The Great Mince Pie Review

[NigellaTufnel]

Having caved in and bought my first lot of mince pies in October I must admit I was disappointed by the Waitrose All Butter selection - too big, too salty, and the the pastry was not short enough.

Now, being a greedy thorough person I will leave no stone unturned in a quest to find the best mince pies. So as we travel through November into December, does anyone have any other reviews?

It's like a book group, but with pies.

don't get Lidl -horrendous memory from last year - Waitrose also v disappointing - but had some nice ones from there but can't remember whose they were..
however the mini stolen from Lidl are addictive

thank you! I feel inspired.

No wonder my pastry is floury/crumbly/weird. I didn't even know what Trex was and I would never have thought of adding salted orange juice to the pastry.

Feel like making some. Dh can bring back some decent mince from the UK though.

Timely thread!

Is it also perverted to like mincemeat puffs made with puff pastry?

sainsbo taste the diff
don't like m&s ones
I think I liked waitrose last year

I too like to carry out scientific tasting samples of the mince pie-for the sake of the family you understand.

Last year I found the mini M and S mince pies were lovely. Obviously because they are so tiny you can eat lots and lots and not worry about any calories.

borderline nigella, surely?

I would try them though

Zzzen
I will have to start a "What shall DH buy when he is in UK" thread for overseas MNetters.

Will try the pastry. I noticed that our local supermarket sells mincemeat mixture.

I made mince pies 2 years ago but my pastry was rubbish. I used a Delia recipe but it was so stodgy. Not going to do that again.

Is it unreasonable of me to say actually I prefer the flakey pastry sugar topped ecclesey ones heated up with cream?

do they really ML?! Must have a good look but I really doubt it here. Or if they did sell it, where on earth would they place it? After finding marmite under exotic sauces, I wonder where they'd put mincemeat

Problem with sending dh shopping instructions is you get something, but not usually exactly what you want.

Dh says he has tried many supermarket ones, over the years. M&S, Waitrose etc.
The ones he likes are the Sainsbury's Deep Ones :deep

I can't comment because I don't like Mince pies. But he says these are his favourite.

the pastry is the key, isn't it (since we all buy the filling....)

never had mince pies with cream

mince pies with brandy cream is lush

didn't find deep mince pies on that link oblomov

I bought M&S ones last week, wasn;t overly fussed.

Tesco ones are nice.

The best ones I've had were Greggs vienesse topped mince pies. Yum!

I Love Greggs mince pies, and Sainsburys shortcrust ones are a close second. This is only if i don't have time to make my own as i'm a bit of a Mince pie snob!

You didn't Zen ? Oh dear. Are my linking skills defying me again. no surprise. tis not my forte.
But they are the "Sainsbury's 6 Deep Mince Pies". sainsburys own. they make normal ones aswell, in a red box. But its the DEEP ones dh likes.
Have told him about this thread. He laughed. Asked for a cup of tea and 2 mince pies. Which I have provided. He is currently eating. He said it was necessary, for him to do a taste tester, for the benefits of the thread.
cheeky monkey !!

I make using Nigella's recipe - that salted OJ is fabulous. I like my pastry reaaaaaallly thin, which you just never get with supermarket stuff. The pastry is always thick and tastes raw. Bleurgh.

I have made my own mincemeat for years and I have to say, mostly, I prefer some of the ones you can buy.

Sarah Raven has a recipe for Banbury cakes in her Christmas book - essentially puff pastry parcels with mincemeat in. Made some last year - I find puff a bit greasy though and they don't keep as well.

Oh and last year I made some frangipane topped ones.

They were good.

I am more than happy to test anyone's mince pies.

I dislike all bought mince pis but do like home made mince pies (mine ) (OK, also my mum's - only she'll not be making any ever again :( - but I learnt my skills off her :))

Have expirmented, and using a food processor is as good as the old fashioned menthod of rubbing the fat in.

Recipe: just over half fat to (plain) flour. "Fat" should be roughly half butter, half Cookeen or lard (if anytihng, more butter than Cooken). (eg 6oz "fat" to 10oz flour) Blitz in food processor until like bread crumms. Add c. tablespoon of cold (iced if possible) water and pulse. If mix doesn't come together, add another tbsp. Repaeat until it comes together in a lump. Don't add too much - but do make sure it it can be swidged together when you tip it out. (If you do add too much and it gets a bit soggy when you are rolling it out, then add plenty of flour while you are rolling it out).

Tip it out, swidge it together and put it into a bag/cling film in the fridge for at least 20 minites.

Roll it out thinly with plenty of flour onthe surface/rolling pin and cut out bases/tops.

Micemeat: I use shop bought, but add extra brandy and cinnamon and maybe some nutmeg and mix it in the jar.

cornsilk - you cook? you want recipe?

no I just want pies!

There are only two mince pies worth eating. Greggs has already been mentioned and Sainsburys bakery mince pies. No more needs to be said on the subject. :)