Description
Delightfully delicious mince pie crumble bars featuring a rich homemade mincemeat filling layered between a buttery oat crumble base and topping. Perfect for the holiday season, these bars combine a medley of dried fruits soaked in brandy (or apple juice for alcohol-free version) with warm spices, all baked into a crumbly, flavorful dessert bar.
Ingredients
Scale
Mincemeat Filling
- 75 g raisins
- 75 g currants
- 75 g sultanas
- 75 g dried cranberries
- 50 g mixed peel
- 150 g cooking apple, finely chopped
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 125 g light brown soft sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 150 ml brandy (or apple juice for alcohol-free)
Crumble Base and Topping
- 175 g rolled oats
- 200 g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 150 g light brown soft sugar
- 175 g unsalted butter, cold & cubed
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Prepare the Mincemeat Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the raisins, currants, sultanas, dried cranberries, mixed peel, finely chopped cooking apple, unsalted butter, light brown soft sugar, ground cinnamon, mixed spice, lemon zest, and brandy or apple juice. Mix thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated. Allow the mixture to soak for at least 2 hours or overnight to develop deep, rich flavors.
- Preheat and Prepare the Oven and Tin: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease a baking tin and dust with plain flour to prevent sticking.
- Make the Crumble Base: In a separate large bowl, combine rolled oats, plain flour, light brown sugar, baking powder, and cubed cold unsalted butter. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it reaches a coarse, crumbly texture.
- Assemble the Base Layer: Press about half of the crumble mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared baking tin to form a solid base.
- Add the Mincemeat Layer: Spoon the soaked mincemeat filling evenly over the crumble base, spreading it out to cover the entire surface.
- Add the Crumble Topping: Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture over the mincemeat layer, distributing it evenly to cover the filling completely.
- Bake the Bars: Place the baking tin in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown and crisp.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from the oven and allow the mince pie crumble bars to cool completely in the tin. Once cooled, slice into 16 pieces and serve as a festive treat or dessert.
Notes
- For an alcohol-free version, substitute brandy with apple juice as indicated.
- Chilling the crumble mixture before pressing into the tin helps achieve a better texture.
- Allow the mincemeat to soak overnight if possible to enhance flavor development.
- Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (approx. 1/16 of recipe)
- Calories: 408 kcal
- Sugar: 19 g
- Sodium: 16 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 63 mg
