Mor<\/a> is offering up a biscuit box, with a broader flavour range that includes malted tonka sugar biscuit, milk chocolate hobnobs, dark chocolate and orange shortbread and ginger crunch among others. You can also find their twist on a traditional mince pie (a tart featuring big curls of pastry, made with wholewheat spelt, creating an earthier and deeper flavour). <\/p>\n Copain<\/a> has an extensive range that goes beyond mince pies, including fresh berry tarts, pavlova, Christmas cake and galette des roi. <\/p>\n Florets<\/a> is baking a plant-based Christmas cake, tightly packed with strong flavours including cranberries, cherries and figs. <\/p>\n OTT Patisserie<\/a> has two alternatives: cinnamon star cookies and vanilla crescents.<\/p>\n Daily Bread will once again be selling its hefty and well-buttered Christmas Stollen<\/a>, made from a recipe by the successful bakery\u2019s German baker and co-founder Patrick Welzenbach (which itself was passed on by his grandfather).<\/p>\n But for those looking for pies and tarts, here are some of the best on offer and where you can find them.<\/p>\n Daily Bread<\/p>\n Two beloved flavours of mini mince pies are back on offer at Daily Bread this year. There is the very summery strawberry option, which sees the fruit mixed with sultanas, apples and mixed peels.<\/p>\n A sour cherry variety sees another summer fruit mixed with rum-soaked sultanas and candied citrus peel. <\/p>\n Beyond the bakeries, there are also more traditional tarts only available at Farro Fresh. They are a mix of apple, raisins and rum. <\/p>\n All of the different mince flavours are encompassed by the same pastry, spiced with a subtle but complementary cinnamon and rye.<\/p>\n \u201cThe cinnamon and rye short pastry is crumbly in a good way and melts in your mouth, and isn\u2019t as full-on buttery as some of the others we\u2019ve tried. The sour cherry filling is mouth-wateringly tart. I could eat a whole pack of these in one sitting. I won\u2019t. But I could.\u201d \u2013 Stephanie Holmes<\/p>\n \u201cI love how crisp and fragile the pastry is, as it crumbles into a sugary and sweet dust to complement the lush and fruity filling of the pie. It reminds me of a sugar cookie. They are an ideal size too \u2013 perfect for morning tea.\u201d \u2013 Madeleine Crutchley<\/p>\n Price: Nine pies for $23.<\/p>\n Where to get them: Available across Daily Bread locations in Pt Chev, Ponsonby, Belmont, Britomart, Newmarket, Federal St, New Lynn, Stonefields, Orakei, Takapuna and Botany. You can also find some pies at Farro, or order online at Dailybread.co.nz<\/a>.<\/p>\n Loaf<\/p>\n The norms go out the window for this sweet package from Loaf, which plays on the form to present a sour cherry filling within a chocolate shell. The tarts are teeny, making them more appropriate for a snackish serving. <\/p>\n \u201cThis pastry is my favourite of the bunch. I\u2019d say in both texture and taste, it\u2019s closer to a cookie. There are chunks of chocolate dispersed throughout, which creates extra sweetness and a toothsome bite.\u201d \u2013 MC <\/p>\n Price: Nine pies for $16.<\/p>\n Where to get them: Available online<\/a> and in-store at Farro. <\/p>\n Paneton <\/p>\n The season, Paneton is serving up mince tarts created with a recipe they\u2019ve worked to refine over 40 years. An all-butter sweet pastry encases housemade fruit mince, which contains plenty of apple. The fruit is also soaked in a French cognac.<\/p>\n The tarts are also award-winning, taking home the top prize at the Baking NZ Christmas Tart Competition (where they were put up against other treats from across the country). <\/p>\n \u201cThis is one you don\u2019t need to warm up.\u201d \u2013 Bethany Haverland<\/p>\n \u201cYou can tell the minced fruits are soaked in cognac, as the mixture is pleasantly moist. The pastry is sweet enough to contrast those richer flavours too.\u201d \u2013 MC <\/p>\n Where to get them: Order online at Panetonbakery.co.nz<\/a> or find in-store at Farrro or with My Food Bag. <\/p>\n Wild Wheat<\/p>\n Wild Wheat head baker and founder Andrew Fearnside says their recipe is inspired by the baker\u2019s mum, \u201cwho would make her own fruit mince from scratch every Christmas, in a thin-crust short pastry \u2013 also made from scratch\u201d.<\/p>\n The fruit mince is made up of dried prunes, sultanas, cranberries, raisins, figs, apples, banana and chocolate. This mix is left to soak for weeks in rum, spices and brandy. The tops of the pies are left open and adorned with a pastry star. They\u2019re finished with an extra dusting of icing sugar \u2013 and the bakers recommend serving with another helping to beat the Auckland humidity.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is ALL about the mince. It kicks off with a bright, almost citrusy top note that descends into a rich, mellow sweetness.\u201d \u2013 Kim Knight<\/p>\n \u201cI love the visual of these pies. The expanse of jammy mince makes them look more luxurious and I imagine them resting comfortably in the centre of the table after Christmas lunch. That larger helping of mince makes these better suited to mince-pie fans, but even the sceptic has to admit these are particularly stunning.\u201d \u2013 MC <\/p>\n Price: One for $3.20, and six for $20.<\/p>\n Where to get them: Available across Wild Wheat stores in Mt Eden, Mt Albert, Howick, Belmont, Birkenhead and Ascot Rd, M\u0101ngere. There are also limited stocks at some supermarkets and speciality stores.<\/p>\n OTT Patisserie<\/p>\n The crunchy almond topping for these mince pies offers a point of difference. OTT Patisserie\u2019s treats are certainly coveted amongst local community, as they\u2019ve been on sale since mid-October. <\/p>\n \u201cThe mince is a little sugary but the petiteness of this pie is perfectly suited to \u2018just one more mouthful\u2019 Christmas cravings.\u201d \u2013 KK <\/p>\n \u201cThe almond topping combined with a dusting of icing sugar makes these pies sweeter than your usual creation, and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s needed on a mince pie. But if you\u2019ve got a sweet tooth, and prefer more sweetness and less tang, these might be for you. The bite-sized pies mean you won\u2019t want to stop at just one.\u201d \u2013 SH <\/p>\n Where to get them: 2 Birkenhead Ave, Birkenhead. You can also order online at Ottpatisserie.co.nz<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sabato<\/p>\n \u201cIf I\u2019m told that someone doesn\u2019t like a Christmas mince pie, I just assume it is because they haven\u2019t tasted ours,\u201d says Sabato\u2019s head chef Kate Flay. <\/p>\n The yellow, crumbly pastry is a closely guarded family secret. The brandy-soaked fruit filling offers punctuation in these pies, with the punchy taste cutting through the deeply buttery pastry.<\/p>\n The gluten-free flour variety is created in-house and baked at an adjusted temperature to better suit the mixture.<\/p>\n \u201cDue to the low ratio of mince, it mostly feels like I\u2019m eating a biscuit [which is a nice surprise for a mince-pie pessimist]. For posterity, I also sampled the gluten-free variety. The pastry is slightly more crumbly, but they have an even stronger buttery note. I almost prefer them to the more floury pies!\u201d \u2013 MC <\/p>\n \u201cWhile I\u2019m not huge on Christmas mince pies [usually because the gluten-free versions always seem to taste slightly stale to me] Sabato\u2019s take includes a delightfully crumbly crust, both buttery and moreish. The moist fruit mince filling \u2013 comprising sultanas, apples and currants \u2013 is spiced well and not overly sweet. These were so delicious. In fact, I had to eat two to double-check my tasting notes were accurate. I\u2019d happily take a couple of packs of these along to my family Christmas to gift to my coeliac cousin and gluten-intolerant aunt. Five stars! \u2013 Ashleigh Cometti<\/p>\n Price: A six-pack of pies is $18.90 (add a dollar for the gluten-free option).<\/p>\n Where to get them: 57 Normanby Rd, Mt Eden. You can also order online at Sabato.co.nz<\/a>.<\/p>\n Scratch Bakers<\/p>\n Situated amongst many legacy media offices, this inner-city cafe feeds and caffeinates plenty of NZ\u2019s journalists, including those who contribute to Viva. <\/p>\n The mince is prepared months in advance, soaked in \u201cheaps of brandy, fruit juice, citrus zest and vanilla pods\u201d according to the bakers. The whole team is involved in the construction, from the shells and stars, to glazing and icing sugar dusting.<\/p>\n \u201cA good mince-to-pastry ratio but the mince was a bit dry and very sultana-dominant. Good pastry though \u2013 a dark brown without being burnt, and not too crumbly.\u201d \u2013 SH <\/p>\n \u201cI imagine this pie, which is more sturdy, would stand up well to dunking in hot drinks. It\u2019s a nice addition to a hot drink, better suited for a coffee date than a living room indulgence. I can imagine journalists gobbling these at their cafe meetings.\u201d \u2013 MC <\/p>\n Price: Six for $15 or nine for $20.<\/p>\n Where to get them: 5 Graham St, Auckland CBD.<\/p>\n Zesti<\/p>\n We\u2019re looking at all the options, and this four-pack of pies is stocked on most supermarket shelves across T\u0101maki Makaurau, making it a more accessible treat. <\/p>\n There are three flavours available, including traditional, caramel and berry. Viva sampled the latter, for a non-traditionalist take on the treats. <\/p>\n \u201cThese are not mince pies at all \u2013 they taste more like old-school English jam tarts. Jammy and sweet, with not a hint of festive spice. If you\u2019re a traditionalist, avoid these. If you don\u2019t like classic mince pies, these could be the sweet treat you\u2019ve been looking for.\u201d \u2013 SH <\/p>\n \u201cThese pies have a super nostalgic scent \u2013 they make me think of lunchbox shrewsberry biscuits. The taste isn\u2019t too far off either, with the sweet filling just packing a little more tang. I also love the flowery imprint on the bottom (a little extra fun that\u2019s very welcome).\u201d \u2013 MC<\/p>\n Where to get them: Most supermarkets will stock these mince pies.<\/p>\n Ripe Deli <\/p>\n The mince pies from Ripe Deli are full of dried fruits that have been soaked in brandy and lightly spiced. They promise buttery pastry (they are also stocking gluten-free and vegan options for those who need them). <\/p>\n \u201cThese are a top pick this year, with the buttery, crumbly pastry only just encasing the densely packed, well-balanced fruity filling.\u201d \u2013 SH<\/p>\n \u201cThese mini tarts have the perfect filling to crust ratio \u2013 a generous amount of fruit mince in a sweet pastry that melts in your mouth.\u201d \u2013 BH <\/p>\n \u201cPerfect buttery pastry and moist [yes moist!] fruit mince? That\u2019s a combo that happens surprisingly rarely in my experience. But these tiny bites hit the mark. The fruit mince was plentiful and even had a slight orange juice taste to it? A+ Would eat again.\u201d \u2013 Bridget Jones<\/p>\n Price: 1 for $4, 6 for $24 or a dozen for $48. <\/p>\n Where to get them: You can find these pies in store at their Grey Lynn and Smales Farm locations or order them online<\/a>. <\/p>\n A version of this story was first published in 2023 and has been updated. <\/p>\n More festivities<\/p>\n From party ensembles to end-of-year wellbeing.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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