Bl**dy mince pies !

merlot I love his dinners (when DD cooks for us), so I thought it would be good. Maybe men aren't so good with non-cheffy things.

I outsource my mince pies. I make the mincemeat. DD turns them into pies. She does standard 'pie' mince pies nd others made from sheets of filo.

James Martin's recipes are high in fat, especially butter and salt.

I haven't made my own mincemeat for years. It's much easier to just add sherry or brandy to a good bought one.

Hetty58 you beat me to it! but what I secretly suspect is that in addition to loving them, they don't want the faff of making the pies themselves and hazel93 has proved a willing victim baker.

I make my own fruit mince but I am death to all other pastries. I may succeed if I had a kitchen processor but my 'processor' is my own hot hand

I've always found this, from Saint Delia, goes down well in our house - much easier:

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/party-food/canapes-nibbles/wholefood-mincemeat-slices

Hetty - seriously ???!!!
Or do I detect a hint of sarcasm ? Remember I have not had a great day !

Should have known a tv chef would cock it up make it over rich.

Mr Waitrose will make mine next year.

Just made second lot of mincemeat. Should have looked at the reviews.

James Martin recipe. So much suet! What was I thinking! Sigh!

Hetty you win. (where's my book)

If 'everyone loves them' so much, how about giving them the recipe and ingredients?

DH went to Morrisons this morning and he said it was like Christmas Eve it was so busy.
Maybe they were all searching for brandy butter kitty

I will buy 6 in Waitrose on Christmas Eve when I do ‘ the shop’ .

That's very good of him MissA.

Sainsbury's had no brandy butter this morning - what's that all about?

Thank you Lins1066. I am now tasked with providing mince pies for the whole family and freezing them uncooked seems like a great idea. I will give it a try!

Mr Kipling makes mine, for me.

I just bought a dozen mince pies from M&S - that'll last us a week. I gave up making them when bought ones were much nicer and I always hated making pastry

Yes I freeze them in patty tins overnight * Lynker*, then transfer them to a large Tupperware box with some greaseproof paper between each layer. Also use smaller sandwich type boxes from places like Poundland.

As it's Christmas I make a very short shortcrust pastry, add orange zest and use juice to bring together.

Good luck, kitty. I find bought gf pastry has the texture of shoe leather.

Not trying to put you off or anything.

merlot, I've bought frozen gf puff pastry and I'm going to try doing a swiss roll thingy and then slice them. It might work!!

I cooked some the other day and added a chopped apple and 2 chopped satsumas to the mincemeat. It tasted lovely. Found recipe on line. What pastry do you use ? Do you add egg or sugar or grated citrus fruit peel to it?

How do you freeze them uncooked Lins1066 without them falling apart? Do you freeze them in baking trays?

greyduster I like Duerr's mincemeat but it is getting harder to find for some reason. I have used Sainsbury's too. Mind you I decant the mincemeat from the jar into a bowl and add some brandy, leave overnight. My lot like glacé cherries so I chop some up and add those too, would work with dried cranberries too.
I use Delia's recipe for mince pies and freeze them uncooked, defrost and cook for 25 mins. Her recipe for cheese and onion sausage rolls are lovely, they go down well with meat eaters too.

I'm on my own...my visiting family are not keen on them, so I just bought 12 from the Co-op for myself and am having one now with my cup of tea ....delicious !!

I made eighteen last week but we ate them ? (well they are only a mouthful and GS helped!). I am now looking for a better brand of mincemeat. We are going away for Christmas and I aim to get a couple of dozen into the freezer ready to take with us. Ditto sausage rolls and I am going to experiment this year with a meat free sausage filling for DD.

I have 3 dozen in the freezer and some to take to my GS tonight.

Loads of time anyway, Gluten free pastry must be a nightmare. No bend to it.