I have had a not too successful day.

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.

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'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 ?

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

Mix the left over mincemeat into ice cream

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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 !

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

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.

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.

Re leftover mincemeat, I'd never thought of mincemeat and apple crumble till we had it at a pub lunch shortly after Christmas a couple of years ago.
Genius! (IMO of course.)

I think if you are relaxed things turn out so much better, which is possibly why a “thrown together” cake or mince pies turns out well. If I’m a bit harassed (and who isn’t at least once at Christmas ), baking and cooking generally don’t go as smoothly

I like the sound of that mincemeat cake - wish I'd seen it before making my Chr. cake! Which none of the family are mad keen on, but there will be a son in law who likes it. Dare I admit that some of it may well end up on the bird table? But at least they'll enjoy it.

I made 3 dozen mince pies just the other day - there are about 4 left! Aside from me and dh scoffing them, I did put 10 in a little tin to give to an ex colleague (single bloke) who came for lunch yesterday.
In our defence, they are the little trad. ones, not much more than a mouthful really.
I shall doubtless be making at least another 3 dozen next week.
Couldn't find my usual pastry cutters when making first lot early December - realised that I'd taken them to dd's for Gdd to make 'cakes' with play-doh and fairy-cake cases. Had to use ancient ones inherited from MiL, so a smaller lid than usual. Actually I prefer them like that now.

Talking of Yorkshires, I’ve always been able to make them, golden and puffy and delicious. However, after a fairly awful time in my life I would make the batter as usual, cook them as usual, and three of the six would turn out beautifully, while the others would remain a gloomy stodge. Same oven, same mix, same method, no difference in where I put them in the oven, three crackers and three duds. Mystifying.

Blue45Sapphire

Here’s the Mincemeat Cake recipe, a Mary Berry from the 1980’s

5 oz soft margarine
5 ozs light soft brown sugar
2 eggs
8 ozs SR flour
3 ozs sultanas
1 lb jar mincemeat
1 oz flaked almonds

Heat the oven to 325F, gas mark 3,
Line an 8” round cake tin

Place all ingredients, except the almonds, in a large bowl, and beat well for 1 minute, or until well blended.
Turn into the prepared tin, smooth the top, and then sprinkle over the almonds.
Bake in the oven for about 1 3/4 hours, until the cake is golden brown, and shrinking away from the sides of the tin.
Leave to cool in the tin, remove the paper, and then store in an airtight tin.

I made a batch of mince pies with my DGS aged 3 yesterday. I will keep quiet about the number of times he sneezed in the pastry bowl!

Jessity can I swop my pastry making for your meringues.
Pastry, no bother, meringues nearly always end up oozing. I just can't get it right.
Blue45Sapphire, I did have a recipe for a cake using mincemeat, I'll look it out, (when I get up)

I have two jars of home made mincemeat hiding at the back of the fridge . My sisters will make off with them if they find them .

Ooh Minimoon, I was wondering what to do with three quarters of a jar of left over mincemeat. I must have got a recipe somewhere, otherwise it will be Dr Google!

I'm ok with Yorkshires. Plenty of rapeseed oil in the tins and a good hot oven. Usually ok.