mincemeat crumble traybake

mincemeat crumble traybake

I was a bit late last year in making my own mincemeat, so Christmas came and went before mine was really ready to eat and by then I was rather "mince pied-out". Several weeks later, I decided to have a go at making this traybake, essentially a shortbread biscuit base, topped with mincemeat and a scattering of crumble mix. What is not to like?

The time-honoured formula for making shortbread is 3:2:1 for measuring the flour, butter and caster sugar. However, I replaced about a quarter of the plain flour with rice flour as I think it makes for a lighter, crumblier texture. You could also use cornflour instead of the rice flour for similar results. You can make this in a mixer, but I prefer to do it by hand. Call me perverse!

The next time I make these mincemeat morsels (and I will be as I still have bucket loads of mincemeat to use up as well as being simply delicious), I will trim the shortbread biscuit base so that the raw dough sits shy of the sides of the tin (by about a centimetre). This will allow the dough to expand while cooking without burning (or the mincemeat caramelising) against the hot metal of the tin.

Skill level: Easy

ingredients: 

300g plain flour (or a mixture of plain and rice flour or cornflour - see comments above)
200g butter (at room temperature)
100g caster sugar
a pinch of salt (only if using unsalted butter)
50g ground almonds
1 x jar mincemeat (about 400g)
Icing sugar to dust

directions:

1. Grease and line a traybake or brownie tin (about 18 x 28cm).
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180C / Gas Mark 4.
3. Ensure the butter is softened at room temperature and begin to beat, then add the sugar and continue to beat until combined.
4. Add the flour to the bowl and rub the butter into the flour to form a paste.
5. Take out about a quarter of the mix and keep in a cool place (while making the traybake). This will be used for the crumble topping.
6. Spread the remainder of the biscuit base of the lined tin, pressing down firmly. 
7. Trim about 1 cm around the edges of the base of the tin and add this to the crumble topping.
8. Spread the mincemeat in an even layer over the top of the biscuit dough.
9. Rub the ground almonds into the crumble mix.
10. Scatter the crumble mix over the top of the mincemeat.
11. Place the tin in the centre of the oven for about 40 to 50 minutes (or until the topping is a light golden colour).
12. Remove the traybake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin.
13. Use the lining paper to help lift the traybake out onto a cutting board. Trim any burned bits!
14. Lightly dust the icing sugar over the top and then cut the traybake into squares - will make about 20 to 25 squares.