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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask why I am cursed when it comes to mince pies?

51 replies

LoveInTokyo · 21/12/2017 08:09

I live abroad.

My boss wanted to do a Christmassy thing in the office this afternoon and he asked me to bring some mince pies because I'm the only British person and most of colleagues won't have tried them before.

So, stupid me, I thought, "I'll make some!"

You can find them in British/expat shops here, but no, I thought home made ones would be so much nicer.

To say it was a fiasco would be an understatement. When my OH came home at midnight I was chiselling pastry and what looked like dried lava off a muffin tin and I hadn't done any packing. (We are leaving for the Christmas holidays after work tonight.)

So this morning I got up at 6, washed my hair, packed my suitcase, cleaned the worst of the mince-pie related crap off the kitchen worktop and left the flat early.

I decided to take a detour via one of the major stations which has a shopping centre with an M&S food in it. When I arrived I saw a train for where I work leaving in two minutes and thought, "Fuck it, shall I just forget the mince pies and go to work? I've got so much to do today."

But no, I said I would bring them, so I went to M&S and bought a couple of packets. By the time I came back 10 minutes later there was a signal failure affecting the whole station.

Angry

So I had to dash halfway across the city to get to another station to get a train to work, and now I am going to arrive late for my meetings.

Help me out, Mumsnet.

Do you make your own mince pies or is it a fucking crazy thing to do in the run up to Christmas? (I don't have kids but it still seems like an insane amount of effort.)

If you do, do you have any idiot proof recipes?

OP posts:
cakeymccakington · 21/12/2017 08:10

I do make my own but they're never as good as my mum's.

It sounds like you left yours in too long

SparkleFizz · 21/12/2017 08:13

The only person I know who makes their own mince pies is MIL.

She’s retired so has a bit more spare time for that sort of thing. Plus she enjoys baking.

Original poster
LoveInTokyo · 21/12/2017 08:15

I enjoy baking normally, but this was a disaster!

OP posts:
SandLand · 21/12/2017 08:16

I make my own. Saw the jars of mincemeat in October and stashed them away (I'm guessing at this point I don't need to say I live abroad?).
I can only do them in a silicon fairy-cake tray. Muffin ones are too big. Metal ones stick!
And don't over fill them, or they leak.

I've got a rich shortcrust pastry recipe - egg yolk and milk to bind, and some icing sugar in place of normal sugar.

If you've got a cutter, they can look really effective with a star in place of the circular top.

Safe flight.

Taffeta · 21/12/2017 08:18

It’s taken me a good few years to get mince pies right

This year I had a DAY making them and sausage rolls and I froze them.

V good if you just want a couple - cook straight from frozen in a hot oven

Ropsleybunny · 21/12/2017 08:22

I make my own mince and pastry. I use Delia’s recipe and it’s a really good one. Using a good recipe and practice is the key.

goose1964 · 21/12/2017 11:32

don't let them cool in the tins basically the sugar has become hard caramel. If they do stick like that again just pop them back in the oven for a couple of minutes

Freshprincess · 21/12/2017 11:39

Why make them when M&S make such a good job of it?

meredintofpandiculation · 21/12/2017 11:40

I buy mincemeat - can't taste the difference between that and home made. Normal shortcrust pastry, rolled out thinner than you think could possibly be reasonable, well greased tins so they just lift out.

pisacake · 21/12/2017 11:41

if you overfill them then they will burst out. that's the main thing really - don't put much mincemeat in.

BertieBotts · 21/12/2017 11:43

For that situation I'd absolutely buy them.

Here we can't get them to buy so I tend to make but I use ready made pastry and get a jar of mincemeat off amazon - though this year a lovely Irish friend has made a massive batch and shared it round, bless her!

Unfortunately we can only get ready made puff pastry, so they are a bit weird but fills a craving at least!

BertieBotts · 21/12/2017 11:44

And TBH although I like the idea of sharing with my students, I don't, because we barely get enough for us. If friend makes it again next year I might get two jars and make some extra.

AssassinatedBeauty · 21/12/2017 11:50

I make my own because it's very easy and they're 100% nicer than nearly all shop bought ones where the pastry is weird. I buy mincemeat and sometimes add to it, I've not yet made my own.

I use shallow non-stick trays, a muffin tray is the wrong shape. The pastry needs to be very thin and really resist the urge to over fill them. I also agree with taking them out of the tin almost immediately. Any overflowing mincemeat will weld to the tin if left to cool in any way. I just do a simply shortcrust with half the weight of butter to flour, and I do stars on top rather than full lids.

AssassinatedBeauty · 21/12/2017 11:54

Oh, I also do an egg white wash on the lids and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar. Makes them look very attractive and they're pleasantly crunchy.

Lilyhatesjaz · 21/12/2017 11:55

I make my own because DS is allergic to nuts. They are not too bad this year. One trick is to remove them from the tin while they are still hot or the mince meat hardens and glues them in.

footballmum · 21/12/2017 11:56

I make my own but only use Orlando Murrins Incredibly Easy recipe-no skill required and they always turn out amazing!! Google them. Trust me your life will be transformed!!

glow1984 · 21/12/2017 11:57

I just bought all butter mince pies from Sainsbury’s.

The only baking I ever do is banana bread :D

RavingRoo · 21/12/2017 11:58

I make them with puff pastry as it tends to be easier. Taste is not quite the same but non-Brits wouldn’t know the difference.

321namechange · 21/12/2017 12:01

Don't cook pastry ever.
DH & DS think the M&S ones topped with frangipane are the business.

GlitterRollerSkate · 21/12/2017 12:08

I salute your efforts.. no way I'd make them! If I'm honest I don't like them but even if I did, I do no baking for Christmas. I usually bake, just not at Christmas. Anyone that has time for baking deserves a medal!
Time management is not my strong point..

FreeButtonBee · 21/12/2017 12:19

I do but am a bit of sadist when it comes to cooking! Dan lepard creamcheese pastry is fabulous. I make a triple batch and freeze in cling film portions. Delia mincemeat (although sometimes I just tart up a jar of mincemeat).

Shallow bun tray. Star on top so you don’t have to seal the edges.

Rebeccaslicker · 21/12/2017 12:23

My mum used to make loads.

Vile nasty things, raisins and currants and sultanas are evil. YABU not to chuck them in the bin and buy chocolate salty pretzels or something Grin

TossDaily · 21/12/2017 12:23

I make my own - even my own mincemeat.

It sounds very complicated and smug, but in fact I have a foolproof recipe that I cut out of a newspaper 15 years ago and has never, ever failed me. And I speak as someone for whom pastry is usually a total nightmare.

I'll pm you if you want it?

Taffeta · 21/12/2017 12:26

Why make them when M&S make such a good job of it?

Because shop bought pastry is just different gravy to homemade, even M & S, Fortnums etc. They must put some weird preservativevir something in as the pastry always is flabby and raw tasting.

Proper homemade sweet shortcrust is a different animal altogether to what passes for shop bought pastry on a mince pie.

Sure, some shop bought ones are yum, but they aren’t the same thing as homemade, at all.

MongerTruffle · 21/12/2017 12:27

TossDaily Could you PM it to me? Xmas Smile