Please don’t judge me.
My pal Mary and I have already made our six dozen 2013 Christmas mincemeat tarts.
Yes, I know it’s over seven weeks to Christmas and no, I won’t be spending the next two months constantly posting about all things Christmas.
Allow me to explain the why’s and how’s of the early creation of the mincemeat tarts.
I first met Mary in 1988 through her husband Dave, my late husband’s best friend since grade five. It quickly became obvious that the only way to get to know each other was when the two chatty chaps weren’t around. So we arranged to meet one night for drinks.
I learned many things that night. Key amongst them were the facts that Mary was originally from Sheffield England and that she’d always been keen to travel. It was her comment that she took a position overseas as a nanny to two children “out by UBC” that snagged my attention.
Having grown up right beside the University of British Columbia, I was curious to learn if I knew her employers.
“What was the street name, Mary?”
Her ” Wesbrook Crescent” stopped me cold.
Her answer to my “What was the address?” revealed an astonishing truth. Her employers had bought their house from my parents. Mary had worked and lived in the very same house I grew up in. She’d even slept in my bedroom; a fact confirmed by her simple description of it being “the one with the sink.” Our friendship was sealed.
I first tasted her mincemeat tarts that Christmas. They were the best I’d ever tasted. Flaky, warm, with just the right amount of rum. Pure heaven.
Fast forward 13 years and two kids each later to my innocent request for the recipe for those delicious mincemeat tarts. The tradition of the Mary/Kelly joint Christmas baking was born.
As our children grew and changed, so too did our repertoire. Initially we were a baking factory. Over the course of a day we’d churn out not only the mincemeat tarts, but also regular shortbread and lemon and orange shortbread cookies. Round two saw the creation of mocha shortbread and the making of the Christmas cakes.
We gradually winnowed it down to just the mincemeat tarts. With both of us stick handling busy schedules and lives it was simpler to do the other baking on our own.
This year with my two away and my schedule dramatically looser, we were able to create these gems on a “school night.” With Mary travelling in November, we settled for a date in late October.
We now have the making of the mincemeat tarts down to a fine art. With the experience of 12 joint Christmas baking years comes a certain understanding, both in terms of our roles and in terms of how we communicate.
Prior to getting together one of us purchases the mincemeat at the culinary wonder that is Galloway’s. Rum is introduced, in copious amounts.
Mincemeat tart day begins with the crafting and rolling out of the pastry. Mary, the pastry Queen, always takes on this task.
My job is to spoon in the mincemeat …
… and wet the tops prior to placement. I then crimp two small holes in the tops using scissors.
It is over the course of the creation that the other acquired understanding occurs. Mary, a perfectionist, is the soul of patience. I’ve learned to translate her commentary.
“Kelly, pastry is best when lightly handled” means “Quit fiddling with it. Just press the shells in lightly and be done with it.”
“Remember how that one year when the mincemeat overflowed and the pans were hellish to wash?” translates to “You’re filling them too full.”
And finally, “Are those new scissors working for you?” is really “Some of last year’s crimp holes were a bit sloppy. Be careful.”
Bless you, Mary. Our lives are such that we rarely see each other over the course of a year. I treasure our Christmas baking time together and wouldn’t miss it for the world.
The cooling of the 2013 batch.
My allotment nestled in wax paper and boxed in Tupperware prior to being placed in the freezer until a few days before Christmas.
Surely we are not the only ones who’ve already started the festive baking? Come clean with your baking efforts. I promise I won’t tell.
20 Responses
What a great story of friendship and how it changes, grows, and endures across time. Makes me miss my mom and being able to bake with her for the holidays.
Thank you Minette. I’m sorry you are no longer able to bake with your mom. I’d offer you a cup of tea and some mincemeat tarts if you lived nearby!
Wow, what a connection! Such an amazing story of syncronicity PLUS your husbands were best friends? really? Kismet. I just love how best friends always know the right way to suggest change. Lovely, isn’t it?
It is lovely Amy. Thanks for reading.
Sounds like the perfect friendship. My mouth is watering at the thought of warm mince pies! There’s no way I could bake them and not eat them straight away. I’m off to raid the cake tin right now…
Hahahaha! Happy you have something in that cake tin, Helen. I have those mincemeat tarts buried deeply in the freezer. Of course, I have the dentist on speed dial…
Oh my, my mouth is watering, those look delicious ! What a lovely story of friendship and tradition. I am in awe that you have started your Christmas baking, mine is only in my head at the moment !
Well it’s Mary’s gentle nudging that got these gems baked so early Jane. Truly. Not only is she the Pastry Queen (flaky, yummy pastry every time!!!) but she is also the Organizational Queen too. I think she booked the date in August.
Oh my I’ve never heard of these treats before. I’m going to have to look this up! While I’m a big person against starting Christmas too early (I have neighbors with decorations in their yards already) I think to have a relationship and tradition like that is really inspiring. Being a newlywed, the idea of starting so many great traditions like this warms my heart.
Congratulations on your recent marriage! That’s fantastic.
These gems are of British heritage. I find you either really like them or you don’t. Give them a whirl – I highly recommend buying the mincemeat if you can, especially the first time. Huge timesaver.
I love how you have so many cool traditions with friends and family. It’s just so lovely! I’ve never had mincemeat tarts, but after hearing about this story and seeing them made, I sure wish I had one (or 20). I honestly don’t think anything I bake is worthy of a big tradition or being frozen. My baking efforts are usually tolerated at best and then thrown out. 😀 –Lisa
It’s all about the practice Lisa. Had I made these puppies on my own originally – oh boy, I can bet they wouldn’t have seen daylight. Ever. It was great sous cheffing with a pro, let me tell you. Sorry you don’t live nearby. I’d have you over for tea and 10 (or 20). They also pair nicely with a lovely, earthy red wine …
That is an unbelievable coincidence!! Wow! You two were meant to be lifelong friends for sure! I love it. Absolutely love it.
I’ve never ever had mincemeat tarts but I’d try them in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity. Yours look soooo yummy!
I’m not much of a cook but I must say, the holidays bring out the baker in me. Nothing extravagant, just cookies and sometimes pies. Every once and a while I’ll try new things. But I do love the smell of something sweet warming up the kitchen over the winter. 🙂
Pies – now they’re always tricky for me. Can go either way with the pastry. Never had a mincemeat tart? Ohhhh I wish you lived next door. I’d fire them at you. No, not over the fence but over a glass or two.
What a mind blowing story. These kinds of coincidences seal my faith in the fact that “meant to be” exists. As for the tarts? It’s going to be hard to erase those images and descriptions from my hungry brain. They looks amazing.
I know right? I, too am a believer in the “meant to be.” The tarts are quite something Katia. Happily they love the freezer and warm up to “just baked” perfection when re-emerging in December. The trick is to forget that they are currently in the freezer …
Thank you Kelly!! This is a close reminder to me of a friend of mine that is no longer here. I wrote a blog post about my love of cherries and the fond memories of how the two of us would walk miles to purchase them when we were kids. It’s going to be her birthday soon, and I was thinking about her. That is probably what made we want to check out your article. I do not bake for the holidays….at all. 🙂 Enjoy your creations they look positively wonderful.
I’m sorry to learn about the loss of your friend Kelli. That is so hard. What a wonderful memory of you and her walking miles to purchase cherries. Thank you for sharing that.
What a fun tradition – and such a great story of how you and your friend met! I haven’t started Christmas baking yet – but if I did it wouldn’t last in my house till Christmas eve – even if I put it in the freezer!
Oh I hear you Susan. Last year I made a couple of batches of chocolate chip cookies while my two were still away at college. Buried them in the freezer. Not a day or two after they both got home I caught them clutching the ziplock bags eating them frozen. Perhaps I should use a neighbor’s freezer this year. Preferably one without kids…