Mince Pie Appreciation

Resisted until earlier today, and am now in full mincing season!

Started off strong with an offering from The Pavilion. TBF, they were my favourite from last year and 2021 has clearly been kind to them so I am struggling to see how today’s offering can be beaten. Saying that, at £2.50 a pie it is not sustainable and I will need to lower my expectations for the journeyman pie.

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Been wanting to try an actual vegan mince pie for a while and I’ve been keeping an eye on the ingredients in the supermarkets. Surprisingly few. Thanks @Kat_Balou for the Greggs heads up. @mespilus they do have palm oil in them.

A pretty good pie though. Pastry is crisp and short and the filling is gooey and tangy. Really nice. Obviously not buttery tasting, but they beat any of the supermarket non all-butter offerings. I was of the opinion that the paltry amounts of butter* that the supermarkets put in their pastry makes little to no difference and they should probably consider leaving it out completely so more people can eat their pies. I’m now even more of that opinion.

*not really butter is it? It’s an industrial bulk ingredient which has been optimised for industrial food production but which still meets the legal minimum requirement to still be called butter.

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The Coop do a vegan pie. Not advertised as such so you have to read the small print (ingredients), and only comes in a four-deck for £1.25. I broke the seal yesterday with three of these*. They are ok for a quick mincer hit but the emphasis is on sweetness and could do with a more complex filling flavour to really hit the spot. They are a similar "flat" shape to the Greggs ones but none of this half-filled disappointment you get in some broken promises of a pie.

*pies, not decks

One of the Tesco ones is vegan - I had a deck back in Oct (come at me, calendar fascists) and they were an inoffensive stopgap until Mr Gregg got his arse in gear. Think they were the Plant Chef range.

Ah cool, I’ve completely missed these. I’ll keep an eye out.

I'm getting some Saino's plant pioneer mincers delivered at the weekend, will let you know how they match up. I do remember from last year that the Holland & Barrett free from ones were the worst I'd ever tried.

Waitrose have had another ‘drop’ of SHOUTYCAPS. Delicious, if a little too sweet (and very fragile).

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On the homemade ones here, chef 8 3/4 y.o.

Interesting design, firm pastry and a decent enough lump of filling.

Added peril of not being 100% sure they were to be eaten yet... so only the one.

(Forgive toast crumbs in pic, reusing plate.)

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Their taste the difference free from minis are good. Crisp pastry and fairly well filled.

Saino's plant pioneer mincers

Spoiler alert! They are definitely not as good as the Coop ones I mentioned above. Pastry kinda claggy, filling is sweet but no tanginess or booziness whatsoever. Will finish the pack but won't buy more.

In more reassuring mincer news - came home from a morning in the office to find someone's been baking. Looking forward to grandma's vegan mincers later!

Curve ball from Pophams. Thought I’d been done when I took them out the bag. Took a chance, popped em in the oven for ten mins and oh my.

Some kind of unholy mince-croissant with it’s own internal reservoir of brandy butter. Ooft. Could do with more mincemeat but good god they’re tasty.

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Pavilion were sold out when I checked. Looking forward to their offering this year. A top spot for us the last two mincer seasons.

Is that Pavilion Vic Park?

And Broadway Market and a Columbia Road. Stone cold bangers in the past.

Stone cold bangers

Why are they talking about cold sausag… oh I see, must be urban slang

Tough day, CBD drink followed by mincers and haagen dasz.

Columbia Road had a solid stash on Wednesday gone and earlier today when I couldn’t resist another.

Pophams is very good although with it’s pastry type and cream content I am unsure if I can classify it as a mince pie. IMO YMMV etc.

The Waitrose Heston Night Before Christmas Mince Pies are fucking amazing. However, the pastry is very different. I love it, but I'm sure the traditionalists won't. The filling is spot on.

Also has a pretty clock motive on the top.

Came here to post about those. They’re fucking great, right?

So good. I’ve eaten four today.

A Christmas miracle. Pies only a mother could love
4/10 for appearance
8/10 for taste.
A dollop of brandy cream away from very nice indeed.

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Yeah agree, these are shit. Pastry is a bit powdery.

Homemade effort today, recipe from Bread Ahead.

Chunky AF.

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They look good!

I'll take a dozen please.