We've been reviewing the posh mince pies and those that come recommended recently; time to get back to the core mince pies from the now household name that is Lidl. We've skipped over their regular mince pies and gone straight for the luxury. I think we've developed a bit of a taste for the rich! Let's hope these can satisfy that craving.
Presentation - 6
It's not really Christmas on this box. It comes across dark and mysterious and reminds me of Heston's mince pies. Although I have to say I do sort of like it. It's clear what is inside as the giant solo mince pie on the box is hard to miss and the embossed silver lettering gives it an expensive touch. There is a touch of Christmas on the box with some Christmas related items circling the Snowy Lodge logo, but at a glance this can easily be overlooked.
The mince pies themselves are very near. They looked well cooked all around, but maybe a little too cooked around the edges. The star on top is very neat and even has a little detail in the star which is nice. Each mince pie is identical and they all have a nice even sprinkling of sugar on top.
Nutritional Content & Price - 7
No surprises here. These have 252 calories, 21.5g of sugar and 8.9g of fat. We did not sample the luxury brand last year, so we cannot compare it to anything unfortunately.
These were £1.69 for a box of 6, which is not bad considering they are the luxury item and not the standard one.
Pastry - 28
This is surprisingly good! Sorry, Lidl for questioning your baking abilities, but I genuinely like this. It is nice and crumbly, has a good thickness all around and it is also not too sweet. If I have to pick holes, it does have a very slight stodgy feel to it, but this is nothing a little a heating in the oven wouldn't fix. There has also been a little absorption at the bottom from the mincemeat, but this is nothing to cry about. All in all, this is not bad.
Mincemeat - 26
What's going on here! Lidl, you're on to a winner. This is a well filled pie; no wasted space at all. They have filled this mince pie with some large juicy currents and raisins. There is also a nice nutty taste coming from the almonds, of which there are plenty, and also seem to have a habbit of lingering behind in your mouth like a little mince pie encore! The brandy also doesn't shy away from your taste buds. I would have liked a little more spices and citrus flavours, such as cinnamon and lemon, with a little less sugar (and maybe brandy). The vine fruits are sweet themselves, the addition of sugar just made it a bit too sweet for me.
Overall Satisfaction - 8
These are a decent bunch of mince pies and for a very reasonable price of £1.69 a box, there is little reason to turn them away. Although the mincemeat was a little sweet, it was balanced well with the pastry. For me, you do seem to taste more pastry, despite it looking quite even all around, which is strange, but that is just my opinion. I'm sure there will be a lot of people that will like these little beauties.
Here are the scores from my fellow mincers;
Tester 1
Presentation (8) Nutritional content & Price (7) Pastry (30) Mincemeat (24) Satisfaction Level (7)
Presentation (8) Nutritional content & Price (8) Pastry (28) Mincemeat (29) Satisfaction Level (7)
Presentation (8.5) Nutritional content & Price (8) Pastry (28) Mincemeat (25) Satisfaction Level (7)
OVERALL
76.9 / 100
Look at where these fit in on our leader board.
(Don't forget to follow us on twitter @TheMincePieBlog and on Facebook)
Presentation - 6
It's not really Christmas on this box. It comes across dark and mysterious and reminds me of Heston's mince pies. Although I have to say I do sort of like it. It's clear what is inside as the giant solo mince pie on the box is hard to miss and the embossed silver lettering gives it an expensive touch. There is a touch of Christmas on the box with some Christmas related items circling the Snowy Lodge logo, but at a glance this can easily be overlooked.
The mince pies themselves are very near. They looked well cooked all around, but maybe a little too cooked around the edges. The star on top is very neat and even has a little detail in the star which is nice. Each mince pie is identical and they all have a nice even sprinkling of sugar on top.
Nutritional Content & Price - 7
No surprises here. These have 252 calories, 21.5g of sugar and 8.9g of fat. We did not sample the luxury brand last year, so we cannot compare it to anything unfortunately.
These were £1.69 for a box of 6, which is not bad considering they are the luxury item and not the standard one.
Pastry - 28
This is surprisingly good! Sorry, Lidl for questioning your baking abilities, but I genuinely like this. It is nice and crumbly, has a good thickness all around and it is also not too sweet. If I have to pick holes, it does have a very slight stodgy feel to it, but this is nothing a little a heating in the oven wouldn't fix. There has also been a little absorption at the bottom from the mincemeat, but this is nothing to cry about. All in all, this is not bad.
Mincemeat - 26
What's going on here! Lidl, you're on to a winner. This is a well filled pie; no wasted space at all. They have filled this mince pie with some large juicy currents and raisins. There is also a nice nutty taste coming from the almonds, of which there are plenty, and also seem to have a habbit of lingering behind in your mouth like a little mince pie encore! The brandy also doesn't shy away from your taste buds. I would have liked a little more spices and citrus flavours, such as cinnamon and lemon, with a little less sugar (and maybe brandy). The vine fruits are sweet themselves, the addition of sugar just made it a bit too sweet for me.
Overall Satisfaction - 8
These are a decent bunch of mince pies and for a very reasonable price of £1.69 a box, there is little reason to turn them away. Although the mincemeat was a little sweet, it was balanced well with the pastry. For me, you do seem to taste more pastry, despite it looking quite even all around, which is strange, but that is just my opinion. I'm sure there will be a lot of people that will like these little beauties.
Here are the scores from my fellow mincers;
Tester 1
Presentation (8) Nutritional content & Price (7) Pastry (30) Mincemeat (24) Satisfaction Level (7)
"It was ok, if the mincemeat had been a little better this pie might have made it closer to the top of the leader board."Tester 2
Presentation (8) Nutritional content & Price (8) Pastry (28) Mincemeat (29) Satisfaction Level (7)
"Average, no wow factor!"Tester3
Presentation (8.5) Nutritional content & Price (8) Pastry (28) Mincemeat (25) Satisfaction Level (7)
OVERALL
76.9 / 100
Look at where these fit in on our leader board.
(Don't forget to follow us on twitter @TheMincePieBlog and on Facebook)
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