These almond mincemeat slices are a true delight. You’ll find a short and crumbly biscuit base, followed by a layer of mincemeat which is topped with a light almond frangipane. You can even add chocolate to the mincemeat for an extra wow factor. They’re perfect for both lunchboxes and tea parties.
If you’re anything like me, you will have odds and ends of recipes scattered around the house, used as bookmarks, scribbled on scraps or in piles somewhere or other. And can I ever find them when I need them? I keep meaning to get organised. Promises made to collect my favourite not-to-be-forgotten recipes in one place. But somehow I don’t seem to have managed it – yet.
Recipe Notebook
Recently, A Cake Lover’s Recipe Notebook by Jane Brocket arrived in the post. It’s perfect for this exercise or at least for keeping all my favourite cake recipes together. Published by Jacqui Small, it comes as a spiral bound hardback measuring roughly 20 x 23cm with a pretty vintage style textured cloth cover. The notebook is divided into sections, mostly categorised by type of cake and separated by tabs.
It starts with an introduction, encouragingly entitled, let’s eat cake which celebrates the joy of baking. There then follows a chapter on baking essentials, which usefully outlines essential ingredients, equipment, methods and techniques. At the back of the book, you can find a list of addresses for suppliers.
Each section includes two pre-prepared recipes. These aren’t meant to be particularly innovative, but classic cakes which, we are assured, are failsafe and perfect for the beginner. The recipes are all accompanied by beautiful vintage type illustrations that make me want to throw a tea party immediately.
The sections contain about 16 blank recipe cards each. There’s space for ingredients, method and what size cake it makes or how many. It also has a handy little tick box for “make again”.
There is a page to list the shape, size and number of your baking tins (or moulds in my case). I think I shall find this particularly useful as I don’t have room to keep them all in one cupboard or even in the kitchen. So I often lose track of what I’ve actually got.
At the back of the book, you will find pages for notes as well as favourite cake and baking shops, an idea I felt was particularly appealing.
Almond Mincemeat Slices
So, out of the twelve recipes included in the notebook, three of them were chocolate ones. What a relief. I didn’t fancy making brownies however, nor mocha cake or a bûche de Noël. Initially I considered trying out the recipe for fondant fancies and covering them with chocolate icing. In the end though, I decided to adapt the almond slice recipe instead.
I had a jar of my homemade chilli chocolate mincemeat left over from the Christmas before last and it was in need of using up. What an ideal substitute for the raspberry jam in the recipe, I thought. So I proceeded, but adapted the recipe, as I usually do. I made only half the quantity as sadly, I had no tea party to give. And more importantly, CT doesn’t like mincemeat.
As long as you have a jar of mincemeat to hand, these almond mincemeat slices are really quite simple to make. You don’t have to use homemade chocolate mincemeat, of course, but it does make for a particularly delicious slice.
The shortbread base is super easy. All you need to do is mix the ingredients, then press down into the baking tin with a back of the spoon. Pop this into the oven whilst you make the frangipane topping.
These slices are a true delight. The shortbread base is short and crumbly, the frangipane top is light and almondy and the chocolate mincemeat holds it all together very nicely.
The slices will last for a few days in a sealed container. They’re great for livening up a lunchbox, but they’re also good for parties. Not only are they delicious, but you can make them in advance. They make a nice alternative to mince pies at Christmas too.
Other Slice Type Recipes You Might Like
- Blueberry shortbread bars with almond caramel
- Cinnamon coconut chocolate crunch
- Coconut chocolate bars
- Date & hazelnut bars
- Nectarine pecan slice
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these almond mincemeat slices, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more mincemeat recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Almond Mincemeat Slice. PIN IT.
Almond Mincemeat Slices – The Recipe
Almond Mincemeat Slices
Ingredients
Shortbread Base
- 100 g flour half wholemeal, half plain
- 25 g ground almonds
- 25 g golden caster sugar (I used cardamom sugar)
- 60 g unsalted butter cubed
- 1 tbsp cold water
Frangipane
- 70 g unsalted butter softened
- 70 g golden caster sugar (I used cardamom sugar)
- 1 large egg (I used a duck egg)
- 70 g ground almonds
- 40 g flour half wholemeal, half plain
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 8-10 tbsp mincemeat (I used my homemade chilli chocolate mincemeat)
- 15 g flaked almonds
Instructions
Shortbread Base
- Place the flour into a large mixing bowl together with the ground almonds and sugar.
- Add the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the water and stir with a knife.
- Pour the mixture into a 20 cm (8") square silicone mould or lined tin. Press it down with the back of a spoon to form an even layer on the bottom.
- Bake at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for 10 minutes.
Frangipane
- Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg.
- Sift in the ground almonds, flour and baking powder and stir until just combined.
- Spread the mincemeat over the shortbread base then cover with the frangipane.
- Scatter the flaked almonds over the top and bake at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for about 20 minutes or until the top is risen and golden.
- Leave to cool in the mould, then cut into 12 slices.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
As my mincemeat was about to walk out of the cupboard and into the bin, I just got there in time. So I’m submitting this to the No Waste Food Challenge, normally hosted by Elizabeth’s Kitchen but this month by the wonderful Chris of Cooking Around the World.
Giveaway
Jacqui Small have kindly agreed to give two of my readers a copy of A Cake Lover’s Recipe Notebook. To be in with a chance of winning, please fill in the Gleam widget below. You will need to leave a comment on this post which then gives you additional chances to enter if you so wish.
Gleam will pick a winner at random from the entries received. If you are commenting anonymously, please give me some way of identifying you as I will be verifying the validity of entries. Any automated or invalid entries will be disqualified.
This giveaway is only open to those with a UK postal address. Winners will need to respond within 7 days of being contacted. Failure to do this will result in another winner being picked.
Prizes are offered and provided by Jacqui Small. Chocolate Log Blog accepts no responsibility for the acts or defaults of said third party.
Closing date is Monday 31st March 2014
Do take a look at our giveaway page to see if there is anything else you would like to enter.
Thanks to Jacqui Small for the notebook. There was no requirement to write a positive review and as always all opinions are my own.
Anonymous says
A recipe for Chocolate cake. As my Mum loves chocolate cake.
Rachel Craig
HayleyT says
My first cake recipe in this book would be a yummy lemon drizzle cake x
Joanna Carter says
My first recipe I would put into the Cake Lovers Notebook would be for Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake nom nom nom 🙂
Kerry Kilmister says
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Zebra cake – my kids would love the sound of that!
Deborah Bird says
red velvet cupcakes, I have never tried baking them yet but would like to!
Chris Fletcher says
My Carrot and banana cake recipe – its always a winner!
Lynn says
I do love my fabulous apple cake with butterscotch frosting, that would definately be going in the book first. I’ll have to add this mincemeat and almond slice too.
glittery59 says
Almond Mincemeat slices, a great way to use up the mincemeat I made at Christmas time.
Emily Knight says
My chocolate, cherry and Amaretto brownies 🙂
lynn heath says
I always thought mincemeat was wasted in just mince pies!!! sounds lovely I may have to give this recipe a try!
Kat Glynn says
I only usually use mincemeat at christmas, so would be nice to give it a try 🙂 x
patanne1 says
the first cake would be carrot cake I think closely followed by date and walnut cake and coffee cake 🙂
lisa brandling says
I just made a gorgeous chocolate cake for my husbands birthday yesterday, think that would have to go in first!
Brenda Wilkes says
What a great idea. Chocolate covered flapjacks would be my first recipe!
Sandra Lane says
I’d put my mums orange and almond cake in. It’s lovely and moist and tastes divine.
Janice Pattie says
What a great little book and I love the chocolate mincemeat substitution!
Helen says
I am fairly sure that I still have some Christmas mincemeat in the fridge. Time to use it up!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
They look wonderful and a lovely recipe book too. Win/win!
Sheila Reeves says
My sisters flapjack recipe – I’ve written it down so many times & lost it the same amount of times :))
maxineflossy says
coffee and walnut cake – always a crowd pleaser! Love the idea of your slices though, really great combo
Lou, Eat Your Veg says
Yummy, they sound delish. I’ve got sick of looking at the jar of leftover homemade mincemeat in my fridge and really should use it up one day soon!. The recipe notebook looks delightful too.
GG says
Great looking slice, I love mincemeat so this is perfect. GG
Jane Sarchet says
YUM! That slice looks amazing Choclette!
Janie x
Helen Grayson says
Sponge cake. Made with my mums recipe! She adds little bits and I never remember how much of each to put in!
Morgan @ Peaches, Please! says
The notebook is lovely. Mincemeat is not a flavor I grew up with, so I still approach it with caution, but your slices look tasty.
Tina Anand says
That is a beautiful notebook and would be a lovely way to save treasured recipes.
Nayna Kanabar says
Mince meat, funnily I am not a love of mince pies but you have given the mincemeat a nice twist.
Sylvia F. says
What a creative idea using mince meat! They look fab!
Johanna GGG says
looks so yummy – I have too many recipes about my house that need organising but I think I need a special recipe room not just a scrap book 🙂
Deena Kakaya says
Bakewell meets mince pie, lovely idea xx
Heidi Roberts says
Those slices look perfect for afternoon cup of coffee!!
Christian Halfmann says
That sounds delicious, there are a lot of great elements, of which I especially like the frangipane topping. Definitely a wonderful use of that chocolate mincemeat.
Karen S Booth says
Love mincemeat and love these wee bakes!
London Unattached Food says
yum! I really like this recipe. But then I really like cake – especially if someone else makes it!
Gill says
This recipe!!
I love mincemeat!!
Ania says
I would put in WZ cake- a Polish chocolate and cream cake!
belleau kitchen says
those almond slices are beautiful… I would love one of those beauties right now with a cuppa! xx
ali thorpe says
I’d put my cinnamon bun recipe first as I’m always tweaking it and always baking it!
Caroline says
I’d put my lemon drizzle cake recipe in first. I’d love to have all my bits of paper and files on my laptop in one place.
Alida says
MIncemeat is something I had in the UK for the first time. So rich and interesting I soon got addicted to it! I have only had it over Christmas but I love your slices with almonds. They are the perfect treat with a cup of tea, a strickly British one!
Tracey Peach says
My First Recipe I Would Put Into The Cake Lovers Notebook Would Be For A Chocolate Cake
Bintu Hardy says
I like everything about this except the mincemeat. Not a fan