Comments on: Jane Austen and Christmas: Mrs Musgrove’s Pies(2)

By: myenglishcountrygarden

myenglishcountrygarden — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:12:46 +0000

I should think they were brought over to Australia by the British. And as regards staff, I always think Marianne Dashwood do is so lucky to move into that well run machine Delaford, for Mrs Jennings describes it as such a well run place

By: imogen88

imogen88 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:33:16 +0000

Yes, the importance of staff who knew what they were doing, and did it well, must have been paramount. Fantastic, Julie. We always have had mince pies here, and the tradition must have been brought by the British early migration, fascinating to learn the origins. I like them more now than when I was small, probably same for most children, maybe, not sure.

By: myenglishcountrygarden

myenglishcountrygarden — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:34:59 +0000

Thats exactly right_ staff were the equivalent of consumer status points like dishwashers,hoovers etc etc.I’ll be coming back to this when I get into my Emma marathon to coincide with the PBS showing of Emma in January

By: Cathy Allen

Cathy Allen — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:56:33 +0000

I was all but certain you’d know the answer. A good example of why even people as poor as Mrs. and Miss Bates had a maid!
Thank you, CEA

By: myenglishcountrygarden

myenglishcountrygarden — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:35:52 +0000

Take one sugar loaf( conical in shape and very hard).With sugar nips break into pieces. Then pound in a mortar with a pestle till you have the required consistency of sugar.Much harder work then putting it inot a food processor( early 19th century translation=cookery maid!)

By: Cathy Allen

Cathy Allen — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:29:03 +0000

Ah, Julie, I remember my Mom making what she called Mincemeat pies when I was a very little girl, but not when I got to be old enough to understand the concept. I remember very little about them except that they had a lattice work of pastry -- cut with a pastry wheel -- over the top of them, and they were brown inside. I'm guessing that they were what is called in your posting Mince Pies, without Meat. I read through the recipe to see if it jogged anything in my brain, but no...alas. However, LOL, as I was reading the recipe, I saw the ingredient powdered sugar and I wondered how they made it in JA's day, and my immediate thought was they would put the granulated sugar into the food processor... GULP...is my face red? Obviously they had powdered sugar, or it wouldn't be in the recipe! LOL! Wonderful Christmas-y stories; thanks dear lady, CEA