Tesco Deep Filled Mince Pies

I love home made mince pies and have a box in the freezer but I purchased some shop made ones for church to meet the Health and hygiene requirements! Too many boxes were handed in and I found myself having to take mine home. The cardboard box was opened and revealed 6 mince pies, in foil cases, in a red plastic tray and wrapped in sealed cellophane. I know the packing keeps the mince pies from being damaged and the cellophane keeps them fresh longer but it is a lot of waste and expense. The shortcrust pastry hangs over the little foil case and makes it quite difficult to remove the pie. Sometimes I succeed and get it out whole, other times the ...

Ok so it's December 1st and that means it's nearly Christmas. I am not one to get excited but must admit this year I am feeling different. All this stuff in the news about the credit crunch has made me think its times to "go back to basics". I started salivating the other day when I spotted some mince pies; I don't normally get like that, don't get me wrong I love them but I don't normally feel desperate to eat them . The mince pies come in a Christmassy box and the picture on the front looks very promising. I opened the pack and smelt the sweet pastry smell instantly. The tops were covered in sugar although not evenly spread over, it seemed more ...

I am a lousy cook and my mother no longer lives in England so I have been reduced to shop bought mince pies (sob!). Shop bought pies will never be the same as my mums, they lack that element of love, but they do have the advantage of all being the same size and shape with no mince spilling through the crust so they look nicer on a christmas plate. The ones I bought were from Tesco and come in a fairly unfestive red box with the pies sat on what could easily be mistaken for a picnic cloth and only a sprig of holly to suggest that they are christmas fair. Inside the box the pies sit in individual silver trays in a red plastic tray enclosed in clear, ...