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mince pies

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mince pies

Postby Gillthepainter » Tue Nov 21, 2017 10:22 am

Yep. I like them a lot.
Especially if they are not dusted in crunchy sugar.

But I've just tasted a chocolate mince pie in the supermarket. Which ruined everything.
The chocolate even overpowered the mince and pastry in one.

Anyway.
Star shaped top, open mince pies for me please.
Hot rather than cold.

How do you do yours?

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Re: mince pies

Postby Badger's Mate » Tue Nov 21, 2017 11:11 am

I like them, but rather than have a gazillion over the next few weeks, for reasons or fat, sugar and calorie control, prefer to eat fewer, nicer ones.

I like mine with buttery pastry and plenty of filling. Quite like puff pastry ones in which case they must be warm, short ones can be cold. Used to be able to get nice almond pastry ones from W'rose, haven't always seen them and in any case the nearest branch closed a few weeks ago and the next nearest is a complete mess.

I don't see the point in mucking about with them too much.

If people come round over the season I often make mini Eccles cakes on the grounds that they'll be eating mince pies everywhere else.

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Re: mince pies

Postby Gillthepainter » Tue Nov 21, 2017 11:25 am

Yes I can see why eccles cakes would be a welcome change, Badgers.
I don't eat many either for the very same reason.

Usually if Tony and I go out for a coffee, and he wants a scone - which I find too filling for the rest of the day.
I'll take the mince pie, if it's on offer.

What a shame that your Waitrose has closed.

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Re: mince pies

Postby QinNortham » Tue Nov 21, 2017 11:35 am

Hello all.

Nigella's shortcrust with Maud's Viennese topping. Maud is my best friend's Mum and had a confectionary business. Even after retirement she would 200 mince pies for family & friends. Sadly these days she wouldn't know a mince pie if it hit her in the face although physically still fighting fit.

Gill, I've heard good reports of DL's cream cheese shortcrust for mince pies.

Badgers, my Mum made a lovely Eccles cake.

You've reminded me that Mr Q seems to have promised I will make mince pies for most of Northam!

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Re: mince pies

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Nov 21, 2017 11:42 am

I make mine with shortcrust (never puff), and I too like them half open with a little star on top :D

I sometimes make almond or orange flavoured pastry, and I also sometimes make a large mince tart with a lattice top for a larger group to share

Prefer them warm, but I don't use animal suet (so many people can't or won't eat it) so cold is OK

Iceland do lovely baked goods in their Luxury brand, and their mince pies always win taste tests, so my friend and I got a pack last year. Horrible :(

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Re: mince pies

Postby Joanbunting » Tue Nov 21, 2017 11:53 am

I make them with a rich slightly sweetened (with icing sugar) and orange short crust.

I make my own mincemeat I hate overly sweet shop bought made with too much allspice and, like Sue I use veggie suet. Like my gran I use rum because it has more flavour.

I make mini ones - in mini muffin tins to distribute at the party in the village and top those with little stars. For home consumption I make normal sized ones with a full top and a dollop of hM brandy butter to melt until the lid. I hate puff pastry ones - just not right

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Re: mince pies

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Nov 21, 2017 12:08 pm

I too tend to use rum - it's the huge amount of acetic acid in some brands of mincemeat that puts me off, alcohol is a better preservative IMHO

But I'll have mine without the brandy butter thanks, I really don't like it

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Re: mince pies

Postby Alexandria » Tue Nov 21, 2017 12:14 pm

It is quite a rarity in Cataluna and Spain ..

Had tasted once in Manhattan while we had travelled over the blue pond several times for Travel Tourism Conventions during the autumn season ..

Could be nice if prepared traditionally classic with natural ingredients ..

I am not much of a Baker so I have never prepared it .. I do a wicked Traditional classic Tiramisú and an excellent Cherry or Blueberry or Apple Pie .. However, my repertorie is short on pies ..

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Re: mince pies

Postby patpoyntz » Tue Nov 21, 2017 12:34 pm

I make a very boozy mincemeat which has rum, disarrono and brandy in it, it delicious, but not suitable for children obviously. And I make a rich, sweetened, orange flavoured shortcrust, which I find is just as nice cold as warmed. I make many batches of pastry which I freeze in discs so that I can make fresh mince pies at short notice. I also make enough mincemeat to last all year, as my OH loves it!

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Re: mince pies

Postby Badger's Mate » Tue Nov 21, 2017 1:39 pm

I make mincemeat occasionally, nut-free as the younger niece is allergic, but she doesn't generally eat mincemeat in any case. I often end up making a mincemeat and apple strudel (more or less the Blessed Delia recipe) for other guests, using filo.

Rum and possibly sherry would be the alcoholic additives, maybe port or Madeira instead - more than my life's worth to use Mrs B's PX... :D

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Re: mince pies

Postby Lusciouslush » Tue Nov 21, 2017 4:57 pm

QinNortham wrote:You've reminded me that Mr Q seems to have promised I will make mince pies for most of Northam!


Don't you just love that..........
Better make a start then Q & get them sleeves rolled up......... :klingonbanana

I seem to have gone off mince pies the last couple of years - just too sweet however much booze/ lemon/cranberries I add - I did try mini ones one year in tiny muffin trays, but still not a fan anymore - must try harder!!

what be the Viennese topping Q....?

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Re: mince pies

Postby QinNortham » Tue Nov 21, 2017 6:41 pm

Lush, Mr Q is very, very good at that sort of largesse especially when it doesn't involve him in doing anything other than play Lord B of Northam, bless his size 9 socks.

I'll find the recipe and post same. Didn't make any last year but I do recall coming across the recipe, probably around July. What I like is that being piped on top of the mp it's quite quick. Was Maud's best seller at Christmas. She must have made so many thousands.

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Re: mince pies

Postby mark111757 » Tue Nov 21, 2017 7:04 pm

Before mum died in '13, I made Gordon's mince meat palmiers. She really seemed to like it. I liked the recipe and what was in it. I let mine mature in the frig for a few days, stirring it twice a day.

I tried Lorraine Pascale's her mincemeat puff pastry stars. Surprisingly the store I worked at carried the 420g bottles. I added some orange zest and juice as she did. The sugar set my teeth on edge. WAS disappointed with Robertson's.

Growing up, nonesuch mincemeat was a big deal. That was one of the things that dad got for the holidays. In a pyrex 10" pie dish. Mum gave me hers before she died. Dad and his mincemeat pie with a homemade crust, upper and lower.

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Re: mince pies

Postby Lusciouslush » Tue Nov 21, 2017 7:50 pm

And I bet Mr Q has no problem in helping you out by eating a few....... ;)

Mark - those are some lovely memories for you to treasure there, your efforts reaped lovely rewards.

In fact - you've given me inspiration to do the palmiers - less m/meat so not so sweet. :thumbsup

It's strange, because I adore xmas pudding - has to be mine .....& using my grandmother's recipe tho' - don't like the shop bought however many stars they have, especially when you can actually slice them..................... :o

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Re: mince pies

Postby Gillthepainter » Wed Nov 22, 2017 10:15 am

That's the second time (yesterday) that I've heard cream cheese pastry.

Is it a polish thing?
Someone brought in Polish iced fingers, as light as a feather. And said they were made with cream cheese pastry.

Thank Gawd my husband doesn't volunteer me for anything. Except doing the accounts and our online tax.

Mark, keep a tight hold of that pyrex.
It's a ferocious price nowadays too. Quite the in thing to possess. I've got 2 bottom pieces without lids, the first thing to slip on counters and smash I'd suggest.
I must get onto the internet and buy some replacement lids for them.


Palmiers is such a good suggestion.

And lots of booze :D

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Re: mince pies

Postby Renée » Wed Nov 22, 2017 10:41 am

Patpoynz, your mincemeat sounds wonderful, but the alcohol will be cooked out, I expect, so shouldn't harm the children. I would love the orange flavoured shortccrust. You sound so organised, making the discs and freezing them.
I do enjoy the occasional warm mince pie made with puff pastry. I sampled a shortcrust one in Asda which had icing on top the other day, which I enjoyed, but it was only a mouthful and probably enough!

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Re: mince pies

Postby Stokey Sue » Wed Nov 22, 2017 1:43 pm

Gill
My mum and I smashed lids
BFF and her mother smashed the actual dishes
A redistribution has been done :)

I've had a little Ina Garten project ongoing, she uses cream cheese a lot in cakes and pasties, a lot so I suspect an East European Jewish influence there

In fact here's her Rugelach recipe, very Plish / NY Jewish, you can see how this could cross over to mince pies

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/rugelach-recipe-1944318

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Re: mince pies

Postby Badger's Mate » Wed Nov 22, 2017 4:40 pm

I once smashed one of those big Pyrex chicken roasters on a Sunday morning with the outlaws coming for lunch. Plan B was a roasting dish of course but it took ages to clear up all the shards. :(

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Re: mince pies

Postby strictlysalsaclare » Wed Nov 22, 2017 11:39 pm

I usually use a basic, unsweetened shortcrust pastry for my mince pie bases, although the topping has varied a bit over the years! I always make my own mincemeat, the ready-made stuff is far too sweet for us Strictlies! I normally do a cooked one without suet, again the ingredients for this can vary a little bit. Due to a severe bout of financial cramp, I made a booze free one last year, which was basically a home-made clementine marmalade with apple, mixed dried fruit and the usual spices. It worked a treat, so I'm thinking of making it a similar way again this year but with some Christmas Pudding Sherry (recipe below) that I am currently infusing in the fridge.

Luscious Lush, perhaps adding some seville orange marmalade to a jar of ready made mincemeat will make it taste less sickly?

Recipe for Christmas Pudding Sherry

fino sherry - nothing too expensive, a supermarket own brand will do!
sultanas
mixed dried fruit
a few whole cloves and fennel seeds
some very dark and treacly Pumpkin Pie spiced syrup - this is home-made and uses light soft brown sugar, treacle, water, cinnamon, ground mixed spice and a little ground mace - bring everything to the boil and simmer steadily for about 5 minutes and pour into sterilised bottles or jars.

Pour/spoon enough the above ingredients to fill a sterilised jar, keep in the fridge and give the jar a shake every couple of days or so for a month or three. When it's finished infusing, drain the liquid into a saucepan and put the fruit and spices onto a plate. Spread it all over the plate so you have a thin layer of everything; pick out and discard the fennel seeds and cloves. Add the fruit to the liquor in the pan and make the mincemeat from there.


Going back to mince pie toppings, sometimes I've done a completely covered pie, on other occasions I've done star topped ones. I think my favourite one was a frangipane topping studded with a couple of pecan halves. I once made a shortcrust pastry with orange juice and rind, but that year my mincemeat had such a big flavour, we couldn't taste the the orange in the pastry. So it was a bit of a waste of time.

This year I am seriously considering doing a cinnamon swirl topped pastry lid. I saw the idea on Facebook a few weeks ago which topped an apple pie. I tried it and we loved it so much that I got inspired to do my mince pies this way, as follows. You basically roll out your pastry, liberally sprinkle it all over with a mix of ground cinnamon and caster sugar. You then roll the pastry up like you would a Swiss roll, wrap the cylinder in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. Once chilled, slice the pastry widthways into rounds about the thickness of a hobnob biscuit. From here you can either use a single one to top an individual fruit pie or put about 10-15 slices on a sheet of parchment paper, leaving a gap of a few millimetres between them. Place another sheet of parchment over the top and then roll out with a rolling pin until the slices have joined together. Then you carefully top your larger fruit pie with it and trim as per normal. It looks really effective and taste lovely if cinnamon is your thing. Ground ginger would also work if you prefer.

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Re: mince pies

Postby Gillthepainter » Mon Nov 27, 2017 9:16 am

That's a lovely idea, Strictly.

For me, I was put off by cinnamon on top of a coffee, so it's not my preferred choice, but nevertheless, there's plenty of other choices, as you say.

We've got a lunch, where we all bring one dish. So many are bringing mince pies, there'll be too many.
I had one at the house of fraser cafe at the weekend.
Piped swirl of pastry on top, and it was super.

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