M&S Mince Pies awful this year - any alternatives?

Supercell

Winner winner mince pie for dinner!

Happy to report that the Lidl ones are indeed the best I've tasted so far. @the beer revolu look away -> they pass the microwave mush test (i'm not turning on the oven for 20 minutes to heat one pie) and the filling has a bit of bite but not too acidic. Plus, they are cheaper than the rest, whats not to like!

My waistline will not allow further testing and my wife will divorce me if i buy more pies. My mince pie journey has concluded for 2023.

HeidiHeidi

Reading this thread sent me on a hunt to Aldi to try the Jamaican rum pies, which I must say sound amazing! Unfortunately, none to be found.

But I did find some almond ones, which look very nice indeed, and I'm looking forward to trying one later this evening.

odyssey06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121475880#Comment_121475880

That's a pity... hopefully they get more stock in. The Supervalu bakery brandy mince pies are good ones too, but it will probably depend on your local store if they have them or not.

wpd

Avoca mince pies are amazing

https://www.diningindublin.ie/avocas-homemade-mince-pies/

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121475985#Comment_121475985

I was going to say the same!

If in Dublin or near an Avoca, go for those.

Also the Donnybrook Fair & Lotts & Co ones are great. Not cheap, but better than the standard supermarket offering as a xmas treat.

apache

I used to love my mam's homemade ones. Have been on the hunt for a nice mince pie. Have just had a Tesco finest spiced rum one which was nice. Haven't tasted anything really lovely.

Spanish Eyes

I tried "making my own". Got a jar of mincemeat, added some rum, put it into vol au vent cases, and dusted with icing sugar at the end. They looked good, and everyone ate them + whipped cream, but I don't like them at all, nor pudding nor Christmas cake so I let them at it. I don't have pastry hands, my mother did but I didn't inherit the pastry gene. I never buy them since I don't like them, but I wanted to use up the few frozen vol au vents in the freezer. Result.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121475880#Comment_121475880

No, no, no, no...... those almond mince pies were pretty awful 😖

Dry pastry, not enough filling, and what filling there was was sickly sweet.

Avoca (and presumably a mortgage top-up to fund it) here I come.

Got a box of 4 SuperValu puff pastry mince pies for €2, pretty good value and delicious. Not too sweet, a warm fan oven 150C for 10 minutes, delicious. Very juicy fruit, not too strong a flavour or overly sweet. Just perfect.

septictank

Nothing wrong with the Lidl pies, 12 for €1.99, warm 2/3 up and a bit of Brandy butter on the side.

pigtail33

The Independent did a Christmas Food Taste Test over the weekend. It's all behind a paywall, but here's the mince pie results.

Mince pies

Frangipane Mince Pies Aldi Specially Selected 258g/6 pack, €3.49 Heavy-handed on the almond flavour, from the Amaretto-infused mincemeat to the frangipane sponge lid and flaked almond topping, in a soft, cakey pastry. Divisive. ★★★

Handmade All Butter Mince Pies Dunnes Stores Simply Better 400g/6 pack, €4.99 These look exactly like the Lidl ones with their generous case and star of buttery shortcrust pastry, but the complex stout and brandy-infused nutty mincemeat gives these the edge. Very good. ★★★★★

Mince Pies infused with Whiskey and Pecan Lidl Deluxe 400g/6 pack, €5.49 Handmade in Galway, generous in size with an attractive sugar-dusted star of buttery shortcrust pastry that’s crumbly but not dry; good ratio of citrussy mincemeat filling textured with pecans and walnuts. Satisfying. ★★★★

Mini Mince Pies M&S Collection 246g/9 pack, €4.50 Nicely executed with a keen sharpness cutting the richness of the dark, intensely flavoured mincemeat, and a decent pastry case, though the star topping looks factory-made rather than homemade. Smart. ★★★★

All Butter Pastry Mini Mince Pies SuperValu Signature Tastes 250g/9 pack, €4.69 Again, a clever idea of a mini pie, and these look handmade, but are by far the sweetest of all those sampled, and with an odd smell and taste that’s weirdly cloying and off-putting. Unpleasant. ★

All Butter Pastry Mince Pies Tesco Finest 376g/6 pack, €3.50 Dry, crumbly pastry with a heavy dusting of sugar. The mincemeat is sweet but very tangy and nicely boozy with French brandy and port giving it good length. Serviceable. ★★★ 

phormium

I make my own pies, mincemeat and all because I don't like them overly sweet to start with but I was in M&S the other day in another town and decided to have a cup of coffee, now the prices of their slices of cake etc are ridiculous but I fancied something sweet so had the fancy mince pie which was basically the cheapest thing at I think 2.25. I was expecting great things but it was poor enough but then that's probably because I don't like the very sweet syrupy filling, the pastry was ok, I did refuse the heating though!

As regards heating them in microwave, in general no pastry should be reheated that way but careful use of it can avoid destroying the crispiness of pastry. Very short time, very short! That Tesco instructions say 10 seconds, I find most people hit the 30sec button regardless! Added to that I wouldn't believe supermarket instructions are giving any thought to the quality of the product after microwaving if they even notice the difference!

Actually have the mincemeat in the freezer as I make a less sugar variety which doesn't keep as well in jars and this reminded me to take it out and make a start on them.

ethical

Try the LIDL in- house bakery mince pies,I reckon they are possibly the best there is this year.They sell them in boxes of 4 in stores that have a bakery.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121481903#Comment_121481903

Damn, I've just come from Lidl - and in a rush of blood to the head, said I'd buy a jar of Deluxe mincemeat, I'll get a roll of puff pastry, and lash a few into the oven myself - can't possibly be any worse than those Aldi almond ones!

Any tips of stuff to add to the jar of mince to enhance it?? I have a never-ever-going-to-get-used bottle of Caribbean rum, would that be advisable?

the beer revolu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121482208#Comment_121482208

If it's too sweet, add grated cooking apple.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121482342#Comment_121482342

It is very likely to be too sweet, so thanks for that!

pigtail33

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121481903#Comment_121481903

They're down to €1.99 from this Thursday.

I tried the Lidl Deluxe ones last year and I found the pastry was too undercooked for my liking. I'll give the bakery ones a go on Thursday.

phormium

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121482355#Comment_121482355

Definitely grated apple but if very juicy squeeze it out a bit before adding, can add too much liquid and make them boil over. If you really wanted rum buy a measure from your nearest bar or even the tiny little bottle in off licence. Again can make it too wet as the dried fruit would originally had the alcohol added when steeping to absorb it but if too wet can add some ground almonds if you have them. I would add chopped nuts too because I like them.

HeidiHeidi

Well I thought I'd report back on my initial home-made mince pies effort...... not too bad actually!

Jus-rol puff pastry and jar of mince bought - then realised I have neither a pie tin nor a cutter🙈. So I just used a ramekin to hack out two discs of pastry, stuck a spoon of mince on one and sealed them shut - forgot to brush the top with milk, stuck them in the airfryer to see what would happen, and I was pleasantly surprised with the result!

I think I'll be using the actual oven next time, and I'll try to be a bit more organised and remember all the steps and try to make them look a bit prettier (I literally cannot remember the last time, if ever, I used my oven for baking!) - but even my 10-minute thrown-together effort was a mile better than the bought Aldi ones!

Supercell

In an interesting plot twist, it seems my wife thinks i'm a mince pie lover and has bought me more M&S pies as part of my xmas presents (saw a box hidden in the bedroom! , she doesn't like them so it's definitely for me!)....'cos she knows i usually like anything M&S, the irony!