Mincemeat

This recipe is for the mince itself. Use it in a pie (or little individual tarts) or in Christmas Bars, below, from Grace's box.

Yes, mincemeat used to include actual meat, minced or ground. Cross-rib is also called shoulder roast or arm roast. It used to be the first choice for pot roast because it is more tender than chuck roast (which you can use if you can't find cross-rib). Store-bought mincemeat is only fruit and spices, and it works just fine.

• 2 pounds currants
• 2 pounds raisins
• 2 pounds beef suet
• 2 pounds beef (crossrib)
• 2 ounces lemon peel
• 4 pounds apples
• 2 pounds sugar
• 3 nutmegs
• 3 lemons

Chop meat, fruit, suet, peel and lemons through meat chopper. Mix with a wooden spoon. Add wine and whiskey (rye) or cognac.

Jill adds: Joy of Cooking says to put the mince in sterile jars, add the wine or liquor to fill in the spaces and age 2 weeks. To make a pie, bake in an unbaked pie shell for 10 minutes at 450°F, then 30 minutes at 350°F.

I asked, "Why a wooden spoon, when it’s been through a metal chopper?" Great-Grammy answered, "Old time folks did use a wooden spoon very often. I still do for mixing cake batter or gravy—but I don't know why. Probably wooden spoons do not bruise or cut into things—they seem gentler to me. And I have Nana’s that I believe she brought with her from Germany." (Nana is my great-grandmother, Ida Klotz.) My wooden spoon doesn't come from anywhere special, but it does feel better in the hand than any metal utensil.

Christmas Bars

Makes 24 to 36, depending on how big you cut them.

• 2 cups unsifted flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 27-ounce jar mincemeat
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Add oil and milk, stirring until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of mix.

Press the remaining mixture into a 13 x 9 inch pan. Top with mincemeat. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture and the nuts evenly over the top.

Bake 30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.