Buttery, golden shortcrust pastry filled with rich, spiced mincemeat — the ultimate British Christmas treat. Simple to make and impossible to resist! … Share this… Facebook Messenger Twitter Linkedin Whatsapp Gmail Google
Every year, like clockwork, it happens. The leaves barely start turning amber and — BAM — there they are. Nestled between the digestive biscuits and the custard creams, a glorious tower of mince pie boxes has appeared on the supermarket shelf. And every year, someone on social media loses their mind about it. “It’s only … Continue reading Is It Too Early for Mince Pies? We Say Absolutely Not — And Here’s Why
There is an easy way to elevate the supermarket mince pie this Christmas and it takes less than 10 minutes to do. A mince pie at Christmas is a must, and it is quite possible you have already had your fair share this late in the season. So, if you are looking for a new … Continue reading Supermarket mince pies will taste even better if you add 2 ingredients | Express.co.uk
Nothing says Christmas time like juicy mincemeat!
Delicious homemade mince pies topped with frangipane and flaked almonds, these Easy Frangipane Mince Pies look and taste impressive, but are actually super simple to make.
Ingredients 1 lb 4 oz (570 g) mincemeat3½ oz (95 g) lard3 oz (75 g) butter or margarine12 oz (350 g) plain flour, plus extra for dustinga little milkpinch salt Share this… Facebook Messenger Twitter Linkedin Whatsapp Gmail Google
Every year, like clockwork, it happens. The leaves barely start turning amber and — BAM — there they are. Nestled between the digestive biscuits and the custard creams, a glorious tower of mince pie boxes has appeared on the supermarket shelf. And every year, someone on social media loses their mind about it.
“It’s only October!” they cry. “It’s not even Halloween yet!”
To which we at Mince Pie Club say: calm down, and have a mince pie.
The Case for Early Mince Pie Season
Let’s be honest — mince pies aren’t just a Christmas food anymore. They’re a season. And that season, glorious as it is, deserves to be savoured slowly, not crammed into the final two weeks of December in a panicked festive frenzy.
Think about it. If you wait until December 24th to start eating mince pies, you’ve got roughly 48 hours before the season is officially over and the Hot Cross Buns move in. That’s not enough time to properly evaluate the pastry-to-filling ratio on twelve different supermarket varieties. (And yes, you absolutely should be doing that.)
The early birds among us know the truth: October mince pies are a gift. The shelves are fresh, the stock is new, and you’ve got the whole glorious run-up to Christmas to conduct your research properly.
What the Supermarkets Are Doing Right
Credit where it’s due — the major supermarkets have been upping their mince pie game considerably in recent years. M&S, Waitrose, and Tesco Finest continue to set the bar high with all-butter pastry and generously spiced fillings. Even budget options from Aldi and Iceland have quietly become genuinely impressive, proving that you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy a proper mince pie.
This year, keep an eye out for some interesting twists — frangipane-topped varieties have been rising in popularity, and vegan options have gone from an afterthought to genuinely delicious alternatives. The mince pie world is, dare we say it, thriving.
Our Verdict
Mince pies are one of Britain’s greatest culinary traditions. They deserve more than a begrudging four-week window squeezed between Black Friday deals and Christmas dinner prep. So next time someone raises an eyebrow at your October mince pie habit, simply offer them one.
They’ll come around. They always do.
There is an easy way to elevate the supermarket mince pie this Christmas and it takes less than 10 minutes to do.
A mince pie at Christmas is a must, and it is quite possible you have already had your fair share this late in the season. So, if you are looking for a new way to enjoy these festive delights, one chef has a way to make the most of those supermarket mince pies.
Source: Supermarket mince pies will taste even better if you add 2 ingredients | Express.co.uk
Nothing says Christmas time like juicy mincemeat! Us Hungry Herbivores get far too excited when mince pie season approaches. We hit us Lidl and hunt down those amazing mince pies of theirs. But every now and again we love to create our own luxury mincemeat, which is so much nicer than the store brought sugar filled stuff. We’ve created a zesty mincemeat that can be spooned into mince pies, scooped into ice cream or swirled into desserts. The combination of apples, cranberries, raisins, orange and spices ticks all the festive boxes!
Continue reading How to: Vegan Luxury Mincemeat | The Hungry HerbivoresDelicious homemade mince pies topped with frangipane and flaked almonds, these Easy Frangipane Mince Pies look and taste impressive, but are actually super simple to make. (Promise I won’t tell!)
Continue reading Easy Frangipane Topped Mince Pies – Easy Peasy FoodieServes: 30
Preparation: 20 Mins
Cooking Time: 25 Mins
The mince pie is a British tradition but, although I am a Frenchman, I cannot resist trying to improve on a classic! Its ingredients are traceable to the 13th century when returning European crusaders brought with them Middle Eastern recipes containing meats, fruits and spices. It was in Victorian times that it changed from being a meat-based pie to being the sweet version we love today. It’s easy to get ahead with mince pies in advance of Christmas as the mincemeat mixture may be made a month in advance, and the pies may be made and frozen, then cooked when needed. Or, once cooked, they will keep in an air-tight tin for 5 days; just pass them through the oven to freshen the pastry before serving.
Continue reading Mince Pies – Raymond Blanc OBEFOOD & DRINK
Morrisons has teamed up with Kellogg’s this Easter on a ‘breakfast club’ offering in its cafes where the whole family can request a free bowl of cereal.
Adults and children will be able to choose from a bowl of Cornflakes, Rice Krispies or Coco Pops, with a choice of dairy and non-dairy milk, when they order a ‘Kellogg’s breakfast’ before 11am.
Continue reading Morrisons and Kellogg’s team up on free ‘breakfast club’ offering | Retail Bulletin
This easy mince pie recipe uses shop bought mince pie pastry and mincemeat to make the assembling of these festive delights an absolute breeze! We have also topped our mince pies with a crumble topping, however to make them even easier, simply roll out the trimmings from the pastry and stamp out stars or pie lids instead.
