December is just around the corner, meaning we are only a few days away from the one month of the year where we can indulge in Christmas treats.
One such treat that we all know and love at this time of year is the humble - yet absolutely delicious - mince pie.
With its sweet and sticky filling, hints of winter spices and flaky, buttery pastry, the mince pie has become one of those festive delicacies that smell and taste just like Christmas.
They are also incredibly versatile little things as well, as you can eat them straight from the packet, or, if you're feeling really indulgent, you can warm them up and add on a good dollop of brandy cream. It's Christmas, so you're allowed a treat - or two.
Now, if you haven't yet tried the festive selection of mince pies supermarkets have on offer, you might be wondering which ones to pick.
Which is exactly why I have decided to test out a few supermarket bought mince pies, to find out which ones would give you that warming festive feeling in one simple bite.
I did a similar test last year, where Morrisons The Best 6 Deep Filled Mince Pies easily stole the show with their spicy filling and buttery soft pastry. So, this time round, I decided to pit the previous winner against three new supermarkets, to see if it still reigned supreme as the best mince pie.
Visiting Tesco, Aldi and Asda, here is how I rated each mince pie.
Morrisons - The Best 6 Deep Filled Mince Pies
Price: £2.25
Rating: 5/5
I decided to start out with last year's crowned winner - Morrisons - just to set the standards for the rest of the taste. I wanted to make sure that the rest knew what they were up against.
Were they still just as good? Absolutely.
Complete with a cute, yet simple, star design and a decent smattering of powdered sugar, this mince pie still has buttery soft pastry and a spicy filling that just radiates festiveness.
Not to mention that the brandy and cider notes are not too strong, unlike some mince pies that tend to go over the top with hints of winter tipples to the point that it's almost quite bitter.
The only downside that I noticed was that the packet was 25p more expensive than last year, but then, that was to be expected considering the rising rate of inflation and cost of living. Still, it was a little disappointing. Was it enough to knock off a point? No. These were still enjoyable.
Tesco - Finest 6 All Butter Pastry Mince Pies
Price: £2.50
Rating: 4/5
Next up, I tried one of Tesco's Finest All Butter Pastries which came complete with an adorable snowflake shaped design for Christmas.
Tesco describes its mince pies as being "rich and decadent"... and, they're not wrong. Not one bit.
Personally, I found that these ones had a hefty filling that didn't skimp on the mincemeat, meaning you got a decent mouthful of plump vine fruits and glacé cherries with each bite.
One thing that I did notice, after I had snacked on each supermarket mince pie, was that this was the one with the lightest flavour. Which, while not non-existent, became pretty clear when it was pitted against others.
The only area that I had to deduct a point for was for the pastry. I like a thick, butter pastry that melts in the mouth, but I did find that this one was slightly that bit thinner and crispier.
Minor flaw with the pastry aside, I still think that Tesco's All Butter Mince Pies would be a decent treat to snack on at any festive parties.
Aldi - Specially Selected 6 All Butter Mince Pies
Price: £1.75
Rating: 4/5
Aldi's budget-friendly packet of mince pies were the cheapest of the bunch, with a price tag of just £1.75 for the exact same amount as the other supermarkets.
But don't let the price tag fool you, as these mince pies definitely live up to their pricier competitors with just as much as taste as the rest.
Complete with an adorable snowflake design, Aldi's mince pies were deep filled and bursting with flavour - though, I will say that they were a bit more on the sweeter side than the rest.
Each pie was made with vine and citrus fruits, making them that bit sharper than the others that I tried. Add on the brandy, dry cider and ruby port, then I could probably only eat one or two in one go, as they could tend to get a bit sickly.
Sweeter filling aside, the thick, buttery pastries definitely helped to balance the sweetness of the filling.
Asda - Extra Special 6 Luxury Mince Pies
Price: £2.25
Rating: 5/5
Last, but certainly not least, was Asda with its own branded Extra Special 6 Luxury Mince Pies, and I definitely have some thoughts.
The pastry? light and buttery with a nice dusting of sugar. The filling? sweet and spicy all at once. The design? Adorable and festive .
To put it simply, I really enjoyed Asda's mince pies. Each bite had a hefty filling of mincemeat that was infused with vine fruits, spices and a dash of port and cognac.
I found that the extra addition of Valencian orange oil was a nice touch and added that something extra that made the flavour go that bit further than the rest.
All of that flavour was encased in a shortcrust pastry that didn't fall apart when you ate it, and these mince pies were an absolute delight to eat.
Overall verdict
Four mince pies down and, I have to be honest here, I can't really fault the quality of this year's supermarket selection as each one I tried tasted delightful.
Apart from a few minor drawbacks with Tesco's thin pastry and Aldi's slightly too sweet filling, I think each mince pie deserves a place on the Christmas spread this year.
That being said, Asda's Extra Special 6 Luxury Mince Pies did slightly edge out the rest of the competition - even beating out last year's winner, Morrisons. With its well balanced flavour and buttery and thick pastry that didn't crumble at the first bite, Asda really won me over. What set Asda apart from the rest, was it's bold addition of orange oil and its boozy duo that, surprisingly, never felt to overpowering.
And at just 37.5p per mince pie, they weren't even that expensive overall, so you can indulge in quite a few without feeling guilty over the pennies spent.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
READ NEXT:
