Thread: The best mince pie anyone can buy Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.
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Posted by Truman White (# 17290) on
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This year I want to eat at least one of the best mince pies on the market. So which is it?
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on
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Home made. Made with a dash of brandy and orange zest ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
[ 10. December 2012, 16:31: Message edited by: Boogie ]
Posted by Huntress (# 2595) on
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*Tangent* My parents recently went to a 'Tudor Christmas' Evening and brought home some traditional mincemeat pies which contained minced lamb and dried fruit and they were one of the best things I've ever tasted.*End tangent*
As regards buying, I can't think of a particular brand right now but personally I like them with things like cherries and nuts in because I find some mincemeat to be just too much without more neutral flavours to break it up.
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Truman White:
This year I want to eat at least one of the best mince pies on the market. So which is it?
When you find out, let me know. I've been disappointed so far with the supermarket brands I've tried.
A good mince pie shouldn't be too sweet, the mincemeat shouldn't be vinegary, the pastry shouldn't be thick and cloying and covered in sugar, and should have a pleasant buttery taste. Filling should not be skimped on and there should not be any nuts in it.
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
Home made. Made with a dash of brandy and orange zest
Same here! Orange zest (and a little juice) in the pastry makes a big difference. Home made mincemeat, cooked gently so the suet melts is another plus.
btw, does anyone else make them with a macaroon style topping? Try it.
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on
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Don't know if they're generally available, but Sainsburys here stock Ecclefechan Tarts.
I much prefer them to mince pies.
Posted by cheesymarzipan (# 9442) on
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the best mince pie is not one you've bought. It's a dozen that you've made.
My mum refuses to make any before advent sunday or after epiphany. She makes lots in between!
Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on
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Waitrose in Abergavenny have mincemeat and ginger tarts - open mince pies made with ginger pastry and topped with stem ginger. Mmmmm....
They also have meringue topped mince tarts which look good.
Posted by Carex (# 9643) on
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Now I'll have to see if I can find my grandmother's recipe that started out with "a large piece of roast beef", although I expect it would require some further additions (I like the orange zest idea) to bring it up to standard.
Posted by Truman White (# 17290) on
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quote:
Originally posted by cheesymarzipan:
the best mince pie is not one you've bought. It's a dozen that you've made.
My mum refuses to make any before advent sunday or after epiphany. She makes lots in between!
Will she adopt me for Christmas?
Posted by Edith (# 16978) on
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You need to add a little grated apple to the mincemeat to make it good. In addition to soaking the raisins in booze. And make your pastry really, really short.
Posted by AberVicar (# 16451) on
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Greggs mince pies are excellent - only surpassed by fresh ones made at home.
(Added: it helps that Greggs have moved to opposite the Vicarage side gate... ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
)
[ 10. December 2012, 20:01: Message edited by: AberVicar ]
Posted by Niminypiminy (# 15489) on
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I think the secret, with home made mince pies anyway, is to make them small - a mere treaspoon of mincemeat in each, so that each mince pie is a mouthful of buttery, crisp pastry with a small burst of ntense mincemeat flavour.
After years of not very satisfactory home made mincemeat, I've decided the way forward is to gussy up a jar of bought - you add more raisins, grated apple, spice, grated ginger, glacé cherries, candied peel and lemon zest and such like, together with brown sugar and brandy. Then you put the resulting mixture back into two or more sterilised jars. I don't know why this is better than purely home made stuff, but it is. (Oh, yes, a good addition is also frozen butter, grated in.)
[ 10. December 2012, 21:53: Message edited by: Niminypiminy ]
Posted by balaam (# 4543) on
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Your mother's pies are always the best.
My mother used rum, not brandy to preserve the fruit. I think it's better, it is certainly different.
Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on
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Mince pies are scarcer than hen's teeth here. It's my very, very favorite pie in the world! Mom used to make pies with Nonesuch filling. Not bad for store bought. D-U tried unsuccessfully to get one for Thanksgiving. Most places had never heard of a mince pie.
Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on
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Another Nonesuch fan here. I use two jars per pie, and add brandy soaked apple pieces before baking.
Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on
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Two per pie is right, Graven Image ! I like the brandy soaked apple idea.
We used to be able to get the boxed version that needed to be boiled with orange juice or apple juice to rehydrate it. Good times.
Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on
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Costa Coffee do quite a nice one at this time of year, it's an open, flat pie, the mincemeat isn't too sweet and the pastry is nice and crisp.
Posted by cheesymarzipan (# 9442) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Truman White:
quote:
Originally posted by cheesymarzipan:
the best mince pie is not one you've bought. It's a dozen that you've made.
My mum refuses to make any before advent sunday or after epiphany. She makes lots in between!
Will she adopt me for Christmas?
I'm not sure if she makes so many now we've left home. My dad can't quite eat so many on his own.
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
btw, does anyone else make them with a macaroon style topping? Try it.
We have frangipane topped pie. Yum. Laziness occasionally dictates making it in one big tin as a cut-and-come-again, although I believe in these parts they should be manger-shaped for true believers.
Re: buying pies. I've not had them, but Lidl has tasty versions of other baked Christmas goods: stollen etc.
Posted by Gill H (# 68) on
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Lido and Aldi are German so I expect they would have good stollen. Sadly I don't live near a branch.
We haven't made mincemeat this year, but we usually use Delia's recipe. Hugal makes 'Hungarian paste' - pastry with a little brandy and cream in the mix.
(Mental note to self: make mincemeat early in autumn 2014 to take to jedijudy during our next Orlando trip...!)
Posted by Jigsaw (# 11433) on
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quote:
Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
Waitrose in Abergavenny have mincemeat and ginger tarts - open mince pies made with ginger pastry and topped with stem ginger. Mmmmm....
They also have meringue topped mince tarts which look good.
And they taste good too!
Making your own? A friend of mine, Sister Bernadette, gave me a recipe which started: "Have ready a large glass of white wine/gin and tonic/sherry. Take large slurps between each step of the instructions."
I never got to the end of the recipe but ended up very happy before staggering out the next day to the supermarket for ready-made ones.
Posted by SvitlanaV2 (# 16967) on
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A few years ago one of the newspapers made a comparison of mince pies from different supermarkets. I can't remember the exact outcome, but I think it was a shocker - Aldi or Lidl, rather than M&S or Waitrose. If you're willing to splash out, you could do your own little survey with, say, five boxes from different shops, and see how they compare.
Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Gill H:
(Mental note to self: make mincemeat early in autumn 2014 to take to jedijudy during our next Orlando trip...!)
Yes!!! ![[Yipee]](graemlins/spin.gif)
Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on
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Personally I'm pretty excited to able to get hold of mincemeat at all. Once again I thank the Almighty for the arrival of Marks & Sparks on the Champs Elysées. I don't think I could even make my own, because I don't know where I'd get suet from. I am going to make my own pastry tho.
On Sunday afternoon some French people are coming round my house to practise the cello. I am going to initiate them into one of the joys of an English Christmas.
Posted by Hawk (# 14289) on
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I've just had my works do at Jamie's in Oxford (a chain restaurant by Jamie Oliver). The mince pies there were incredible. Seriously not for the traditionalist though, they were done with crispy filo pastry, and fruit all mixed into the layers - more like a danish pastry than an English pie. I loved them!
Posted by Quinquireme (# 17384) on
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If you make your own, add a couple of egg yolks, some ground almonds and lemon zest to the pastry. Yum!
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on
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Some TV chefs were making a version with orange zest and juice in the pastry, which sounds worth a whirl.
It's entirely possible I have a jar of mincemeat in the cupboard from last year's good - but unrealised - intentions.
Posted by Latchkey Kid (# 12444) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Niminypiminy:
I think the secret, with home made mince pies anyway, is to make them small - a mere treaspoon of mincemeat in each, so that each mince pie is a mouthful of buttery, crisp pastry with a small burst of ntense mincemeat flavour.
I do something like this for our hot Christmases where we don't need heavy foods for cold weather.
I use puff pastry so that each pie is just one light puffy mouthful.
Posted by AngloCatholicGirl (# 16435) on
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Just to say I normally use the recipe on BBC Food for my mincemeat, one year I couldn't get hold of any suet so I used margarine (yes really) instead and the mincemeat tasted the best ever. I always make my mincemeat using margarine now.
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
Home made. Made with a dash of brandy and orange zest
Recipe please?
As a kid I loved mince meat but in recent decades they've gotten sweeter and sweeter, and no longer contain any suet.
[ 12. December 2012, 15:07: Message edited by: Belle Ringer ]
Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on
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Anything without candied peel in it. Candied peel is made by collecting the bits chipped off of Satan's feet when he visits the podiatrist.
[ 12. December 2012, 15:15: Message edited by: Karl: Liberal Backslider ]
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
Anything without candied peel in it. Candied peel is made by collecting the bits chipped off of Satan's feet when he visits the podiatrist.
Seconded. Unless you make your own or it is of the very best quality, such as is used in tutti frutti ice cream and costs about £5 per 100 grams, replace it with dried apricots.
Posted by Chorister (# 473) on
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Mine. But you have to bid at the church Auction of Promises if you want to buy them. This year they would have set you back a pretty penny - a dozen went for £25 by the time the hammer came down. Better settle for these instead.
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider:
Anything without candied peel in it. Candied peel is made by collecting the bits chipped off of Satan's feet when he visits the podiatrist.
Agreed - YUK!
Posted by balaam (# 4543) on
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quote:
Originally posted by SvitlanaV2:
A few years ago one of the newspapers made a comparison of mince pies from different supermarkets. I can't remember the exact outcome, but I think it was a shocker - Aldi or Lidl, rather than M&S or Waitrose. If you're willing to splash out, you could do your own little survey with, say, five boxes from different shops, and see how they compare.
It depends on the paper that did the survey.
The Torygraph says M&S are best.
Grauniad says Waitrose.
Independent say Tesco.
Could it be that the politics of the paper is more important than the flavour when making a decision.
Posted by balaam (# 4543) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
replace it with dried apricots.
That's going from bad to worse.
Posted by Chorister (# 473) on
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Given that you can make your own pastry fairly easily, perhaps the question should be: 'Which mincemeat to buy?' This year I'm trying Buckfast Tonic Wine Mincemeat for the first time. Will keep you posted as to what it's like.
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on
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quote:
Originally posted by balaam:
It depends on the paper that did the survey.
The Torygraph says M&S are best.
Grauniad says Waitrose.
Independent say Tesco.
As with any supermarket, though, there's a bit of difference between the Value/Basic Mince Pies and the Finest/Best Mince Pies. We don't know what they sampled for the purposes of the survey - I think we should be told.
Personally I prefer puff pastry. They usually skimp on the filling in shortcrust ones, and you get more pastry than mincemeat. The M&S lattice ones are nice, though.
(Somewhere out there is the Perfect Mince Pie and I'll just have to persevere until I locate it...)
Posted by Inanna (# 538) on
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I made these mince pie cookies last weekend, with doctored Cross & Blackwell mincemeat (all I could find in the States) and they were absolutely yummy. All the best bits of a mince pie - very buttery, crisp pastry, and the mincemeat flavour, with a lot less faff. Small cookies worked better than larger ones - one or two bites - because they are so very rich.
Posted by Mr Curly (# 5518) on
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Maybe not for the best mince pies, but last year I made a Mince Pie Icecream Triangle Log. (recipe and photo here)
Delicious. And during the year, I won a photo competition with the picture of it!
mr curly
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on
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Purely in the interests of research, I'm eating one of Sainsbury's Orange & Cranberry mince pies. Definitely an acidic note to the mincemeat and a strong orange flavour. But obviously I'll have to do comparison tasting with the brandy flavoured ones, plus an Ecclefechan tart to give a definitive ruling.
Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on
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This is the best mincemeat recipe I've found after a lot of experimentation. Wonderfully moist and boozy. Doesn't much matter what the pastry's like with this inside it! I do like a frangipane or crumble topping though as it's lighter. Or even marzipan.
Hettie Potter's Suet-Free Mincemeat
Posted by Truman White (# 17290) on
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quote:
Originally posted by balaam:
quote:
Originally posted by SvitlanaV2:
A few years ago one of the newspapers made a comparison of mince pies from different supermarkets. I can't remember the exact outcome, but I think it was a shocker - Aldi or Lidl, rather than M&S or Waitrose. If you're willing to splash out, you could do your own little survey with, say, five boxes from different shops, and see how they compare.
It depends on the paper that did the survey.
The Torygraph says M&S are best.
Grauniad says Waitrose.
Independent say Tesco.
Could it be that the politics of the paper is more important than the flavour when making a decision.
Sounds like a good survey to take part in. How many of each do I need to eat to make sure its statistically valid?
[ 15. December 2012, 09:43: Message edited by: Truman White ]
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
This is the best mincemeat recipe I've found after a lot of experimentation. Wonderfully moist and boozy...
Hettie Potter's Suet-Free Mincemeat
The recipe says "very alcoholic apple flavour actually as it contains both cider and brandy." Showing my ignorance: it has only a few tablespoons of brandy, is that the "lots of alcohol" or is the cider alcoholic? (I guess some liquor stores might have hard cider?)
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on
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Belle Ringer,
To me the word "cider" means it is alcoholic. Otherwise it's known as sparkling apple juice.
Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on
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I think the States is the only place where "cider" is assumed to be non-alcoholic (though, usually, also spiced, and, just as often, hot).
The States is also a mince pie desert. I think I've only ever had them once, at an archer's Christmas party when I was studying in Oxford. Seeing as that party ended in me stumbling down High Street with a bowl of mince pies with a paper crown and eye patch from a cracker before losing my taste for ruby port forever . . . well, yeah. I think it's high time I had more mince pies.
One problem ruling out homemade, though: my mother absolutely hates mince pies. Can't see the point, just has bad memories of them, even ones made from good recipes. While I realize any mince pie she would have had would almost certainly have been hooch-free, her position on mincemeat pies is unequivocal. How do I get my mince pie fix before/during my time at home for Christmas without violating her "no making mincemeat in my kitchen!" rule? In other words, can you get good mince pies in the mid-Atlantic?
Please help. There may have been only one good thing to happen that night, but that part needs to happen again.
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on
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Heating - and spicing - cider sounds mildly evil to me. But then I like a very dry cider, preferably a varietal like Katy. At 7.4% ABV it's quite strong - most commercial UK ciders would be in the 4 - 5% range.
Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Ariston:
I think the States is the only place where "cider" is assumed to be non-alcoholic (though, usually, also spiced, and, just as often, hot).
Cider didn't count as alcohol when I was at Taize about fifteen years ago.
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on
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When I was a kid you'd buy a jug of "apple cider" meaning apple juice with the "meat" of the apple in it, not clarified juice, let it sit a bit and have hard cider. Now they put something in it to prevent turning.
Last night I surfed about cider and saw that in USA it used to be the most popular workman's drink, no one is sure why it is uncommon anymore, prohibition was anti all alcohol so it wouldn't be that. One page thinks the beer industry worked to kill the cider industry, beer being the primary competitor.
What's the alcohol percentage of standard cider? I have some "hard cider" from the beer section of the grocery, it's 3.2. That doesn't sound boozy enough to be a good preservative or get people interested in the booze aspect of mince pie.
Posted by balaam (# 4543) on
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quote:
Belle Ringer
What's the alcohol percentage of standard cider? I have some "hard cider" from the beer section of the grocery, it's 3.2. That doesn't sound boozy enough to be a good preservative or get people interested in the booze aspect of mince pie.
That's right, Belle, it is about half the strength you'd expect from a decent English cider.
As for the mince pies, Marks and Spencer All Butter Mince Pies are good. A nice balance between filling and pastry, and you can taste the butter in the filling. A bit too much sugar on top for me, but that's quibbling. Eat with thick double cream.
[quote added for top of page]
[ 16. December 2012, 14:11: Message edited by: balaam ]
Posted by Chorister (# 473) on
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My favourite Somerset cider is 8.2. But homemade farmhouse cider is much stronger - the names eg. Gut Rot, Tractor Juice, Cripplecock give an indication as to their strength.
I bought two types of mincemeat this year - one laced with cider and brandy, the other with rum, brandy and tonic wine. Both taste gorgeous!
Posted by balaam (# 4543) on
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anything above 7.5% has higher duty (Customs and Excise think it's wine) so we don't often see it in the grim North.
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
What's the alcohol percentage of standard cider? I have some "hard cider" from the beer section of the grocery, it's 3.2. That doesn't sound boozy enough to be a good preservative or get people interested in the booze aspect of mince pie.
About 4.5 to 7.
I like sparkling cider myself. It makes a lovely refreshing drink. I discovered Wychwood's Green Goblin a couple of Halloweens ago, which is very drinkable; and should explore more. The best I ever had was something I bought at a farmers' market which came from Hereford, and I can't remember the name.
I've never taken to still cider. Most of the still ciders I've had have tasted flat and sour, and some of it's a headache in a glass - you don't always realize quite how potent it can be.
Erm, anyway, mince pies - I agree about the M&S All Butter ones, delicious. Yet every year I fall for Other Supermarket's Own Puff Pastry ones, and am always disappointed.
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on
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Having now extensively road-tested Sainsbury's orange and cranberry, I can recommend them as distinctly uncloying. I also like that they have a nut/ crumble topping rather than pastry.
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on
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quote:
Originally posted by balaam:
Eat with thick double cream.
Ah, I'd eat anything that came with double cream! But I doubt that is sold in USA. I can't even find real cream, it's all got carageenan in it. One person said that's because they process cream in a way that makes it no longer whip, so they have to add a gelling agent.
Hard to get real food in USA, even "fresh foods" are often processed, sprayed, de-germed, etc, in ways that are not necessarily healthy, but improve profits for the food industry by extending shelf life.
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on
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Some mincemeat recipes call for "ground mixed spice." Is that a standard mixture (if so, of what?) or does it just mean "cinnamon with some nutmeg and clove?"
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Chorister:
My favourite Somerset cider is 8.2. But homemade farmhouse cider is much stronger - the names eg. Gut Rot, Tractor Juice, Cripplecock give an indication as to their strength.
Names? What's with fancy names for farmhouse cider? My favourite cider producer (apart from my brother's annual crop, which is a seriously dry cider) makes two varieties: sweet (which is about medium-dry) and dry, than which there is none drier.
As for strength it is between 4.5% and 8%. I believe it is at the low end when the Excise man cometh.
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
Some mincemeat recipes call for "ground mixed spice." Is that a standard mixture (if so, of what?) or does it just mean "cinnamon with some nutmeg and clove?"
Here is one link, which refers to your "Pumpkin Pie Spice".
Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
I like sparkling cider myself. It makes a lovely refreshing drink. I discovered Wychwood's Green Goblin a couple of Halloweens ago, which is very drinkable.
[Tangent]Green Goblin. Nom, nom. Very drinkable, will also satisfy mostly teatotal mother. As far as cider bought from supermarkets goes, it's the good shit and will be drunk with Christmas dinner.[/Tangent]
Back to mince pies: Have watched a Jamie Oliver Christmas prog that suggests (or his Italian friend Gennaro suggests) adding black pepper to the mince meat. Am intrigued by the addition of a slight heat.
Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
What's the alcohol percentage of standard cider? I have some "hard cider" from the beer section of the grocery, it's 3.2. That doesn't sound boozy enough to be a good preservative or get people interested in the booze aspect of mince pie.
About 4.5 to 7.
Belle Ringer, you could look for Woodchuck cider which has about 5%. That is my occasional treat!
I looked for mince meat at the store today. There was none! What do they expect us to do for Christmas? ![[Waterworks]](graemlins/bawling.gif)
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on
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quote:
Originally posted by jedijudy:
quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
What's the alcohol percentage of standard cider?
About 4.5 to 7.
you could look for Woodchuck cider which has about 5%.
Woodchuck is what I found at 3.2%, but that was in the grocery. Reminds me there there is such a thing as 3.2 beer, must be a tax or licensing issue. I'll go to the hard liquor store tomorrow and look for real cider. :-) quote:
I looked for mince meat at the store today. There was none! What do they expect us to do for Christmas?
Make it from scratch. Or try another store. Or buy it on line. Never give up mincemeat!
Posted by Dafyd (# 5549) on
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quote:
Originally posted by balaam:
That's right, Belle, it is about half the strength you'd expect from a decent English cider.
The strength of a proper English cider is about half again as much as you think it is while drinking it.
Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on
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I have successfully fed mince pies to French people.
Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on
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quote:
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
I have successfully fed mince pies to French people.
Have you converted them to the joys of an English Christmas, then? ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on
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Discovered Tesco's puff pastry mince pies this evening. Revelation. I'm not buying Other Supermarket's Own any more.
Posted by Rosa Winkel (# 11424) on
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quote:
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
I have successfully fed mince pies to French people.
As I will do here (though not to French people) on the evening of the 24th. I find that British food (cue links showing that mince pies are not British) is slowly making a headway outside of GB.
Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on
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quote:
Originally posted by jedijudy:
quote:
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
I have successfully fed mince pies to French people.
Have you converted them to the joys of an English Christmas, then?
I am converting this particular group of French people (cellists from my orchestra) to the joys of English all kinds of stuff. They were also very taken with the cream tea I fed them this summer (also thanks to Marks & Sparks which provided the clotted cream)
For younger French people, British is actually starting to = very chic.
[ETA mince pies rule - the moment I opened the jar of mincemeat, it smelled like Christmas.]
[ 18. December 2012, 08:38: Message edited by: la vie en rouge ]
Posted by Rosa Winkel (# 11424) on
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quote:
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
For younger French people, British is actually starting to = very chic.
Interesting. There's all manner of prejudice about British food, largely by people who haven't tasted any. I see this changing. Here I also benefit through (the evil tax-avoiding) M&S.
Our family's getting a Welsh breakfast for Christmas Day: Lavercakes with cockles and leek, as well as cheddar.
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
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quote:
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
For younger French people, British is actually starting to = very chic.
Is this movement to "La cuisine Anglais" led by anyone in particular? I wonder if a young French woman has spent two years studying at the LSE while paying her way as a general kitchen help*, and has now written the books or, in the modern fashion, is hardly off the television screen.
*like Elisabeth David, only t'other way round.
Posted by Chorister (# 473) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
Having now extensively road-tested Sainsbury's orange and cranberry, I can recommend them as distinctly uncloying. I also like that they have a nut/ crumble topping rather than pastry.
If they're anything like the orange and cranberry welsh cakes I tried last weekend (from the bakery in Cowbridge), then I want to get me some!
Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Rosa Winkel:
quote:
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
For younger French people, British is actually starting to = very chic.
Interesting. There's all manner of prejudice about British food, largely by people who haven't tasted any. I see this changing. Here I also benefit through (the evil tax-avoiding) M&S.
Our family's getting a Welsh breakfast for Christmas Day: Lavercakes with cockles and leek, as well as cheddar.
Cheddar's from the other side of the Bristol Channel, in Gwlad y Haf (Land of the Summer, Somerset)
Despite having the aforementioned Welsh name, Somerset is quite uncontroversially in England.
Posted by Rosa Winkel (# 11424) on
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Unless there's a champagne situation with cheddar, my point remains.
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on
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I now have the strongest cider the liquor store has, 5.8%, Chrispin' natural apple cider imported classic english dry cider.
Is that strong enough (I keep reading mince keeps a year due to all the alcohol) or should I add some vodka?
I suppose I need to drink a can of it tonight just to make sure it tastes good enough.
Posted by Firenze (# 619) on
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5.8 sounds plenty strong. Though if you are adding a spoonful or two of spirit, Calvados or apple brandy would be the natural pairing IMO.
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on
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Thank you so much for that suggestion. Christmas mulled cider, here I come.
Posted by Alex Cockell (# 7487) on
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quote:
Originally posted by la vie en rouge:
I have successfully fed mince pies to French people.
Well- at east you did better than some when they tried to flog sausages to a halal butcher...
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
This is the best mincemeat recipe I've found after a lot of experimentation. Wonderfully moist and boozy.
Hettie Potter's Suet-Free Mincemeat
Ignorant non-cook here.
I'm using this recipe to create "mincemeat" but occurs to me it doesn't tell me how to turn it into a pie.
Specifically, the American recipes say to buy commercial mince meat, add several chopped up apples and some spices, throw the mixture in a pie shell and bake 40 minutes. That baking will soften the chopped apples
But this recipe has you cooking the chopped apples with the other fruits in the process of making the mincemeat, which then sits a week or a month until used to make a pie.
Does that pie then bake for 40 minutes? That seems a long time to cook a pie when the filling has already been cooked.
Is it really 40 minutes in the oven, or just enough to get the pie warm, which might be more like 20 minutes oven time? I guess the pie shell needs to cook, maybe that takes 40 minutes.
Decades since I've made a pie! Any help appreciated!
Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on
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Yes, that was just a mincemeat recipe.
In the UK, mince pies are usually little individual ones.
There are millions of recipes out there, but this one has good ratings. Unbelievably easy mince pies
The second recipe here sounds similar to what you're describing.
Posted by Ramarius (# 16551) on
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Coopland's brandy butter mincies are top of the hit list so far this year. Not sure you can get these outside the North of England though. Have a box of Duchy organic pies from Waitrose in the cupboard....
Posted by John Holding (# 158) on
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I make a mincemeat that includes chopped apples but isn't cooked. There's enough brandy in it that I can store it in glass jars for a full year.
I realized a year or two ago that the only critical measurement is the total amount of dried fruit (+peel): a lower proportion of currents, a larger proportion of sultanas, half a pound of dried cranberries instead of half a pound of currents -- no problems.
Belle, you want to cook the pie until the centre is beginning to bubble -- the suet will be fully melted at that point (you really really don't want little bits of solid suet in the pie). I'm assuming that (unlike the Brits, whose pies are by definition covered) you're leaving the top of the pie with at least large areas without pastry. Most north american mince pies I've seen have either lattice tops or (I cheat) a number of pastry cut-outs, not a full top.
John
eta -- so no suet in what you're doing -- you still want to cook the pie until the liquid in the centre is abvious and bubbling.
JH
[ 21. December 2012, 02:49: Message edited by: John Holding ]
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on
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quote:
Originally posted by John Holding:
so no suet in what you're doing -- you still want to cook the pie until the liquid in the centre is abvious and bubbling.
Thanks, John. The reason I asked is because some talk about the boozey effects of eating mince pie, but other web sites say 40 minutes in the oven will evaporate 75% of the alcohol.
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on
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I have never, ever experienced any alcoholic after-effects from eating a mince pie.
If your mincemeat is already pre-cooked no need to worry about the 40 minutes and letting it bubble. Just cook until the pastry is a pleasing shade of golden brown, which should be c. 15-20 minutes.
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
I have never, ever experienced any alcoholic after-effects from eating a mince pie.
Are you certain? OK then, no undesirable alcoholic after-effects.
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on
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You're probably talking about homemade ones where the mincemeat is made to your own recipe. I tend to buy mine, and have bought ready-made mincemeat. If they do have alcohol in them you don't notice it.
Of the homemade ones I've had, they tend to have flavour rather than percentage... maybe I should start making my own.
[ 22. December 2012, 05:48: Message edited by: Ariel ]
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on
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You guys are great! My first pie in decades and I'm probably doing it all "wrong," including starting a month late, but so what, it's all edible.
Discovered I don't know how to use a pealer, ended up cutting off the skin with a knife. New skills to learn! Made a mistake in buying a bag of apples, which are small, instead of buying unbagged larger apples, lots of pealing for less apple meat. The apple chunks are probably too big. I have 30% too much too cider in the mix, by mistake.
One recipe says to add one tablespoon of rum, another says 6 tablespoons of brandy. I figure I'll do 3 or 4 tablespoons of brandy and if that's wrong, my friends will just have to be true friends and help me eliminate the evidence of my cooking incompetence.
My kitchen smells wonderful!
I'll buy a pie crust tomorrow unless I can figure out how I might wrap it in purchased puff pastry, like a strudel.
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
I'll buy a pie crust tomorrow unless I can figure out how I might wrap it in purchased puff pastry, like a strudel.
Belle, do you have any baking trays designed for small buns/tarts/pies? Like this?
If not you could either cut out the rounds of pastry by hand/with round cookie cutters, or just make one large mince pie, and bake on an ordinary baking tray or a shallow cake tin. Cut slices off as you want them.
(Don't forget to grease your tins first, either way, otherwise the pastry may stick to them.)
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on
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I have muffin pans, look like that but twice as deep as tarts. A shallow 9 inch pie might work better if I purchase pastry pie shells instead of making pastry, which I have never done well.
The mixture I made isn't boozy. An hour of simmering on the stove will have boiled off just about all the alcohol in the cider, and adding 3 TBSP of brandy for 2 quarts means half a teaspoon of brandy per serving, that's just flavoring. I wonder if some people pour a little more brandy over the pie just before serving, but that would dampen the crust.
I tasted it while stirring to see if it was cool, tasted much better than store bought fruit mince, but I was doubtful I'll bother to spend another whole afternoon in the kitchen to do it again.
Then I added 1/4 cup brandy, that did something magical to the flavor, hard to describe, mellowed it, blended it. Not a boozy taste at all but a real nice effect on the flavors already there. Yes worth spending another afternoon in the kitchen pealing apples and playing with variations on spices and fruit flavors!
Posted by Ramarius (# 16551) on
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Had the Waitrose Duchy organic - not the best I ever tasted, but it's the one that has made me feel the most virtuous.
Posted by Amazing Grace (# 95) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
Don't know if they're generally available, but Sainsburys here stock Ecclefechan Tarts.
I much prefer them to mince pies.
Those look like a near and tasty cousin of the beloved Canadian treat "butter tarts".
The tartlet size is just right IMO for their American cousin, pecan pie. Full-size pecan pies have a bad filling-to-nuts ratio in my opinion.
I was in a fairly nice grocery store last night and didn't check if there was a dusty jar of Nonesuch mincemeat in the baking aisle!
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
I have muffin pans, look like that but twice as deep as tarts. A shallow 9 inch pie might work better if I purchase pastry pie shells instead of making pastry, which I have never done well.
I generally buy sheets of uncooked frozen pastry (all my culinary secrets are being revealed now!) as I find pre-cooked pastry shells tend to be a bit dry and crumbly. If you can get the frozen kind, it is a bit nicer.
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
quote:
Originally posted by Belle Ringer:
... making pastry, which I have never done well.
I generally buy sheets of uncooked frozen pastry (all my culinary secrets are being revealed now!) as I find pre-cooked pastry shells tend to be a bit dry and crumbly. If you can get the frozen kind, it is a bit nicer.
Culinary secrets. Thank You!!! I shall look for/ask for sheets of frozen pastry.
As to pecan pie, I once had one that was nuts top to bottom, instead of a single layer of nuts floating on top of half an inch of sugar goo. Ever since, that has been *my* definition of pecan pie. Never saw it again but did see a recipe for it once, it had it's own name, not pecan pie but something else.
Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on
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I have just had the world's best mince pie, so you might as well close the thread.
I made the mincemeat (none of that nasty candied peel, but plenty of that nice alcohol), my mum made the pastry and did the constructing and cooking. I reheated, lifted the lid off to insert some brandy butter, then put the lid back on and ate it.
Mmmmmmmm.
Posted by Porridge (# 15405) on
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quote:
Originally posted by John Holding:
I'm assuming that (unlike the Brits, whose pies are by definition covered) you're leaving the top of the pie with at least large areas without pastry. Most north american mince pies I've seen have either lattice tops or (I cheat) a number of pastry cut-outs, not a full top.
John
JH
Don't know about the rest of North America, but here in New England mince pies come fully-covered, just like apple pies. To distinguish the difference between the two pies, you carve a "TM" in the mince pie top for "'Tis Mince," whereas the apple pie top gets a "TM" for "'Tain't Mince."
Also: re pecan pie, yes, it should be pecans top to bottom, but no sugar goo. Maple syrup and a touch of rum.
Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Drifting Star:
I have just had the world's best mince pie, so you might as well close the thread.
I made the mincemeat (none of that nasty candied peel, but plenty of that nice alcohol), my mum made the pastry and did the constructing and cooking. I reheated, lifted the lid off to insert some brandy butter, then put the lid back on and ate it.
Mmmmmmmm.
And you didn't bring some to share with the rest of the class? Lift the lid off the pie insert brandy butter, ooh I love the culinary secrets on this thread!
Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on
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I would share them with you, but she only made us 2 dozen...
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Drifting Star:
I made the mincemeat (none of that nasty candied peel, but plenty of that nice alcohol), my mum made the pastry and did the constructing and cooking. I reheated, lifted the lid off to insert some brandy butter, then put the lid back on and ate it.
Thanks for this tip. I used Supermarket's Finest Mincemeat, some ready-made light puff pastry, and what resulted was light and delicious - much nicer than any bought ones I've had so far.
For the first time, I also made brandy butter and you're quite right - I was going to say it's the icing on the cake, but a little inside a hot mince pie transforms it into something sublime.
Posted by Drewthealexander (# 16660) on
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Answer to the o/p. My darling wife's. Happily for me, I have a monopoly.
Posted by Porridge (# 15405) on
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And what, pray tell, is brandy butter and how do I make some?
Posted by Ariel (# 58) on
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Brandy butter is, as the name suggests, butter with a little enhancement. There are lots of recipes on the internet, but you might like Delia's.
Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
Brandy butter is, as the name suggests, butter with a little enhancement. There are lots of recipes on the internet, but you might like Delia's.
Oh, my! Just the butter and brown sugar look yummy! (I am a brown sugar fanatic!)
Posted by Stercus Tauri (# 16668) on
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Our daughter's non-suet recipe is the best I know - never any heartburn afterwards. The magic ingredient seems to be quince - no idea why, but the result is heavenly. I usually slip in a little extra brandy to round out the flavouring. A good Scotch whisky is said to be quite compatible too, but I'm too weak willed to sacrifice any of my malts, even in the interest of scientific research.
Posted by Porridge (# 15405) on
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quote:
Originally posted by jedijudy:
quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
Brandy butter is, as the name suggests, butter with a little enhancement. There are lots of recipes on the internet, but you might like Delia's.
Oh, my! Just the butter and brown sugar look yummy! (I am a brown sugar fanatic!)
To me, this is what we New Englanders call 'hard sauce,' except made with brown instead of confectioner's sugar. I made some (but used salted rather than unsalted butter), and it is going on the Permanent Holiday Recipe List.
Posted by Chapelhead (# 21) on
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The Chapelhead household prefers rum butter - I'm sure you can work out the difference!
I also prefer dark brown sugar, and I just keep adding (dark) rum and thoroughly mixing until it has the required consistency (sugary, buttery rum - "It will be fine, I'm sure it will thicken up a bit in the fridge" ![[Hot and Hormonal]](icon_redface.gif)
).
[ 30. December 2012, 13:44: Message edited by: Chapelhead ]
Posted by rolyn (# 16840) on
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The best mince-pies I tasted can't be brought with money as they are made by Mrs R.
Could put a few on E-bay I suppose as we do have rather alot of them
Posted by Boogie (# 13538) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
quote:
Originally posted by Boogie:
Home made. Made with a dash of brandy and orange zest
Same here! Orange zest (and a little juice) in the pastry makes a big difference. Home made mincemeat, cooked gently so the suet melts is another plus.
Here you go proof of the 'pudding'. You are all welcome to try one.
Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on
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They look great Boogie. I hope people enjoy them. They won't last long.
Even when I made my own mincemeat, I did not eat the pies. Don't know what it is as I like the ingredients but don't like them turned into mincemeat.
Posted by rolyn (# 16840) on
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Thanks Boogie ....Yum yum
Mrs R says they look just like her's
Posted by cheesymarzipan (# 9442) on
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I seem to have got a bit carried away - I made two dozen mince pies on Christmas Eve (or was it the day before) and I still have over a dozen left...
Anyone want to come over and eat them?
Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on
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I too made 2 dozen mince pies on Christmas Eve and if I may say so myself they were possibly the best I've ever made (despite a disagreement with my step-mother over what to brush on the top).
They got taken to my step-brother's with us on Christmas Day where I think my dad and I were the only people to eat them. I then brought half the remaining home with me. Mince pies for breakfast yesterday!!
Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on
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I really, really wish I could eat some of those leftover mince pies!
Never did get a mince pie this month. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
Posted by Porridge (# 15405) on
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You know, given that I happen to be the only person in my family or among my friends who will even contemplate the consumption of mince pie, I'm pretty astounded that there now exists this three-page thread devoted to the subject.
My faith in humanity is restored.
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