There is a chill in the air, snow on the ground, and it is the holiday season. This brings about many feelings, happy memories, and cravings. There is of course the Thanksgiving feast, Christmas dinner, and Pork and Sauerkraut on New Years Day. But beyond that I crave good, holiday season comfort foods. My Grandmother and her ancestry are Pennsylvania-Dutch, and I always associate the holiday season with time spent at her house, and what better way to remember such happy memories then to revel in some of my favorite recipes of hers. If any of my dear readers are Pennsylvania-Dutch, I am sure they will also recall these with fond memories, and anticipatory taste buds.

Let us start with the quintessential comfort food, Chicken Pot Pie. But this is not Chicken Pot Pie in the common sense, that is more of a meat pie, in a pie crust. This is Pennsylvania-Dutch Chicken Pot Pie, and it is almost more like a soup or a stew. It takes a while as you make your own noodles, but talk about delicious! I have attached my great Grandmother, Nan's, recipe below.

Next, moving onto desserts, nothing screams the holiday season more then Mincemeat Pie. The recipe originated in Britain, but it migrated to the new world, and the Pennsylvania-Dutch fell in love with it, and is now a staple at this time of year. Traditionally you use real mincemeat, and I have included a recipe for how to make this, but more modernly it is made with an only fruit mixture, which is sold in stores. Both are great, and it depends on how much work you wish to put into the pie, but believe me the pay off is worth it. It truly is a labor of love this time of year.

And when one thinks of bad Christmas food, they naturally think of the Fruit Cake, frequently much too heavy and cake, and hard to get down. Well, re-imagine this with me as we talk about Pennsylvania-Dutch Fruit and Nut cookies. All that one wants in a fruit cake, but in a cookie that is the perfect balance between light and heavy and with tastes to die for. This recipe was made by the sister of my great grandmother, and then my great grandmother wrote it down and passed it through the generations. It has few instructions with it because, to quote my grandmother “All wives just knew how to bake and cook!!!” But regardless I have filled it out so that is is easily followable and included it below as well.

All of these are holiday favorites, and I highly recommend giving any or all of them a try. There is nothing like Pennsylvania-Dutch cooking, remembered from long ago, and passed down the generations. Happy baking!

Nan's Pennsylvania-Dutch Chicken Pot Pie

• Mix together:
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ egg shell of water
  • Small teaspoon salt
• Roll out and cut in two inch squares.
• Flour chicken and fry in butter.
• Put layers of chicken, potato slices, sliced onion and squares of pot-pie dough in pot
• Barely cover with boiling water and cook for two hours

Gramma Wilkinson's Mincemeat Pie

1. Two days before baking soak 1 cup raisins in 1 shot Jacquin’s Blackberry Brandy and 1 shot good Rum. Stir occasionally .
2. Eve before baking mix in 2 2/3 cup of authentic mincemeat or 1 jar Borden None Such Mincemeat (Plain or Brandy and Rum) with Step 1.
3. Place oven rack in lowest position, pre-heat 425 degrees.
4. Prepare Pastry. Turn prepared Mincemeat (steps 1 and 2) into pastry-lined 9 inch pie plate. Cover with top crust, cut slits near center. Seal and flute.
5. Bake 30 minutes or until golden.

Grandma Miller’s Homemade Mincemeat Recipe:

(From https://whatscookingamerica.net/mincemeatGrandmaMiller.htm)

• 2 pounds venison, elk, or beef chunks
• Water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 6 whole cloves
• 6 whole allspice
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/2 pound beef suet, finely chopped*
• 3 quarts apple cider
• 2 cups beef broth
• 3 pounds apples, chopped
• 3 pounds raisins (dark and golden)
• 2 pounds currants
• 1/2 pound citron
• 1 tablespoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon ground allspice
• 1 firmly-packed cup brown sugar
• 2 cups rum or Jacquin’s Blackberry brandy

* Suet is firm beef fat. Suet can be collected by trimming the hard white fat from steaks and other cuts of beef. You can also purchase packages of suet from your local butcher or from the meat department of your local grocery store. It then needs to be coarsely grated to make it ready to use. It also must be kept refrigerated prior to use and used within a few days of purchase, just like meat.

Instructions:

Trim fat from meat of your choice.

In a large heavy pan over medium heat, place meat; cover with water. Add cider vinegar, whole cloves, allspice, and bay leaf. Simmer approximately 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falls apart. Remove from heat and refrigerate meat in cooking liquid overnight.

Remove from refrigerator and remove meat from liquid. Remove all fat from top of liquid; discarding the liquid. Separate meat from bones, discard bones. Chop cooked meat into small cubes.

In a large pot, combine meat cubes, suet, apple cider, beef broth, apples, raisins, currants, citron, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and brown sugar. Over medium heat, let mixture come just to a low boil; reduce heat to low and let simmer until the apples are cooked. Remove from heat and add rum or Jacquin’s Blackberry brandy and mix together.

Variation: For a wonderful flavor boost, zest and juice 2 to 3 lemons and 2 orange. Add to mince before bringing to a boil.

It’s best to let mincemeat stand at least a couple of weeks before using. I in the refrigerator or freeze in air-tight containers for longer storage.

Beatrice Miller's Fruit and Nut Cookies

• 1 cup Spry vegetable shortening or butter, creamed with 2 cups of granulated sugar
• Add 2 eggs, stir good
• Add in order given

• 1 cup molasses (may want to use ½ King Syrup, and ½ Molasses depending on your liking of molasses)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in water
• 6 cups flour
• 2 lb fruit (raisins, nuts, cherries, currents, and/or dates)
• 2 cup nuts
• spice if you like (cinnamon) (varies to taste)
• “Always add vanilla whether recipe calls for it or not.” (Nan) – 1 tsp
• Drop onto greased baking sheet from spoons
• Bake at 375 degrees in middle of oven for 9 mi

------Notes:-----

• Large recipe, may want to cut in half
• store in covered container to soften up, if not soften after a few days, add slices of apple to container