Mincemeat Shortbread Squares with Almond Crumble

Mincemeat Shortbread Squares with Almond Crumble are a great alternative to mince pies at Christmas.

Incredibly quick and easy, there’s no pastry to make and no cutting and rolling out.

A substantial, buttery shortbread base is covered in rich mincemeat. This is topped with a spiced crumble studded with oats and flaked almonds and the whole thing baked.

Delicious cold, or serve hot with custard, cream, clotted cream or ice-cream.

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While I love a good mince pie, sometimes I fancy something a little bit different.

Having a couple of jars of last year’s Homemade Christmas Mincemeat in the cupboard, I decided to do a little experimentation.

The result was these fabulous Mincemeat Shortbread Squares with Almond Crumble.

I admit that they’re not as delicate as the best homemade mince pies.

But what these squares lack in elegance they make up for in big flavour and satisfying chunkiness!

ORIGINS

The idea for this recipe came from an old favourite: Jammy Shortbread Squares with Oat Crumble Topping.

I’ve been making them for years, turning to them when I want to bake something simple with ingredients I always have in. Flour, butter, sugar, jam, oats.

I’d recently made a particularly good batch using up the last of summer’s Homemade Strawberry Jam, plus a few chopped mixed nuts in the crumble.

Reminded just how satisfying the simple bake was got me thinking.

With a few tweaks, why not turn them into an easy but gorgeous Christmas sweet treat?

MINCEMEAT SHORTBREAD SQUARES WITH ALMOND CRUMBLE

I honestly think you need next to no baking skills to make this recipe.

For the shortbread base, all you do is rub butter into flour, salt and sugar until it comes together.

The dough is then pressed into a well-buttered square tin.

Next, you spread over plenty of mincemeat.

MINCEMEAT

I always make my own mincemeat as it’s so much better than any you can buy AND it’s surprisingly easy.

You literally just mix all the ingredients, leave to soak overnight, then put in a low oven for a couple of hours. And that’s it.

It does need a few weeks’ maturing though. But if you’re reading this at the beginning of December you’ve still got time to make some for this Christmas. My Homemade Christmas Mincemeat recipe is here.

However, if you’re going to use bought mincemeat, please do check the label. Many contain nasty palm oil and are often padded out with cheap, overly sweet apple puree rather than luscious, dried fruits.

THE CRUMBLE

Over the top of the mincemeat layer goes the crumble.

This is simply more flour, butter and sugar, rubbed together, this time flavoured with Christmassy mixed spice.

Rolled oats are stirred in, along with a few drops of water to bring the mix together into pleasingly non-uniform-sized bits of crumble.

The final touch is to mix through some crunchy flaked almonds.

BAKE & COOL

After you’ve added the crumble topping, the whole lot goes in the oven for around 35 minutes.

Don’t be tempted to try and remove the Mincemeat Shortbread Squares as soon as they’re baked. They WILL fall apart.

What you need to do instead is cut the bake into nine squares while it’s still hot.

Make sure you cut all the way down, including through the shortbread base. Then leave to cool.

Once cold, the squares should come easily from the tin with the help of a round bladed knife or small spatula.

SERVING

The squares are wonderful to eat just as they are, although I think a dusting of icing sugar is appropriate for this Christmassy bake.

The base will be thick, buttery and satisfying. The mincemeat filling rich and spicy. And on top of that crispy, oaty, nutty loveliness.

But, like good mince pies, Mincemeat Shortbread Squares are wonderful hot too. Just ping in the microwave until warmed through and serve with custard, cream, clotted cream or your favourite ice-cream.

Also like mince pies, they can be made in advance and frozen, ready to enjoy whenever you want a spicy, crunchy buttery delight.

I’m tempted to say that these knockout mincemeat, shortbread and crumble squares are actually better than mince pies 😲.

Why don’t you try them and see what you think?

Have you made Mincemeat Shortbread Squares with Almond Crumble?

Leave a comment below & don’t forget to rate the recipe.

CONTENT INCLUDING PHOTOS © MOORLANDS EATER & NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION

5 from 3 votes

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Mincemeat Shortbread Squares with Almond Crumble

Buttery shortbread based covered in rich mincemeat, topped with an oaty almond crumble. Delicious hot or cold.

Course Snack, Cake

Cuisine British

Keyword christmas, tray bake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 9

Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

For the shortbread base

• 140 g soft butter plus extra for greasing the tin
• 225 g plain flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 70 g caster sugar

For the filling

• 400 g quality mincemeat (approx 1 standard jar) see Recipe Notes

For the crumble topping

• 125 g plain flour
• 40 g caster sugar
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 pinch salt
• 75 g butter
• 40 g rolled oats
• 40 g flaked almonds
• few drops of cold water
• icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/ 150C Fan / Gas 3

   Butter a baking tin approximately 23cm square.

Make the shortbread base

1. Stir the flour, salt and sugar together in a bowl.

2. Rub the butter well into the flour mixture until it comes together into a dough when you squeeze it.

3. Press the dough evenly over the base of the baking tin, making sure you go right to the edges and corners.

   Smooth the top and even out any bumps with the back of a spoon.

Add the mincemeat filling

1. Spread mincemeat generously over the shortbread base, leaving a 1cm bare edge all around (to allow the mincemeat to spread as it heats up).

   Tip: if your mincemeat is quite firm, ping in the microwave for a few seconds to soften, but make sure the lid is off!

Add the crumble topping

1. In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, mixed spice and salt.

2. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles large breadcrumbs.

   Stir in the oats.

3. Add 2-3 drops water and, using your hands, bring together small pieces of the topping so that it forms differently-sized pieces of crumble.

   Stir in the flaked almonds.

4. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the mincemeat so it's completely covered.

Bake and cool

1. Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake until cooked through and nicely browned on top (approx 35 min).

2. Remove from the oven, run a knife around the edges of the bake, then cut into 9 squares while still hot, making sure you cut all the way down through the shortbread.

   Leave in the tin until cold.

3. Carefully remove each square from the tin with the help of a round bladed knife.

   Dust with icing sugar.

4. Eat cold or reheat in a microwave for 20 seconds and serve with custard, cream or ice cream.

   Store in an airtight container and eat within 3 days or freeze.

Recipe Notes

I always make my own mincemeat and it's incredibly easy. You just need to give it a few weeks maturing before use, but it keeps for at least a year. Recipe: Homemade Christmas Mincemeat.

Post updated including additional images December 2021

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