There's a big difference between Scottish mince pies and English ones...the Scottish ones, available year-round, actually contain mince! The English 'mince' pie, so common at Christmas-time, contains fruit, suet, spices, sugar, brandy etc but no longer any meat. It seems that Oliver Cromwell - amongst his other miserable Protestant edicts - tried to abolish Xmas mincemeat, presumably because it was a source of pleasure. Nevertheless, the famous cook, Mrs Beeton's recipe for Xmas mincemeat actually did contain meat.

Regarding the origins, the very first reference to sweet mincemeat comes in a cookery book published in 1762.

i understood that originally mince pies were a delicacy of the upper classes at festive times--containing minced pheasant or swan or other minced meet not available or too expensive for ordinary punters--so fruit suet and other cheaper ingrediants were used as a substitute so ordinary folk could have their treat at xmas time too

the perils of festive time involving mince pies and a glass of wine--shoiuld of course be meat--not meet--lol

and ingredients i've just noticed

Hic ! should :-}