat pie.

To understand mincemeat pie, it's a good idea to get a grasp of mincemeat itself. Mincemeat for mince pies refers to the sweet and savory mixture of ingredients used to make these legendary British pies, enjoyed at the holidays. "The term mince is derived from the Latin word minitus meaning small and has no correlation to the British term for ground meat, mince meat," says Barry Tonkinson, vice president of culinary operations at the Institute of Culinary Education.

The actual pies themselves may sound rather similar in form to the traditional fruitcake, with a few notable exceptions. "The pies, which are usually wrapped and topped in pastry, are filled with a boozy concoction of dried fruits, often including raisins and candied citrus peel and brandy or whiskey along with seasonally common spices such as all spice, cinnamon and clove," says Tonkinson, who explains the mixture is left to marinate, often for many months to develop flavor and provide a moist texture once the pies are cooked. Once fully matured, a pastry shell is filled with the mixture, topped with a pastry lid and baked until golden. The pies are sprinkled with icing sugar and are then ready to be served.

Mincemeat though has a surprisingly storied history. Brian Earl, the author of Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions, penned an entire chapter about mincemeat and mince pies. Fun facts: They were once thought to cause hallucinations and nightmares, a man once blamed mince pies for him shooting his wife and canned mince pie filling was popular during Prohibition because of its high alcohol content. That's a lot going on for any holiday recipe.

"Yes! Mincemeat pie," says chef Frank McClelland, a chef and owner of Frank in Beverly, Mass. who is credited with pioneering the farm-to-table movement in New England in the ’80s. "As a boy I couldn't get enough of this sweet fruit and protein-rich food, it helped me grow strong in bone and spirit."

"Mostly consumed in the autumn and the December holidays," adds McClelland, who speaks of a mincemeat pie made mostly from venison from the hills of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. "It came from our own supplies, put up in open season, and from friends sharing gifts and their particular recipe. This is an ancient way of preserving meat."

Whether your preferred mincemeat recipe contains meat or not, it's often enjoyed as a shelf-stable dish. Here, meat and fruits are preserved by the addition of alcoholic spirits rather than other methods, such as pickling, salting or smoking. This alcohol, much like in fruitcake, can be anything you have on hand or enjoy, from brandy or sherry to rum or bourbon. Whatever you choose, it will preserve the meat but will also break it down and help to make it tender. Then, just pack it up nicely and get ready to enjoy it for the holidays.

Want to make your own mincemeat pie? ICE chef Rory Macdonald shares his recipe.

Mince Pie

Courtesy of Rory MacDonald, ICE

Ingredients:

• 175 grams raisins (about 6 ounces)

• 175 grams golden raisins (about 6 ounces)

• 120 grams mixed candied peel, finely diced (about 4 ¼ ounces)

• 10 tablespoons brandy

• 150 grams vegetable shortening or beef suet, shredded (about 5 ⅓ ounces)

• 140 grams dark brown sugar (about 5 ounces)

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1 teaspoon ground clove

• 1 apple (ICE recommends the Bramley variety)

• 1 lemon

• 1 pink grapefruit

For the pastry:

• 350 grams all-purpose flour (about ¾ of a pound)

• 250 grams salted butter (about 9 ounces)

• 125 grams white sugar (about 4.4 ounces)

• 2 large eggs

Instructions:

1. For the pastry, chop the cold butter into small cubes, place the flour into a large bowl and, using your hands, rub together flour and butter to create a fine crumb-like texture.

2. Add the sugar and the beaten egg and mix until it comes together to a ball (additional flour may be needed). Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least one hour.

3. Peel and coarsely grate the apple, place in a large bowl.

4. Zest the peel of the pink grapefruit and squeeze out the juice. Add to the apple.

5. Add the rest of the ingredients and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 2-3 days. If you are making this a few months out (which is ideal) add 1 tablespoon of brandy every 7-10 days and keep stored in the fridge. This is not imperative, but the mincemeat will get a much deeper and more developed flavor the longer it has to mature.

6. Roll out the pastry, cut out 3 ½-inch discs and line a small muffin tin (2 1/2-inch diameter). Fill each cavity with the prepared mince pie filling to the top and cover with a 2 ½-inch pastry disc. Make a small incision to allow steam to release while cooking. Brush with egg wash from the second egg.

7. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes until the pastry has cooked and is a golden color. Allow to cool in the muffin tin and then turn out onto a cooling rack, dust with powdered sugar and serve.

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