Good food finds in the run up to Christmas

We bought chocolate stollen bites from Aldi and they are so moreish! Basically slightly more than a mouthful of stollen covered in chocolate.

Austrian friend brought me Aldi Lebkuchen, big, soft, spicy!
DS spoke highly of Waitrose 1 All Butter Mince Pies. I managed to resist.


The

Oh loves Aldi red box mince pies I don't like any pies swanny oh used to have fried Christmas pud I don't like that either my Downfall is Christmas cake with cheese .

I must say that I can't tell the difference between mince pies and the expensive Ecclefechan ones ( except less pastry, as the Ecc ones are little tarts rather than pies.)

Aldi have Salted caramel mince pies. Managed to resist buying them yesterday but they are calling me back. With luck they will be sold out - not exactly compatible with my Slimming World diet.

I was comparing prices of (plastic) tins of Quality Street-type sweets in Sainsbury's and their own brand 'Chocolate Treats' at £4 came out best for price per 100g

Oh dear - my whole family dislike all that Christmas food, Christmas cake,pudding; mince pies,gingerbread,stollen etc. None too keen myself either.

annsixty thank you for reminding me of ecclefechan tarts - leapt up to put them on my shopping lists immediately. That's the trouble when you shop online; you don't see all the treats waiting as you wander round the supermarket

Grannyknot those mini puds sound great. My nearest Co-op is so tiny it's hard to get round but I'll brave it to get some, as I'm the only one in the family who likes Christmas pudding. My dad used to fry slices with his breakfast

Lidl mini stollen - totally delectable!

They are Scottish Charleygirl. Ecclefechan is in Dumfries and Galloway. If you don't like mince pies you won't like Ecclefechan tarts either.

So pleased I do not like mince pies, pannetone etc. I have never heard of Ecclefechan cake- what part of the country does it originate?

Also Lidl champagne is really good - bought a bottle to take when staying with relatives - it was delicious. Bought 2 more bottles for Christmas. It's called COMTE DE SENNEVAL

Bought boxes of chocolate biscuits and shortbread, pannetone and small Christmas pudding s from Lidl - half the price of Waitrose

Kitty have you tried M & S for gf food? I love their sliced seeded bread & seeded rolls. Have also sampled their mince pies - yum! Don't think their gf range is any more expensive than the usual gf stuff in supermarkets.

Does this count as a Christmas find? Aldi's www.aldi.co.uk/veuve-monsigny-champagne-brut/p/000000015801000

£9.99 PER BOTTLE

Aldi also have some excellent (so good that I ate the entire contents on my own) boxes of cherry liqueur chox.

Home made mincemeat & 3 little balls of marzipan in the bottom of each mince pie. Delicious although I have to make some without marzipan as DS hates it.

Sausage rolls with onion & sage too. Oh I can't wait to get cooking but freezer full so will have to wait a bit.

I usually do MP & SR on Christmas Eve afternoon singing along to Carols om Radio 4. My Christmas starts then

I alway make my own mince pies using Jamie Oliver's sweet pastry recipie, chilling the pastry befor rolling out and then chilling the pies before cooking.

I've got several uncooked batches in the freezer, but always have to cook a sample just to make sure of the standard!

That was to "Lilyflower*

Interesting about the Waitrose off the counter mince pies. Nice to be able to puy just one. No temptation to scoff the whole packet then.

My son swears by the Waitrose cheapest box ones. The pastry is ok but the mincemeat is a mush.

My friend makes Jocelyn Dimbleby mince pies, she says they are just a bit different but delicious.
I must go round there for coffee

Oh those Ecclefechan tarts sound delicious. Must keep walking though, when I go past Sainsburys.

#soddingdietbutitsgottabedone

Mr Kipling mince pies are very good standard 'hand to hand combat' standbys as are Tesco's own. Both are good microwaved for 15 seconds and with a bit of pouring cream.

However, the all-time greatest bough mince pie has to be the Waitrose flat mince pie from the cake counter. Last year they were 60 pence but this year are £1 which is daylight robbery. Nevertheless, I have bought some and they are still the best. The pastry is like shortcake and there is just the right amount of really delicious mincemeat.

Lisl defo have best nuts

My gran's Ecclefechan tart was the best (IMO)
Alas I don't have the recipe.

I have to agree Ann
My little GC are not allowed to spit out their food!
Just a 'I no like'