I have had a not too successful day.

this thread has inspired me to make some mince pies. I am not bad at baking but can't roast potatoes to save my life.

I am happy to say that I have never had the urge to bake mince pies. My sister has known me for 72 years and she will still try and get me to eat them this Christmas, not going to happen.

I find the same with a roast dinner. The ones that I just throw together always seem to come out the best

After almost 60 years of making my mince pies with sweet or ordinary shortcrust pastry ( half fat to flour; half butter half lard ( or Trex/Flora ) I have learned something new.
My 85 year old friend broke her arm . Every Christmas she makes dozens & dozens of mince pies for church friends etc.
I volunteered to do them for her and have been using her recipe under her very strict instruction.
The recipe is simple . 1 pound SR flour ; half pound ordinary lard ; 8 tablespoon cold water. Lids on pies , brush with milk and sugar. 180 in fan oven.
Bob's your uncle ! Fantastic mince pies every single time.
I am never going back to my own recipe ( Sorry Mum !) . Thank you to my friend and it just goes to show you are never too old to learn a better way !

My Londoner mother made great Yorkshire’s. Me being born and bred in Yorkshire can’t make them for love or money.

My 'bish bash bosh' as Jamie would say, cooking, is far better than when I try too hard. And don't get me started on the imprecise science of the Yorkshire pudding! Why can't I make them anymore! I have Yorkshire pudding gremlins in my kitchen it seems. My once soggy at the bottom but raised high and crispy at the sides puds are now a law unto themselves. Flat. Hard. Unpredictable. Annoying. I'm sure I'm doing exactly the same as I always did but now they mock me

Send me some too, please. I no longer make them as DH detests anything with raisins and living in Denmark, I would have to make my own mincemeat too, but I do miss a good mince pie.

Perhaps making pastry in a hurry means your fingers are colder. Warm hands ruin pastry.

I'd settle for just being able to make pastry . I used to be able to make beautiful sausage rolls with home made puff pastry. The knack has definitely left me. I can't even handle ready made pastry successfully now

Doesn't matter WHAT I try, I Just. Can't . Do. It.

Yorkshire puddings? Never. I make wonderful Yorkshire Biscuits.

I shameless rely on the local bakery for mince pies and Aunt Bessie for Yorkshire puddings

Blue45Sapphire I use left over mincemeat in the middle of a baked apple. Lovely with custard in the winter.
Mind you, I don't do much cooking now so usually buy mince pies. They are usually overfilled and too sweet but I find the Morrisons ones are quite nice.

Mix the left over mincemeat into ice cream

Do no Grans use bought shortcrust pastry?
Will I be banned from Gransnet? Bought jars of mincemeat too!

I'm the same breeze mine used to make very crispy and well risen yorkshires in bun tray now for some reason they are like buns even fully round at top with nothing in middle and very difficult to remove from tray it's a mystery ?

Apparently, vets take a dim view of anyone giving mince pies to their dogs. They can die from the poisons in the filling. On DM Yesterday.

I love mince pies, but short pastry is something I've never succeeded in making. In spite of much advice and trials.
So I'm making bread today. I know I can do that.
i might try that mincemeat cake though.

winifred01 I buy shortcrust pastry and jars of mince and made pies this morning. Disgusting things, can't stand them, but DH eats them by the ton at this time of year and the smell makes me feel Christmassy.

That's right GabriellaG54 - grapes and dried grapes eg raisins, sultanas etc are toxic to dogs.
Apparently tomatoes are too - who knew? My dog used to love spaghetti bolognaise and never seemed to get ill from it.

^Do no Grans use bought shortcrust pastry?
Will I be banned from Gransnet? Bought jars of mincemeat too!^
Winifred
I used to buy Tesco Finest shortcrust pastry if I was in a hurry - it was made with all Normandy butter but now it's made with palm oil I left it on the shelf.

Bread - how do you get your bread to rise? I used to put it in the airing cupboard where the hot water cylinder was - don’t have an airing cupboard anymore.

A or two before you start. They always turn our better when you have had a few.

4oz Trex
8oz self raising flour
Little water to mix.......makes wonderful light pastry.you'll never look back.

You'll NEVER look back!

sods law lol

Jalimal, if you overwork pastry, it becomes tougher because gluten is released as it is worked. Maybe that's why the thrown-together batch is better.

Granless, do you have a double oven by any chance? I put bread dough in the top oven with the light on and it's perfect for proving. Just warm enough. Then I bake it in the bottom oven.