Baileys Mince Pies (Iceland) By @Cinabar

Baileys have really leaned into festive treats this year and I am not complaining. Alongside the return of their squirty cream from last year, which I currently have two cans of in the fridge, and the Baileys chocolate buttons, we can now add Baileys Mince Pies to the list. Honestly, it feels like a no brainer of an idea and I am surprised it has taken this long to appear.

The box contains four individual mince pies, each sitting in its own foil case. On top, they are finished with a swirl of creamy icing and scattered with tiny edible glitter balls, which immediately makes them look more special than your standard mince pie. When I opened the box, I was genuinely impressed. They looked neat, festive and very tempting.

Getting one out of the foil case, however, was another story. The sticky icing top made things trickier than expected. Peeling and lifting did not work at all, so I eventually resorted to turning it upside down onto a tissue to remove the foil. This did flatten the icing a bit, which was annoying, but at least it freed the pie.

Flavour wise, these really deliver. The pastry is buttery and soft, the mincemeat is rich, sweet and nicely spiced, and it has a juicy quality that stops it being dry. The icing is the real star though. It is sweet, creamy and unmistakably Baileys, and it works brilliantly with the filling. Some mince pies include a splash of alcohol, but having Baileys on top feels like the ultimate indulgence. If only there were a neater way to get them out of those foil cases.