Continuing her search for the crème de la crème of London’s food products and producers, @felicityspector unwraps the secret of London’s best mince pies. Well, it’s December now, so you’re officially allowed to indulge…
It’s the biggest Christmas treat of all: that quintessential mix of heady spices, rich dried fruits and luxurious, buttery pastry – with maybe a hint of booze thrown in. I can never get enough of mince pies, as long as they’re good ones, not the flabby, half-filled mass-produced disappointments that pile up uneaten at the office Christmas party.
So here’s a list of my favourite five – based on last year’s offerings, anyway.
I’m a big fan of almond frangipane. So top of my list is the mince pie from Bliss patisserie on St John Street in Islington N1. A large, open faced tart, it has a sticky layer of frangipane mixed with mincemeat, topped by a large marzipan star, in case you didn’t get enough almond already. The pastry is well nigh perfect and if you warm it up just enough to soften the marzipan and heat the mincemeat through – it’s heaven on a plate.
For a more delicate pie, the ones from Gail’s Bakery are up there with the best. Thin, melt-in-the-mouth pastry and a good generous filling of mincemeat, packed with plump raisins and spices. I like mine gently warmed with a dollop of Greek Yoghurt, as if that makes it a health food. You might prefer the more traditional cream or brandy butter. It’s not for me to say.
In a similar vein – the Konditor & Cook mince pies are also delicious. Again, the pastry is nice and thin, yet doesn’t crumble away the minute you take a bite. And the mincemeat is nicely balanced too.
Ottolenghi pies have a thicker crust, but they’re none the worse for that. They seem to have stopped doing the ones with extra cranberries and a crumble topping – bring them back! But the regular kind are pretty exceptional – really deep filled, so you get a lot of mincemeat in your pie.
Finally – try the mince pies at the St John restaurant bakery. These are so huge they are practically a meal in themselves. The filling is packed with currants, reminiscent of their famous Eccles cakes, but encased in a thick, buttery shortcrust pastry. Just don’t try scoffing one of these right after Christmas lunch – best to save them for perking up an exhausting hike around the sales
As ever, do let us know if you think a top pie has slipped us by. Talk to us in the comments below or by contacting us @blue_tomato or on our Facebook page.
Date posted: 05/12/2011
Category: News.
Tags: bakery, best mince pies, christmas, deli, foodie, london, london's best, mince pie, st john.
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