Where to buy suet for mince pies

[Katrina 4,522]

Hallo,

I'm new to this board (but not new to Munich, been here 2+ years and nearly 5 years in Germany now) and need a bit of help.

Does anyone know where I can buy suet in Munich?

I've been making my Christmas cakes (yes I know how early I am but heck, it gets them out of the way...) and went a bit mad in Wal-Mart doing the shopping. I now have tons of dried fruit to get rid of (and seeing as I have made 10 cakes, 2 big, 8 small, making more isn't an option) so I thought that I'd make either mincemeat (for mince pies) or a Christmas pudding but I need suet.

No joy as yet and so I thought that I'd ask you lot before I try going to Vinzenzmurr and asking for "Nierenfett" or "Rindertalg" (which are the two definitions that I have for suet - sounds delicious, eh?).

Hertie am Hauptbahnhof does have mincemeat in jars (Fortnum and Mason, contains hardened palm oil instead of suet) though.

Thanks!

Katrina

PS I'm not usually this organised or domesticated. Honestly.

[marka 225]

I asked around at the Viktualienmarkt last year and found a couple of butchers that could get some if you gave them enough notice.

 

You want to ask for Nierenfett or maybe Talg

 

There are also a couple of online expat stores that could ship it to you.

[Katrina 4,522]

Ooh yes please - do you want any money for it? I've got a meeting now but here's the recipe:

150g Sultanas (Sultanien)

150g Currants (Korinthien)

150g Blue Raisins (or Muscat Raisins - Blaurosinen)

300g Seedless Raisins

150g chopped Dates/Figs/Baking Plums

75g Glace Cherries - chopped

25g Preserved Ginger/Chopped Ginger/Ginger Jam (Wal-Mart and Hertie sell these)

75ml+ Rum/Cognac/Spiced Rum

50ml Strong Coffee (or Strong Black Proper Tea)

Vanilla (I use 1 Sachet Dr Ötker liquid but otherwise 2 teaspoons)

1 Orange: peel chopped (or use a good handful of chopped candied peel) + juice

150g Butter

125g Brown Sugar (dark if you can get it, Kaufhof does Billingtons, Hertie Tate & Lyle))

2 Eggs (medium)

225g Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder (or 1 sachet Dr Ötker Backpulver) + 1 teaspoon water

Cinnamon, Lebküchengewürz or spice of your choice 1-2 Teaspoons

75g Ground Almonds (or other nuts)

 

Mix sultanas, currants, all raisins, dates (figs/baking plums), ginger, rum and coffee/tea together in a large saucepan. Cover the surface of the mix with a piece of greaseproof paper and bring to the boil (the paper stops it burning). Steam the liquid off then stir in the vanilla, orange peel and juice. Leave to cool - I usually do this the night before and have even cooked it up twice using more rum/cognac.

Heat oven to 160C (140C for fan ovens, Gas 2.5).

Grease and line a 18cm (spring) baking tin (yes it does seem small but it is big enough - 20cm would also work).

Cream butter then add sugar - beat for 5 mins until pale and airy. Separate eggs and add egg yolks to mixture one at a time.

Fold flour, spices and nuts into mixture and then carefully add the cooled fruit mixture.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks. Mix the baking powder with a teaspoon of water and beat into the egg whites. Fold mixture into the fruit mix.

Spoon into the tin, smooth the top and sprinkle with water.

Fold a wide strip of greaseproof paper in half and tie it around the outside wall of the tin.

Bake in the centre of the oven: 1hr at 160C (140C fan, Gas 2.5) then cover the top with greaseproof paper and continue to bake for ca. 2hrs 15 (can vary according to oven) at 150C (130C fan, Gas 2). Cake is ready when a skewer comes out cleanly.

 

Tips:

The fruit given can vary as long as the total amounts remain the same (so 450g raisins can replace the raisins + blue raisins) but try to use 2-3 fruit types.

If cakes tend to crack in your oven, place a small dish of water in the base of the oven as the humidity will help to stop the cracking.

Try going to the toy department for quarter-size tins (called “functional toys

[Katrina 4,522]

Hi Marka

I was going to pm you - will be doing 2 batches of chutney this weekend (the spicy tomato one and a new mango and ginger recipe out of this month's Good Housekeeping.) and wanted to know if you wanted some.

My mincemeat has come through the summer well and I still have at least a jar left so I'm not sure if I will make more this year. I used this Delia Smith recipe but tend to cook my fruit up twice.

This year's GH Christmas Pudding and Cake recipes are online too, quite simple ones this time around. You are right, 21st Nov is "stir-up Sunday" so it is good to plan.

Am getting orders already for my cakes

I did use your Atora but also got some from my Vinzenzmurr (Spar, Rotkreuzplatz) butcher, I did take him in the Atora to show him what I wanted though. That reminds me again, need to go and order some.

Did you ever find the pudding basin you were looking for?

AND another hot tip: if you can't find the colour of food colouring for your icing that you want, can't be bothered to mix it either, well, you can order it via chemists. I'm collecting a bottle of day-glo orange costing only 2€ later

Katrina

PS awwwww that was my first ever post!

[marka 225]

I will be in town on the Thursday 11th. Perhaps I can buy you a shandy then ?

[Katrina 4,522]

Go on then. PM on the day to remind me!

[Gen 2,454]

All this info has been added to British and American Foods in Munich. Also the glaced / candied cherries.

[tui 19]

I normally make a sweet short almond pastry for my christmas (fruit) mince pies. I have a recipe from back home but it doesn't seem to work that well here. The pastry ends up soft and sticky so that while I am rolling it out, I have to add a lot more flour. As a result, the cooked pastry, while it tastes fine, is really crumbly and the pies tend to fall apart. I think the reason is because german butter is much much softer than our butter back home. I have tried putting it in the freezer before using it, but it didn't help much. So does anyone have a german recipe for this type of pastry? Or any hints on what might help? Thanks!

[Katrina 4,522]

What proportions of ground almonds to flour are there in your recipe? Are you doing a 3 parts equal or something different?

 

Nice to see this thread again, that's my first ever post at the top.

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

 

I'm new to this board ...

Katrina

PS I'm not usually this organised or domesticated. Honestly.

How times have changed (Got a bit of a shock when I read the post without seeing the date!)

[Katrina 4,522]

OI! Yeah UA read it and said similar. It's filled with blatant lies that post, particularly the bit about not being organised or domesticated. Nice thing is that marka still always gets me some suet. :)

[tui 19]

Hi Katrina, sorry for not getting back to you yesterday. The ratio of ground almonds to flour is 1 to 5.

[Katrina 4,522]

Hi tui, I'm surprised that's not working then. You might want to swap a little cornflour for the normal flour then? And stick the butter into the freezer then grate it in, that might also help.

Will bring in my recipe from home tomorrow and post it up, have got a pretty good Good Housekeeping recipe for almond pastry.

[marka 225]

Christmas Pudding preparation time is upon us (or me) again!!

 

Has anyone come across a butcher in Munich where "Rindertalg" (suet) can be bought without having to order it first?

[Katrina 4,522]

My first ever post *blush*, it all seems so long ago (as indeed it is).

No marka, I order mine from Vinzenzmurr if necessary, could try the Viktualienmarkt though? Cake production will be slower this year due to my travels, will only be doing ones for UK family due to import regulations. Unfortunately, it appears will have to start baking in NZ as soon as out of airport as have orders already!

[HEM 11,160]

I had a 8-hour trip to UK last week for a funeral and managed to bag two Christmas puds plus two jars luxury mincemeat so Christmas is saved.

[crusoe 2,574]

I seem to remember Pomeroy and Winterbottom having suet (Atora of course) in the distant past and I bet they could get it for you if you ask them, being extremely accommodating gentlemen. Oops, that sounds wrong.

Katrina's first post only 2004? Crumbs, I thought you'd been a TT staunch for everandever.

[Katrina 4,522]

2003 - no I'm from the Second Wave, not a First Boater.

And yes P&W do stock it (at a price).

[kathie 1,006]

Public Service Announcement:

 

P&W have run out of Suet!!! The guy threw out some packets in October, then ordered some more, but not very many, for the festive season. He sold his last packet this morning (to some cheeky git who was there 10 minutes before I was ), and does not know whether he will get more in in time for Christmas!

[kathie 1,006]

I had exactly the same problem as tui at the weekend. I used this recipe from the BBC website. I had to use a load of flour when rolling out my dough, which meant that, whilst it tastes pretty good, the pies are pretty crumbly and dry. Can anyone see any changes I might make to the above recipe to make my pastry more moist?