Mum's mince pies

You may be lucky enough to have a family recipe for mince pies on a yellowing scrap of grease-smeared paper. If not, Monica Haughey has put together an affectionate collection of her mother’s recipes. Christina Haughey was a renowned baker, and she used to produce 22 dozen mince pies at this time every year for friends and family.

Butterfly cakes, flakemeal cookies and snowballs were also part of her repertoire, and recipes for them are included in the book. The result is a home-spun and charming slice of social history, a glimpse into “the quiet, strong world of women, the steaming kettles and kitchen chatter”. You can order it from secretofthemincepies.com or dublinfood.coop for €10.