Until my late 20s, I was a seasonal binger of mince pies. Every November the warm scents of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and allspice would fill my parents’ kitchen, reminding me that mince pie time had arrived. My mother, who generally despised cooking, had a longstanding tradition of baking this British treat at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Like her annual walnut stollen, this pie was something that she both enjoyed and excelled at making. Also like her stollen, it’s a baked good with which I’ve tinkered, updating it for the 21st century. History of mince pie In England mince or mincemeat pie, as my mother and scores of others called it, is a Christmas speciality. Featuring a mixture of chopped apples, raisins, sultanas, currants, spices, lemon juice and brandy, this pie is moist, aromatic and filling. Historically, its heartiness came, in part, from the presence of minced beef or liver. Hence the name “mincemeat.” By the 19th century the meat had been replaced by the hard fat known as suet. This gave the pie a rich flavor …