To have never tried mince pies?

[hillfda]

I've never tried a mince pie and I'm going to try one for the first time this Christmas. What is it about them? Do you eat them alone or with an extra?

Home made/shop bought, thin/thick pastry is down to personal taste. I like M&S mini ones. I warm them in an oven and have them with cream.

Astounded at the mine pie hate on this thread! They are a thing of wonder, bloody love them. Excellent hot or cold, best consumed with a lovely hot drink (I dont like tea or coffee so hot chocolate for me).

Enjoy!

I think mince pies are quite a grown up taste. I didn't like them as a child. I'm not a huge fan of Christmas cake though and buy a small one as I can't make one small enough.

I do think that fruit cakes are preferred by older people jusging by the wedding threads.

@Sexnotgender stilton isn't always a blue cheese! I'm assuming the poster means the white variety. Wensleydale is my preferred option with Christmas cake, but might try it with a mince pie.

I went thirty years saying how awful mince pies were (despite never ever trying one). Decided in Christmas 2018 to try one and fell in love - granted it was an Aldi chocolate orange mince pie so a totally different taste but I was hooked. That year I also tried Aldi's salted caramel ones and lots of varieties of normal ones. I think I made up for 30 years of no mince pies just over December 2018! Last year I found Black Forest mince pies and they were amazing but couldn't find them again once that box ran out. Bizarrely after having about 1000 the previous year, I only had a couple last year. I've had two so far this year - Lidl's salted caramel crumble ones! I can recommend.

I think the flavoured ones are a great route in as you can find a flavour you already like and go from there.

@beansonbread

I went thirty years saying how awful mince pies were (despite never ever trying one). Decided in Christmas 2018 to try one and fell in love - granted it was an Aldi chocolate orange mince pie so a totally different taste but I was hooked. That year I also tried Aldi's salted caramel ones and lots of varieties of normal ones. I think I made up for 30 years of no mince pies just over December 2018! Last year I found Black Forest mince pies and they were amazing but couldn't find them again once that box ran out. Bizarrely after having about 1000 the previous year, I only had a couple last year. I've had two so far this year - Lidl's salted caramel crumble ones! I can recommend.

I think the flavoured ones are a great route in as you can find a flavour you already like and go from there.

They all sound so yummy. I'm going to try Aldi, M&S and Costco from everyone's recommendations. Most likely a bakery for my first time though.

Love mince pies, hate brandy butter.

Do you eat them alone or with an extra?

I always eat them alone otherwise you have to share them.

I did go through a phase of buyong Greggs Mince pies. They were good. (this was a few years ago though so may not be true now).

@AlCalavicci

I like them warmed in the oven but its alot of gas to heat a couple of pies so if I know I am going to eat some and the heating is on I put them on a raddiotor and cover with fiol and a tea towel , it takes a while ( hr or so ) to warm them like that but if you remember to do it before you start cooking your evening meal by the time you have eaten they are nice and warm . I agree with PP go for the best quality you can find / afford avoid Mr Kipling at all cost theyh are revolting , Tescos finest are good . I had a local independent baker that made the best ones I have ever had but he retired and shut his shop last year (he was 72 years old so I will forgive him ).

For all them that like the filling but find the pastry to dry , hence the need for a brew / cream warm some mincemeat gently in the microwave and cook some readymade yorkshire puddings in the oven and bung them together, they have to be eaten quickly or they go soggy but go carfull a burnt tounge from the mincemeat hurts for days !

They way you heat them made me laugh... on a radiator ... never heard of that before

Never tried one. Never will. But I don't like fruit cake either and it's like all the worst bits of fruit cake without the cake!

I think mince pies are quite a grown up taste

Really? We loved them as kids, as do most kids I know now. They are so sweet - I don't get what taste in them is grown-up. Most kids like raisins, pastry etc.

I make them myself and put a dollop of this stuff in before I put the lid on

Raisins are awful. I couldn't bear them as a child and I still can't tolerate them now. Mince pies are marginally more tolerable than fruit cake though because you can just eat the pastry.

Love homemade ones with ground almonds and plenty of apple in the mix.
Not too sweet is key.
Creme fraiche is a love balance with them warmed.

[quote RedHelenB]@Sexnotgender stilton isn't always a blue cheese! I'm assuming the poster means the white variety. Wensleydale is my preferred option with Christmas cake, but might try it with a mince pie.[/quote]
I didn’t know that!

Also in my defence most food is making me feel sick as I’m pregnant.

Mince pies are a waste of pastry.

My favourite of the Christmas desserts!

I like Marks and Spencer Collection mince pies and the ones from Cook with dusting on top, and the homemade ones from local tea shops/delis. I don't like brandy butter/brandy cream though and I can't manage one straight after Christmas lunch - better when I've not eaten too much of everything else - warmed with thick double cream or clotted cream - yum.

Oven and not microwave! The pastry is so much nicer!

Love them, have done since I was a child and Xmas cake too. Don’t think I liked Xmas pudding much when I was young though I like it now.

I like the Tesco finest ones, warmed, especially with brandy cream. Nobody else likes them here.

There is a reason xmas food isn’t eaten all year around, it generally a bit gross a novelty only to be eaten in dec.

I absolutely love them, but I eat them cold. I've had a hot mince pie once in my life and it made me gag - the texture of the fruit is so odd when warmed up!

I love the Tesco Finest ones with cognac in them. Add a dollop of Bailey's extra thick cream if I'm feeling decadent

I don't like the run of the mill mince pies, but I make pinwheel mince pies that are delicious.

Spread luxury mincemeat (I put it in the processor to make it smooth) across rolled out puff pastry.

Roll it up, cut into 1cm slices, egg wash and then bake.

Sprinkle with icing sugar as soon as they come out it the oven and again when cooled.

Unless you eat them when warm, so tummy.

My husband thought this until Christmas 2018 when he tried mince pie icecream and fell in love - he’s into about his fifth box this year already : Aldi salted caramel crumble ones are best so far