Every Christmas, Brits devour about 800 million mince pies, but moves to jazz up the festive sweet treats made of dried fruit and pastry are stirring anger among purists.
It is the source of some puzzlement to the outside world that British mince pies have not in fact been filled with minced meat for centuries.
Instead, the mincemeat encased in an individual shortcrust pastry pie is a mixture of different dried fruits, chopped apples and spices soaked in spirits such as brandy and rum.
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