Which pastry for homemade mince pies?

For me it's got to be sweet pastry ( but not mine, you'd break your teeth on it?)

For me its a sweet shortcrust made with butter and icing sugar.

I use sweetened shortcrust and they don't last long in my house. I tried with flaky pastry but I found the bottoms a bit hard and they made a terrible mess

I always make sweetened shortcrust, but I make a batch with unsweetened shortcrust because DH prefers it.

Sweet shortcrust for me made with margarine not butter and not so short it sticks to the roof of your mouth.

I use sweet pastry from the supermarket chiller. I make a nice line in roof tiles if I attempt myself.

Sweet pastry, as said before, Jamie's recipie. Yum!

My sister makes hybrid ones - short pastry cases with a star shaped puff pastry top - best of both worlds.

Short crust made with self raising flour. Never had any complaints and they don't hang around for long.

I prefer unsweetened but my friend adds a grating of orange peel.

Does anyone use all butter or sharp intake of breath lard?

I find all butter pastry turns out too crispy. Tbh I think the old fashioned way, half block margand half lard, gives the best shortcrust pastry.

I don't suppose a dozen mince pies will hurt!

(you should one for each month of next year to bring luck apparently)

eat one ??

I will start making/eating Mince Pies on Thursday. The 1st December.

Half marge and half lard definitely gives the best texture. I might buy a block of lard this year. Haven't made them that way for ages.

Sweet short pastry with orange peel is fab for mince pies.

Lard it is then! (50% lard 50% butter)

Hybrids. There's a thought .........

or buy some

........ And orange zest. I feel some changes coming in the kitchen.

A German lady in the village whose husband is English put her own twist on the pastry for mince pies with an egg yolk or two and sugar - so a sweet pastry. It keeps it shape nicely and is perfect - nearly as good as Mr Kipling. I suppose it's practically a biscuit really with those ingredients added.

I make my own mincemeat, but have also found a source for it in Germany now.

Does margarine still exist? I thought it had gone extinct. Prolly I just don't see it cos I haven't wanted to buy any for about a thousand years.

Shortcrust. Half butter, half lard. I don't think I've ever added sugar to pastry.

I use short crust pastry just as I was taught to make it more years ago than I care to remember. It takes me a long time to get a batch made but for DH the anticipation is the thing. He is like a little boy again and it really makes the doing of it very worthwhile!

I found a half jar of last year's home made mincemeat in the larder and thought it looked alright but just a bit dry so I put a measure of brandy in and gave it a stir. I am just hoping it will taste ok and not be too strong.
I am going to make the first batch next week which will be a bit early but we are away for the festive season and won't be back until into the new year. DH is a mince pie addict so I don't suppose he will even notice the finer points of my mince pies!