These were a requested review (don’t worry, no money changed hands), and so I figured I’d share my thoughts. I guess I tend not go for ice-topped mince pies, perhaps out of traditional habit, but not for any real discernible reason. Oh well, here goes. Vibrant, festive box with these, glossy cardboard, with no window to show off the contents. The serving suggestion hints at a full casing with oozy mincemeat.
Opening the inner gives off a scent of sugariness, no spice, perhaps suggesting that the topping seals in the aromas from the mincemeat filling. Each pie is pretty consistent, with a slightly concave pool of icing on each. A decoration might have been a nice touch.
The edge crimping is chunky and holds together well when the foil tray is removed. Biting in is quite a different experience to a regular mince pie: as one might expect, the icing disc is firmer than pastry would be, and unsettlingly (and I tried it twice), the whole thick lid comes away from the rest of the pie, necessitating a nearby plate and some manual intervention.
The sweetness of the icing dominates everything else, unfortunately. There isn’t much flavour to be found in the pastry, and the mincemeat – not as deep and plentiful as the box image may suggest – is really just a slightly liquid syrup with fruit in, lacking in spice too.
The sweetness appeals to some, though… these are disappearing quickly…
Packaging – 7
Appearance – 7
Filling – 4
Taste – 5
Overall score 23/40