Mince pie reviews

bianchi_dave

That time already?? I did nearly pick up a box in Tesco the other day but thought it was a bit early. Clearly not!
Trouble is if you start now its nearly 2 months of gorging on the things. Means an awful lot of zwifting to keep the waistline trim!

veronese68

Just had a Taste the Difference brandy mince pie that a supplier had brought in, I think someone said upthread that they are too sweet. I agree, need a shot of coffee to get rid of the sickly sweet aftertaste.

Munsford0 said:

Google tells me pear and fig mince pies in cheese pastry...

What the feckityfeck is that nonsense? I refer to Pross' comment about food pretentiousness

MidlandsGrimpeur2

Would you rather not have an Eccles cake instead of a mince pie or are you all hardcore users.

I ordered some Eccles Cakes from Pump Street Bakery online a few weeks back. Pricey but delicious, best I have ever tried.

daniel_b

MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

Would you rather not have an Eccles cake instead of a mince pie or are you all hardcore users.

I ordered some Eccles Cakes from Pump Street Bakery online a few weeks back. Pricey but delicious, best I have ever tried.

£3.75 per cake is a fair amount eh, unless I missed something on the website.

MidlandsGrimpeur2

£3.75 per cake is a fair amount eh, unless I missed something on the website.

Yes, you are right Dan. The actual cakes are £2.50 each (probably around standard for an independent bakery, or what I would expect in a coffee shop) but there is a hefty £7.50 delivery charge which brings the price up.

As a one of treat though I definitely thought they were worth it.

Munsford0

" a hefty £7.50 delivery charge which brings the price up"

Fcuk me, do they arrive warm and within 15 minutes by motor cycle courier? Or did you order 200 of the things??

I love an eccles cake but my inner Yorkshireman wouldn't let me pay that much

MidlandsGrimpeur2

Fcuk me, do they arrive warm and within 15 minutes by motor cycle courier? Or did you order 200 of the things??

Now that would be value for money

It is pretty standard if you are ordering fresh goods from small producers for next day delivery. I don't think it is them trying to boost their margins, it is the standard courier rate.

Not something I would do on a regular basis!

webboo

MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

Would you rather not have an Eccles cake instead of a mince pie or are you all hardcore users.

I ordered some Eccles Cakes from Pump Street Bakery online a few weeks back. Pricey but delicious, best I have ever tried.

Marks and Spencer’s do some pretty good ones. Not the ones in packets the ones on the counter you have to bag your self.

bianchi_dave

Just tried the Tesco in store bakery lattice mince pies (£1.25 for 4).

Reasonable value for the size of pie but a few issues. Puff pastry (not my first choice) was a little greasy on the palette but the real problem was a distinct lack of fruit in the filling, more like a fruit sauce with a few lumps in it.

On the whole tasty enough (as in better than not having a mince pie) but I'm sure Tesco can do better.

A middling 2.5 / 5.

pblakeney

bianchi_dave said:

…

On the whole tasty enough (as in better than not having a mince pie) but I'm sure Tesco can do better.

…

They do, or did. The All Butter Pastry version.
Completely forgot when I went shopping. Doh!

Tashman

Cafe that my wife works in have a new cook that started and did some Frangipane topped pies. I thought the ratio of fruit was too low and couldn't really taste it. Apparently I was wrong!

bianchi_dave

pblakeney said:

bianchi_dave said:

…

On the whole tasty enough (as in better than not having a mince pie) but I'm sure Tesco can do better.

…

They do, or did. The All Butter Pastry version.
Completely forgot when I went shopping. Doh!

Small update - I had another one last night, warmed with some plain dairy ice cream and it was slightly better, scraping a 3 / 5.

A mince pie shouldn't need an accompaniment however.

pblakeney

bianchi_dave said:

pblakeney said:

bianchi_dave said:

…

On the whole tasty enough (as in better than not having a mince pie) but I'm sure Tesco can do better.

…

They do, or did. The All Butter Pastry version.
Completely forgot when I went shopping. Doh!

Small update - I had another one last night, warmed with some plain dairy ice cream and it was slightly better, scraping a 3 / 5.

A mince pie shouldn't need an accompaniment however.

I thought everyone had cream of some kind with mince pies.
I certainly do. I suppose dry with a cup of builder's tea would work.

Pross

pblakeney said:

bianchi_dave said:

pblakeney said:

bianchi_dave said:

…

On the whole tasty enough (as in better than not having a mince pie) but I'm sure Tesco can do better.

…

They do, or did. The All Butter Pastry version.
Completely forgot when I went shopping. Doh!

Small update - I had another one last night, warmed with some plain dairy ice cream and it was slightly better, scraping a 3 / 5.

A mince pie shouldn't need an accompaniment however.

I thought everyone had cream of some kind with mince pies.
I certainly do. I suppose dry with a cup of builder's tea would work.

I eat them straight from the box. I actually prefer them cold but if I do heat them up then I would add cream or ice cream.

seanoconn

Pross said:

pblakeney said:

bianchi_dave said:

pblakeney said:

bianchi_dave said:

…

On the whole tasty enough (as in better than not having a mince pie) but I'm sure Tesco can do better.

…

They do, or did. The All Butter Pastry version.
Completely forgot when I went shopping. Doh!

Small update - I had another one last night, warmed with some plain dairy ice cream and it was slightly better, scraping a 3 / 5.

A mince pie shouldn't need an accompaniment however.

I thought everyone had cream of some kind with mince pies.
I certainly do. I suppose dry with a cup of builder's tea would work.

I eat them straight from the box. I actually prefer them cold but if I do heat them up then I would add cream or ice cream.

This ^^ Cold with a cup of tea or warm with cream and/or ice cream.

Munsford0

I once persuaded a colleague who was unfamiliar with the behaviour of stuff in a microwave that a mince pie required heating on high for 10 minutes. No explosions, but a radiant lake of molten lava...

seanoconn

Munsford0 said:

I once persuaded a colleague who was unfamiliar with the behaviour of stuff in a microwave that a mince pie required heating on high for 10 minutes. No explosions, but a radiant lake of molten lava...

Jeez, you could have been done for attempted murder! 😂

30 seconds max per mince pie.

beansnikpoh

Break a hole in the lid with the handle of a teaspoon, add a dollop of brandy butter, nuke for 20 seconds. Add cream or ice cream as required.

Keeping my powder dry until December.

pblakeney

Nuking works if you are in hurry or concerned about energy usage but in the oven is so much nicer for the pastry.

beansnikpoh

pblakeney said:

Nuking works if you are in hurry or concerned about energy usage but in the oven is so much nicer for the pastry.

You are of course correct, ideal is to take a warm pie directly from the oven, break lid, add brandy butter and choice of cream.

pblakeney

Noticing that the portion size of packaged mince pies is out of sync with portions sizes of cream so I constantly have to top up one or the other. I mean, I have to, right? 😉

bianchi_dave

Another one to report -
M&S "Collection" (Black box of 6). Amazing for a pre packed pie, the best I've tasted in fact.
Shortcrust butter pastry to die for and the perfect amount of filling with plenty fruit present.
Tried them both warmed in microwave and cold. As above, 15s in the micro just made the shortcrust a bit too soft so not recommended.
Excellent (cold) at room temp though.
My highest rating was for Morrisons instore baked at 4.5. But these M&S ones are easily a 4 from me.
Can any mince pie really be a 5?? Nowhere to go after that!

gpitcaithly36

Nobody seems to have mentioned Costco mince pies yet - the best I have tried. Also, cold is the way to go, you get the full flavour and none of the third degree burns!

pblakeney

gpitcaithly36 said:

Nobody seems to have mentioned Costco mince pies yet - the best I have tried. Also, cold is the way to go, you get the full flavour and none of the third degree burns!

Do not use a microwave to heat mince pies.
Oven or cold.

surrey_commuter

bianchi_dave said:

Another one to report -
M&S "Collection" (Black box of 6). Amazing for a pre packed pie, the best I've tasted in fact.
Shortcrust butter pastry to die for and the perfect amount of filling with plenty fruit present.
Tried them both warmed in microwave and cold. As above, 15s in the micro just made the shortcrust a bit too soft so not recommended.
Excellent (cold) at room temp though.
My highest rating was for Morrisons instore baked at 4.5. But these M&S ones are easily a 4 from me.
Can any mince pie really be a 5?? Nowhere to go after that!

well every day is a schoolday, I always thought short crust did not contain butter.

As somebody who is lactose intolerant I will be peering at the ingredients

bianchi_dave

surrey_commuter said:

bianchi_dave said:

Another one to report -
M&S "Collection" (Black box of 6). Amazing for a pre packed pie, the best I've tasted in fact.
Shortcrust butter pastry to die for and the perfect amount of filling with plenty fruit present.
Tried them both warmed in microwave and cold. As above, 15s in the micro just made the shortcrust a bit too soft so not recommended.
Excellent (cold) at room temp though.
My highest rating was for Morrisons instore baked at 4.5. But these M&S ones are easily a 4 from me.
Can any mince pie really be a 5?? Nowhere to go after that!

well every day is a schoolday, I always thought short crust did not contain butter.

As somebody who is lactose intolerant I will be peering at the ingredients

Here's the blurb from M&S -
"Melt-in-the-mouth all-butter shortcrust pastry, deep filled with mincemeat containing dried vine fruits, glacé cherries, cranberries, brandy, cider, clementine juice and Cognac. Topped with a shortcrust pastry star and a sweet dusting."

seanoconn

bianchi_dave said:

surrey_commuter said:

bianchi_dave said:

Another one to report -
M&S "Collection" (Black box of 6). Amazing for a pre packed pie, the best I've tasted in fact.
Shortcrust butter pastry to die for and the perfect amount of filling with plenty fruit present.
Tried them both warmed in microwave and cold. As above, 15s in the micro just made the shortcrust a bit too soft so not recommended.
Excellent (cold) at room temp though.
My highest rating was for Morrisons instore baked at 4.5. But these M&S ones are easily a 4 from me.
Can any mince pie really be a 5?? Nowhere to go after that!

well every day is a schoolday, I always thought short crust did not contain butter.

As somebody who is lactose intolerant I will be peering at the ingredients

Here's the blurb from M&S -
"Melt-in-the-mouth all-butter shortcrust pastry, deep filled with mincemeat containing dried vine fruits, glacé cherries, cranberries, brandy, cider, clementine juice and Cognac. Topped with a shortcrust pastry star and a sweet dusting."

Can you say it again in your sexiest voice please.

pangolin

gpitcaithly36 said:

Nobody seems to have mentioned Costco mince pies yet - the best I have tried. Also, cold is the way to go, you get the full flavour and none of the third degree burns!

Costco, that is left field. Do you have to commit to a box of 50?

Pross

surrey_commuter said:

bianchi_dave said:

Another one to report -
M&S "Collection" (Black box of 6). Amazing for a pre packed pie, the best I've tasted in fact.
Shortcrust butter pastry to die for and the perfect amount of filling with plenty fruit present.
Tried them both warmed in microwave and cold. As above, 15s in the micro just made the shortcrust a bit too soft so not recommended.
Excellent (cold) at room temp though.
My highest rating was for Morrisons instore baked at 4.5. But these M&S ones are easily a 4 from me.
Can any mince pie really be a 5?? Nowhere to go after that!

well every day is a schoolday, I always thought short crust did not contain butter.

As somebody who is lactose intolerant I will be peering at the ingredients

You can make it without butter but it usually has it. I can't imagine it without to be honest as the butter gives it the taste.

gpitcaithly36

pangolin said:

gpitcaithly36 said:

Nobody seems to have mentioned Costco mince pies yet - the best I have tried. Also, cold is the way to go, you get the full flavour and none of the third degree burns!

Costco, that is left field. Do you have to commit to a box of 50?

Only 9 - which disappear very quickly!