Mince Pie Appreciation

You’re gonna need to get a train to Sheffield. Eve Kitchen, S11.

Going to have to go back for more.

Black Star Pastry, Sydney.

Bit of a poor effort on the pastry, not short or flakey, more like a tart case really. Filling tasted exactly like a Christmas pudding, which was great. Could have had more tang and booze, but the nostalgic pud element was 👌🏻

7/10

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I like the look of that. I like it a lot

Yeah, I think I'd try this....

An accidental discovery.
2 downmarket, (basic Coop), popped on baking tray, after an oven had been set for 20 minutes at 180C to warm up the main course, and then switched off.

Forgot about the mincers.

Next day lunchtime. Notice the mincers.
30 seconds in the microwave.
Pastry was decidedly shorter.

I believe, in modern parlance, that is a mincer hack.

Ok, found something that works.
Waitrose No.1 mincers.
De-lid
Add Cointreau
Oven, not microwave

I'm learning, incrementally, that it was excellent. Today's offering was more humdrum, air gap, too sweet, pastry was D. 6/10.

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Scoffed too quickly on the move for my own pic, but Landrace Bakery Mince Pies are excellent, 9/10. Could do with a touch more booze though.

Back at my parent’s house for some pre-Xmas drinking, nicely stocked with the home made mincers. A couple made for a solid festive breakfast.

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Trip to Chatsworth bakehouse to pick up some historic (in the Michael Winner sense) Basque cheesecake and minced pie gallete at just after 3 when they come out the oven, managed to put an order to collect tomorrow even though they aren’t taking orders as the cheesecake was sold out.
Took home one gallete that was still warm when I smashed it with a cup of tea, was very nice flaky type pastry, standard but good mince with right amount of peel topped with some kind of crumble, not as good as the mince pie slice they did last year which had a bigger ratio of mince to pastry.
2 more on order for tomorrow will be eaten instead of Christmas pud with a glass of dessert wine and either brandy butter/Marcelos Bali vanilla ice cream.

Fig. 1: AP Bakery

Good pastry, very bland filling.

Fig. 2: Flour & Stone

Apple and ginger apparently. Lovely hand made casing, again, a bit bland on the filling.

Bit of a theme emerging for antipodean mincers, needs more booze.

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Bit of a theme emerging for antipodean mincers, needs more booze.

That's @hippy encapsulated perfectly.

Morrisons bakery section deep fill mincers yesterday. £1.50 for a 4 pack, pretty good.

Their brown butter ones were nice I thought.

If anyone can make it to Enfield or Palmers Green, Holtwhites bakery does excellent mince pies but you'll need to take out a mini mortgage

Booths own. Pastry is left wanting. Filling is good. Brie for balance. 6/10

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Should last a while. Will add some Baron Bigod to one tomorrow inspired by @mcflute

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Black Sheep cafe, Windsor.
Possibly the best mincer, so far, of '23.
£1.20 each.

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We're moving into the post Xmas phase of grab any Mincer you can before they stop. So what’s the best I can get in South?

Coop basic were £1/slab late on the 24th.
Clearly not 'the best', but useful to have a back up.

Lottie Shaw’s seriously good mince pies: seriously good. Star shaped topper hasn’t lead to dryness, could do with a little more filling. Probably the second best offering of the season. 8.75 / 10.

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32p for 6. Mincemeat was a little sweet, pastry great though. Solid 7/10

Vegan as well.

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Treat yourselves:

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The asda hot cross bun instore baked bread thing is helping me through these difficult times.

Yep, I was thinking the other day how great HCBs are and that there is no stigma against "going early" with them.

It's the inclusive religious bake.