When do you make your first mince pies?

DD uses sweet crust pastry, which has sugar in it.

Any tips for good, short, edible GF pastry, please?

When I tried it before, it was inedible and the bought stuff is oily and nasty.

I make mincemeat, but not mince pies, This is a task DD has taken to herself. When she comes round this weekend the large jar of mincemeat will be given to her and when she comes home for Christmas, on Christmas Eve, she will bring 2 tins of the most gorgeous home made mince pies. her pastry is beautiful.

I’ve just made a batch for “product testing”. I always make mine with shortbread rather than pastry. A fiddle to do but worth it.

Treebee

Christmas Eve usually. With Carols from Kings on the radio.

Me too.

Delia's recipe from the book with the big red bow on the front. It comes out of the cupboard at the end of October when we make the cake and is in use for all sorts of goodies until New Year, then gets put away. My GCn check that it's on the shelf by October half-term!

I made mine today. It was a bit of a stretch to get the 18 I should. Thought I had left DH one out but had forgotten so it's defrosting now. No chance of me eating anything with dried fruit either. I don't like most of the Christmas food except the Goose or the ham. I definitely have odd taste. I would rather have the Co op crisps mentioned by Georgesgran on another post or a box of really good chocolates.

One short on the nearest rack Joseann - a bit of product testing?
They look very professional - hope they taste as good as they look.

Just practising to get them right.

My gran always made the best mince pies, with wonderful pastry. She never used recipes for anything, she just threw all the ingredients in and everything always turned out perfect! When I married, I tried to make my own but they didn't work out so well! Now, I can't be bothered to waste my time, or the ingredients, so I prefer to buy M&S All Butter Mince Pies, or their Collection range.

Ilovecheese

Made a dozen on Monday. There are 2 left today.

Made a christmas cake about 3-4 weeks ago. It wasn't all that successful so there is only 1 slice left!

Minimoon, I saw a recipe for mincemeat squares made with oats and whole wheat, so perhaps your husband could have these.

www.food.com/recipe/christmas-mincemeat-squares-43512

I don't make them since I'm the only one in the family who eats them.

For those that make them; do you make your own mincemeat, or use a jar?

I’m the only one in the family who likes them so I make them a couple of days before Christmas and don’t make any more as I struggle to keep my weight down.

I always add just a little orange juice to my pastry and put a blob of cream cheese on top of the mincemeat. Can’t remember whose recipe that was but the mince pies are delicious.

This weekend, hopefully! We've made the mincemeat already. (These will be "just for testing", of course....)

Ooh, sounds lovely! All round to salti's then, I'll bring the Baileys

I don't really like them - much too sweet .

So if I make them ( as requested ! ) - I add mashed banana and grated apple to the mincemeat for a less sugary cloying taste .

I make the first batch at the beginning of December and up until New Year .

I'm going to make a large mince tart today with some mincemeat I made a few weeks ago. We'll have it with brandy cream.

I’ll probably have to make more once the rest of the family knows they are there.

I made 4 dozen at the beginning of the week. 3 dozen are in the freezer. The rest have been eaten by our visitors and DH over the last 3 days.

36 mince pies in the freezer and they are staying there, DH would scoff the lot in days given the chance. But will have to make some GF and dairy free one for one DS as well.

I’ll join you in the sherry, but I’ll give the mince pies and Christmas cake a miss.
Anything with dried fruit is a very definite ‘no’ from me.

Christmas Eve usually. With Carols from Kings on the radio.

I have only made mince pies once and they were a disaster. I don’t care for them at all, in fact I rarely eat pastry. I get fed up when at every pre- Christmas event, mince pies are served.

Now Christmas cake, that’s another matter. I used to make one but ended up eating it all myself, over time, so eventually I stopped. DH would have one slice.

I've never made them as no one eats them. My husbands Aunt used to make us some but I don;t she can even be bothered anymore (she is in her 90s so I think that is allowed) I quite like them by the way

Usually Christmas Eve - but my family have never been mince pie people so this year, as it’s just the two of us on Christmas Day and Boxing Day I will buy a few expensive ones. When it comes to sausage rolls though, it’s a very different matter. I’ve already got sausage meat and puff pastry in the freezer and will be making them fresh from Christmas Eve through to New Year.