These festive treats are a hybrid of mince pies, meringue gâteau & sponge cake. This is basically a traybake and the pieces can be cut to any size you want like brownies, I love the addition of the cherries to the mincemeat too. They're great as a festive snack and taste even better warmed slightly with a scoop of ice cream, clotted cream or spoonful of boozy cream for your Christmas dessert! They also make lovely little home baked gifts I think.
Ingredients:
110g golden caster sugar
110g icing sugar
225g lightly salted butter, diced, plus extra for tin
3 medium eggs, plus 2 yolks
¾ tsp vanilla extract
400g jar mincemeat
100g glacé cherries, halved
Method:
- Place the flour, both sugars and butter in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until the mixture is crumb-like.
- Beat the 5 egg yolks with the vanilla in a bowl, then add to the dry ingredients and whiz to a soft, sticky dough. Wrap this in clingfilm and chill for at least a couple of hours.
- Preheat the oven to 190C/ 170C fan/gas 5. Butter a 23cm square tin (i.e. brownie tin) and line the base and sides with baking paper, cutting out the corners so the sides sit flat.
- Press the dough into the tin, laying a sheet of clingfilm over the top while you smooth it with your fingers. Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden, crusty and risen.
- Spoon the mincemeat into a large bowl and mix in the cherries. Whisk the egg whites until stiff in another large bowl using an electric whisk, then fold into the mincemeat in two goes. Smooth the mixture over the shortcake base and bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly coloured on the surface. Leave it to cool completely then lift out of the tin using the paper sides and cut it into bites of your desired size.
As always please let me know in the comments if you make these or tag me on Instagram/Twitter with your pics! You can find more of my recipes here.
