Shortbread
and Mincemeat are two British specialties that go wonderfully together. It
wasn't until I saw this Mincemeat Shortbread recipe in Sue Lawrence's 'On Baking'
cookbook that I ever thought to combine these two delicacies. The buttery
flavor and crumbly texture of shortbread can easily stand alone but combining it
with a spicy rich mincemeat makes for a tasty square. You can use either
homemade
or store bought mincemeat. If you decide to use store bought mincemeat,
you can improve its flavor by adding a splash of brandy and
some freshly grated apple.
Mincemeat is a spicy preserve consisting
of a mixture of dried and candied fruits, apples, and spices (with or
without beef suet) that is heavily laced with brandy or rum. Originally,
though, it was made with meat (hence the name), eggs, dried fruits and
spices, but over time beef suet (kidney fat) came to replace the meat and
the eggs were dropped completely from the recipe. I encourage you to try
the recipe on the site for Homemade
Mincemeat as it is easy to make and its flavor is superior to store
bought. The mincemeat recipe also makes about 6 cups, so you make these
squares and have plenty leftover to make
Mince Pies.
These shortbread are very nice when served warm from the oven with a dollop of whipped cream
or cr?e fra?he.
Mincemeat
Shortbread Bars: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190
degrees C) and place the wire oven rack in the center of the oven.
Butter (or spray with a non stick cooking spray) a
9 x 9 inch (23 x
23
cm) pan. Set aside.
Shortbreads: In a separate
bowl whisk the flour, semolina, and the salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream
the butter until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth
(about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour
mixture just until incorporated.
Evenly press
two-thirds of the shortbread into the bottom of the prepared pan. Then
evenly spread the mincemeat over the shortbread base, leaving a 1/4 inch border.
With the remaining
shortbread dough, using your fingers, crumble it over the top of the
mincemeat. Then lightly press the dough into the mincemeat.
Bake in the
preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove
from oven, place on a wire rack, and while still hot, cut into 16 squares.
Allow to cool completely in pan.
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