I'll never beat her mince pies!!!

[alphabetsoup1980]

There is was a member staff at my work (now 2 years retired) and she always made the 'first mince pies' of the Christmas season and brought them in. Everybody RAVED about them, and I agree that they were pretty nice, but they have now become the stuff of legends.... since she has retired, no one else has made any...
I'm feeling brave and want to make some this weekend..
I would usually use my trusted be-ro pastry recipe (lard and butter).

Any extra tips for really 'melt-in-your-mouth' shortcrust pastry???

Basically I want to see my name in Christmas-Mince-Pie Lights forever - not that I've put myself on a pedestal or anything!!!!!

Help a desperate sister out! 😘😘

The Paul Hollywood recipe is good (very buttery) but I still can't replicate the homemade mince pies that I used to have as a child at a great aunt's house, her pastry was almost like shortbread.

Will you be making them with homemade mincemeat? Im assuming that’s a given but just wanted to check...because that’s one way to make your pies a whole lot better.

I love a frangipane topping.

Extra orange zest is never a bad thing.

I believe most shop bought pastry is vegan, Not the buttery stuff I imagine though.

You don’t really need suet in mincemeat at all, grated apple works well if you’re making your own

My mum used to add icing sugarandcornflour to her pastry, came out very short so hard to work but bloody delicious

@TotallyLostThePlotHere oh I so agree with these! I make these every year with home made mincemeat, they are the most gorgeous things! The pastry is beautiful isn't it, more like shortbread? Bit of a faff to do, I can't manage to roll the pastry so sit in front of the tv pressing it into the tin by hand, it's a Christmas tradition now

@TotallyLostThePlotHere do you have any solutions for getting them out of the tin without crumbling? Not that anyone here cares that they look a bit rustic!

Add an egg yolk to the pastry mix, makes it lovely and crumbly.

My mum takes a spoon full of mincemeat out of the jar, tops it up with brandy and puts the lid back on for week or so.

Everyone loves them 😂

Icing sugar in the pastry makes a lovely short sweet pastry

Self raising flour, half butter, half trex, do it in food processor. Bob's your uncle.

@TinselTrauma

I don't press the pastry into the tin, I roll it out a little at a time between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper and ease off with a palate knife.. Then when cooked I let it cool slightly and with a little pressure at one side it will usually slip out of the tin. It's a faff, but it's gorgeous melt in the mouth pastry, so really worth the effort.

*roll out and cut out with a scone cutter

@TotallyLostThePlotHere I know it's beautiful! I'll give that method a go, thanks!

Forget the mince pies, that boat has sailed.

Wow them with your.........legendary sausage rolls 😁.

I've had people from completely different departments come and ask if I really made those sausages rolls and could they order some. Yes I made them but no I don't take orders. So easy to make but I'm not telling anyone at work how 🤣.

My sausage rolls bring all the boys (and girls) to the yard!

Yeah, I think I'd do something different, like cinnamon rolls?

These sound really lovely. I'm pinching EVERYBODY'S ideas and I'll combine them... the result will probably be monstrous, I have very few skills.

Every year around March I say that I'll start 'preparing for Christmas food', and every year, I don't.

Does anybody know the best pasty for sausage rolls? I had one once that seemed a mix between puff and shortcrust, and it was divine.

hint, hint, MaidenMotherCrone, could you post your recipe please?

Would tangerine zest be ok ?

And is all butter ok instead of half and half ?

@sproutsandparsnips I made them with SR flour once.

They were so hard they were inedible.

I agree with the orange pastry, it really makes them special.

@MaidenMotherCrone you have to tell us now how you do it.... (the closest I get to making them is cooking a frozen Gregs!!)

I don’t make them at all any more. My mum’s pastry was sublime and I’ll never match it. It makes me so sad knowing I’ll never eat it again.

@FippertyGibbett

And is all butter ok instead of half and half ?

No, you need the lard/Trex or the pastry will be soggy.

@Al1langdownthecleghole

Cold, cold, cold pastry.

Make, chill, roll, chill, cut, chill, fill cook.

For orange lovers, can I recommend a tsp of orange curd in with the mincemeat. Waitrose do a good one.

OMG orange curd 💜💜💜💜

Would tangerine zest be ok?
I'd say not really. It tastes quite unlike you think , and unlike orange zest.

Pastry: yes, icing sugar - a small amount or it will go too sticky. No to egg yolk because a generous tbsp of instant custard in the flour does something very similar with a lot less mess. Have a small jug of really ice cold water to mix it to a ball. You won't use all the jug at all, but it must be cold. In my opinion - roll it out thin, as thin as you can get away with, and go on the stingy side for the insides because the mincemeat expands. Roll at all angles to stretch in all directions (and keep moving the disc as it gets flatter) or they'll go oval in cooking.

Also found a very nice American cream cheese pastry which was really for apple pie, that worked very nicely. I've tried it with almond butter in the mix but although nice, it made very crisp, hard pastry.