Mincemeat Squares
For these Mincemeat Squares I used a luxurious sweet Mincemeat which I sandwiched together with two thin layers of easy to make shortcrust pastry.These old Fashioned Mincemeat Bars are a perfect recipe for the pastry newbie to make. The more rustic they look the better they will taste.
INGREDIENTS
- 225 g Plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- 50 g Trex fridge cold
- 50 g Butter fridge cold
- 1 tablespoons caster sugar
- 1 egg medium sized lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoons very cold water
- 220 g Sweet Mincemeat
- Caster sugar for dusting.
Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt and caster sugar together. Using your finger tips, rub in the Trex and butter until you have fine breadcrumb consistency. A food processor will make the job a lot quicker and easier.
- Add the egg and 1 tablespoon of cold water, bring everything together to form a nice smooth dough.
- Press the dough down and wrap in clingfilm, leave in the fridge for at least 30 mins to allow the pastry to relax.
- Preheat the oven to 180 fan, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and divide into two equal portions. Roll out each portion between two sheets of baking parchment or on a lightly dusted surface, to equal sizes measuring about 8”square and about 3-4mm thick.
- Place one sheet of pastry on the baking tray and spread with the Mincemeat. Leave about ½ inch space around the edges, this is to avoid any of the filling spilling out of the pastry when it bakes. Place the other sheet neatly on the top and crimp the edges together with a fork creating a nice sealed edge and decorative pattern.
- Pierce the top layer with a fork to allow all the steam to escape. If you omit this, your pastry may rise creating a hollow centre that may crack when you start to slice into squares.
- Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 mins or until baked and the pastry is a light golden brown colour.
- Remove from the oven and dust with caster sugar while still warm.
- The filling inside will be extremely hot, so leave to cool completely before slicing into squares.
Notes
NOTES AND FAQ'S ABOUT MINCEMEAT SQUARES
What is the difference between Mincemeat and Minced Meat?
Mincemeat is a sweet filling comprising of mixed dried and fresh fruits, beef or vegetable suet and other delicious ingredients. Minced Meat is exactly the opposite, it's animal meat that has been chopped (minced) to a fine grain.
Please do not confuse the two and serve the latter with custard, that really will put you off baking.
Please do not confuse the two and serve the latter with custard, that really will put you off baking.
Can I use a different filling?
If you don't want to use mincemeat for this recipe, use a jam filling, but as mincemeat weighs slightly heavier you will need to adjust the amount of jam that you use.
I don't have Plain Flour, can I use Self Raising Flour instead?
I've tried using Self Raising Flour and it works fine. Just make sure that you pierce the top pastry layer with a fork to let out any steam and roll the pastry out thinly. If it's too thick, the raising agent in the flour could make it rise too much. But remember, rustic is good and it will still taste great.