The Cookery Book

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• Love Laura but Mary Berry's recipe is tops. It may not be politically correct but I tend to take advice on cooking from people that grew up in that culture.

• I like a lot of Laura's recipes. I am quite the fan. However on this occasion I am compelled to point out that when she gets it wrong, she gets it really wrong. This is one of those times. Admittedly it's hard to buy proper mince-pie baking tins in the US so she's forgiven for that (do try to find them though - they're actually quite shallow with slopped walls, not vertical). It took me some time but I managed to find some imported, of course, from England - the home of mince pies. The filling looked so-so with the chopped fruit being too large; leaving out Suet is complete heresy! As for all that zest in the pastry, that's just horrid. Despite the popular varieties of mincemeat that's available in US supermarkets being truly revolting you can still achieve better results than her mincemeat using Robinsons Classic Mincemeat imported from the UK. Ironically the best and cheapest place to buy it is from Walmart.com. Putting the star lid on it, instead of the traditional full lid just lets the pie dry out. No one does that, that's just pretentious. The ones she took out of her oven looked very brown, almost burned. They should be quite pale in color. The dusting of powdered sugar is unnecessary as the pie is already quite sweet. Eat them either hot or cold, with some home made brandy butter as an accompaniment (optional). That's how they're made, that's how they're eaten.

• I always use vegetable suet in mine.

• Can we use fresh raisins? Or do they have to be dried?

• It's Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street! :D

• sweeney todd

• Gibt es den USA unbespritzte Zitrusfrüchte?

• Is there a difference between a cupcakes tin and a muffin tin

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• If I don't want to add the brandy, can I just add extra orange juice?