Put away your purse & become debt-averse

Dottles1

I'm the same CCL so I have a rule that I never eat a mince pie before December but I'm loving the idea of the twigs. Another similar rule is that I don't eat hot cross buns until 2 weeks before Easter. I think I just like to keep them "special" and a treat.

foxgloves

Dawn - Yes, I think so - I've put the recipe away now - but I intend to do a test batch at the weekend, so I will let you know. If they are nice, I intend to buy some more filo pastry & bake a boxful for the freezer. We've friends coming for Sunday lunch this weekend, all being well, & I thought a mince pie twig might go nicely with our coffee afterwards.
F x

Honeysucklelou2

Thank you for the explanation Foxgloves. I have a jar of mincemeat in the cupboard. Will add filo pastry to the shopping list and experiment!

foxgloves

CCL & Dottles1 - I love them too, but haven't baked as many over the past few years as it isn't good for me to eat too many!
I've made several varieties over the years. I used to make a Sarah Raven mincemeat recipe, which involved hazelnuts, cranberries & home made sloe gin. Then I fancied a change & started making cherry & almond mincemeat from a different book & cutting pastry stars for the tops. I think my favourite is maybe the old recipe from a baking book I had when I was learning to cook in my teens - macaroon mince pies. Pastry on the bottom, then mincemeat goes in as normal, but instead of pastry lids, you make up a macaroon mixture & use that. You spread it on to cover the mincemeat, top with half a cherry & bake. Nomnomnommettynom!
Can remember one December when my youngest nephew was little, I offered him one to take home with him, to put in his packed lunch box the next day. He took it away with him like it was a special treasure..... but the next morning, there was a worried phone call to Aunty Foxgloves asking if his 'special mince pie' had any nuts in it. Of course it did & he was absolutely gutted he couldn't take it to school because they had a child there who could barely be in the same county as a nut. But it was OK, he said in the end, because as soon as he got home, he gobbled it!
Mince pie twigs will be something different to try, so will let you know if they're worth making once I've had a go this weekend.
F x

Honeysucklelou2

The variety I make every year are meringue topped mince pies. My mum found the recipe in an old book years ago and they are a firm family favourite. The egg yolks are used within the pastry so no waste and delicious light mince pies .

foxgloves

And today's other non-mince pie stuff:
Slept too deeply with a crick in my neck so woke with an annoying headache. A couple of painkillers & an hour & a half out in the fresh cold air raking up leaves got rid of it, but it made its way back later & I haven't reached intended levels of productivity. However, I still managed to do today's online German practice, cut down two dahlias, knit a bit more birthday gift, order 3 nest boxes, vacuum the kitchen & lobby, send another email about asbestos, research a savings account and....... phone the building society to request a settlement figure. Not much cooking tonight as I made some dumplings & served them with some of the chicken & leek soup I made last week, so I'm relaxing now & the Beloved has just presented me with a Fry's Turkish Delight. Apparently I deserve one because I've had a rubbish headache all day. Yep, I'll go with that!
Stay warm all,
F xx

foxgloves

Oooh, they sound lovely, Honeysuckle, & definitely something I haven't tried. I like to use up any leftover mincemeat in a Belgian cake (from the Cranks recipe book) I cut it into little squares, individually foil-wrap & freeze, as they're perfect for packed lunches.
F x

HairyHandofDartmoor

You've had a productive day for someone with a headache. I hope it goes soon.

How sweet of Mr F to get you a sweet treat .

All this talk of mince pies is making me look forward to some warm mince pies with cold clotted cream dolloped on top, one of my favourite Christmas treats yum yum .

Onebrokelady

Hi Foxgloves,I need to pick your brains about sock knitting
Do you prefer double pointed needles or a round needle
Can you recommend any and also what sizes do I need to get
My daughter is going to get me some as part of my Xmas present but my mind has been boggled by the choice on Amaz0n
Thanks 😀

foxgloves

Hi OBL - I use a set of 4 double pointed needles for knitting socks. Obviously the needle size will depend on the thickness of yarn you have in mind, but I usually stick to standard 4-ply sock yarns so my sock needles are 2.5mm.
I do use circular needles for other projects - my current jumper is being knitted on circulars - but I learned to knit socks on a set of DPNs, got used to it & stuck with it. I can't remember what brand my needles were as I've had them years. For other needles which I've bought more recently, I've just bought 'Pony'.
Am glad to hear there may soon be a bit of sock knitting in OBL-land.
F x