Recipe: Muslim mince pies

I put a crescent moon on top, to represent Islam. Islam, strangely, considering some of the oppressive attitudes to women, is a very feminine religion. It follows the lunar calendar rather than our solar calendar. Much of the architecture is also feminine, think of the Taj Mahal, a monument to a woman, and the way that all the beauty and secrets of a typically Islamic building are hidden, with the emphasis on the interior as well as the exterior (the courtyards, the mihrabs or niches, domes and cupolas, all reflect the female form).

In art history, the moon, darkness and the left hand side, is considered sinister (la sinistra is Italian for left) and therefore feminine. We are also suspicious of the number 13 in our culture, possibly because it is associated once more with the feminine, with witchcraft, with scary female power: there are 13 moons in a year.

Until recently I never liked mince pies until I started making them myself. This has become my philosophy about food: stuff I think I don’t like is transformed and refreshed when home-made.

You can mix and match your mincemeat recipe; although getting the ingredients below will give it an unusual Middle Eastern influence, also feel free to just shove in whatever is lurking in your cupboard, dried fruit wise. The saffron is pretty fabulous as a flavour, both musky and floral, ( I find I’m putting saffron into everything at the moment), and adding some sour fruit also prevents it from being too heavy and sweet.
Any leftovers just keep in a jar in the fridge for the next batch.

Muslim Mince Pies Recipe

Makes 12

Icing sugar

Mince filling

200g Medjool dates, pitted

30g Barberries (lovely and sour, available from Persepolis)

50g Sour Cherries (again available from Persepolis)

50g Pine Nuts
50g Slivered Almonds
30g Slivered Green Pistachios (optional) (from Persepolis) ( I didn’t this time but I think it’d be nice)

A big pinch of Saffron, ground in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of sugar

100g Raisins soaked in Sherry (skip the sherry if you are Muslim)

100g Dried Blueberries
10og Candied Orange/Lemon/Lime Peel (but this must be home-made or of good quality otherwise it tastes horrible)
75g Grated Butter
Zest of a Lemon
A pinch of All Spice, ground
A pinch of Cloves, ground
1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
A grating of Nutmeg
A pinch of Salt