I have had a not too successful day.

I've had a lovely day, but got the urge to make mince pies when I got home.

However, the urge has gone now
I could throw together some scones

Why is it that pastry made in a hurry is often better than that which is made with more care?

Enjoy your mince pies!

Thank you. They are in the oven. Whilst I was making them my newly lit fire went out. Typical of today.

shall I shan't I?

Too late now!
Please send one of yours Gonegirl

Righto. Catch!

I made mince pies today. I had a jar of not very inspiring mincemeat, to which I added heated apple dates and chestnuts followed by a dash of rum. They turned out very nicely. The cake I made from the leftover mincemeat however was not so successful.
I don't know why I bother, I can't make cakes .

Added not heated.

Heat it up tomorrow and have it as a pudding with custard. Or ice cream. (fantasising now)

Delicious, thank you very much Gonegirl

I've got to make about 50 mince pies tomorrow. I know theres a thread somewhere but can someone tell me how much pastry and how much mincemeat I'll be needing? On checking the recipes I think I'll probably need for the pastry about 900g flour and for the filling around 600g mincemeat. But that only works out to about 12g of mincemeat per pie. Is that enough?

Can’t help with measurement recommedations I’m afraid. I wouldn’t dare as I’m inevitably doomed to run out of mix just short of what I need.

I seem to get a dozen pies out of 8 oz of flour (shortcrust) if that's any help. (I'm sorry I'm still in ounces). And just under a lb of mincemeat.

I have the same problem with Yorkshire puddings. The harder I try the worse they turn out!

Yorkshires I have no problem with, not sure whether it’s because I’m a Yorkshire lass, or it’s because as above I throw it together and don’t measure accurately. I do measure carefully everything else I make!

I can bake cakes, meringues are no problem, most things work perfectly.

But I cannot, just cannot, make shortcrust pastry

Trex! Half Trex and half butter. You can't go wrong Jessity. Give it a try. I swear shortcrust is all about the ingredients.

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

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 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 .

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 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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.)