Mince Pie Appreciation

Found some Mini Ecclefechan® & Mincemeat Tarts reduced in Sainsburys today.

An abomination, but a tasty one...

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The balaeric dark chocolate coated apple flipped with milk chocolate dried Banana.

Anyway. Gregg's. Wtf you done to the pies? So sweet my teeth hurt.

Gorgonzola and mince pie is a winning combo.

oh shit...

Address?

These look stunning. I don't suppose I could trouble you for a recipe? I'm looking to bake my own for the first time this week.

Also - and I don't mean this to detract from your mincing achievement in any way - isn't grappa by definition grape-based, and would the booze here more accurately be called apple schnapps?

My main beef with the off-the-shelf mincers is that they seem to replace brandy with yet more sugar. They're not nearly (if at all?) boozy enough.

I have found that making a small incision in the pastry lid of supermarket mince pies and gently pouring in a dash of brandy significantly improves the overall flavour.

Not only was the flavour profile augmented but the cloyingness decreased, possibly due to the brandy's ability to cut through the butter in the pastry along with its mouth lubricating properties.

One down side was the brandy does not permeate through the mince and ends up sitting between the mince and the pastry lid. This often lead to the spilling of brandy when the first bite was taken. However, the proximity to the surface of the brandy enhanced the aroma and opened the airways.

A better approach to investigate in the future may be to inject the brandy into the centre of the mince itself, possibly in multiple sites forming 'brandy micro-pockets' to improve overall distribution of the liquor.

^ read that in Alan Partridge voice in my head

One of these...

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Apple schnapps it is!

Can confirm the co-op posh ones have ample headroom for some custard botox. Decent filling and pastry too. Please shoot one up and let us know the results.

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@EB
'A 'Partridge at Xmas'; everyday, until the 24th, North Norfolk Digital brings you 12 minutes with Alan, as he reviews his favourite ready-to-cook/eat Festive specialities.
Parental advisory; Will contain mild scorn as the show runner couldn't blag any samples from Waitrose or Booth's'.

Individual Bakewell mincers fresh out of the oven.....

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they look awesome

https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/books/delias-happy-christmas/traditional-mince-pies

And if you're really serious....

https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/books/delias-happy-christmas/home-made-christmas-mincemeat

Happy Mincemas.

Gregg's mince pies, still bloody got it

Ooh lovely, thanks!

I've never had a mince pie with proper crispy pastry till I tried Gregg's.

Well I nearly made it to December, caved and bought a box of puff pastry mince pies from Sainsburys.

You've missed HC season.

Did this for years with meat pies and chips or tommy sauce.

I bought the £2 for 6 luxury pies from Coop last night. Good filling to pastry ratio and the pastry is super crisp.

My local coop...Archway.... Not stocking Luxury version. Only minis and other variations.

Crisp pastry is all well and good, but give me squidgy any day. Anyone with me on this? Is it a northern thing?