Mincemeat Crumble Squares
You know it’s December when you find yourself eating shortbread for breakfast. This can’t last.
We had our Upscale Bake Sale today as part of the CBC/Suncor Food Bank Drive, so it’s safe to say my baking frenzy has already begun – I’ve pulled out those recipes that only come out once a year, and am pondering what will keep and travel well, and what’s easy to make in large batches.
I’m a mincemeat fan, and while there’s nothing wrong with making pastry to roll and fill and top and bake, it can be a bit much when you’re charged with making 11 dozen of the things. So if you’re going for ease and large batches, these crumbly squares are a streamlined alternative. Also? They’re completely fantastic – date squares without the sticky date filling, but a slightly tarter, more complex mincemeat instead. I like these even better than traditional date squares. I do.
That’s not chocolate milk in the photo, by the way, it’s my coffee – I like drinking it out of thick glass, which holds onto the heat. If you don’t want to serve these like cookies, with coffee or milk, they double as dessert – you can call it a thick mince crumble and serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’d choose this over pumpkin pie any day.
Here’s a Christmas song to listen to while you bake and eat.
Mincemeat Crumble Squares
AuthorJuliePreheat the oven to 350F.
In a bowl or the bowl of a food processor, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and pulse or mix until well blended and crumbly; press half into the bottom of an 8"x8" or 9"x9" pan.
Spread the mincemeat over the base, then scatter the remaining crumbs over top, squeezing them a bit as you go to create larger clumps. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Cool completely before cutting.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a bowl or the bowl of a food processor, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and pulse or mix until well blended and crumbly; press half into the bottom of an 8"x8" or 9"x9" pan.
Spread the mincemeat over the base, then scatter the remaining crumbs over top, squeezing them a bit as you go to create larger clumps. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Cool completely before cutting.
Excellent idea! Sorry I missed the bake sale-I hope it was a fantastic success 🙂
Love The Pogues–I think I had their stuff on *gasp* tape.
Julie, I LOVE Mincemeat, maybe this way I won’t be the only one eating it. I will try this with gluten free flour. And the pogues ! One of my all time faves ! Thanks!
Used spelt flour instead of white, and decreased sugar by half bc I knew my green tomato mincemeat filling was sweet. Wonderful!
Another good place to sneak in some mincemeat (green tomato or otherwise!) is to make MonkeyBread and mix it in among the balls as you fill the pan…mincemeat pull-aparts!
I have been making these for years…love the spicey addition to a plate of sweets!
I too am eating shortbread for breakfast! heaven! I also ate another on my way up to bed last night. The day seemed incomplete otherwise.
LOVE these! Of course you could put anything in the middle and I would love these. 😉