Almond Mincemeat Slices: With A Frangipane Topping

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.

For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?

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.

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5 from 2 votes

Almond Mincemeat Slices

A short and crumbly biscuit base, followed by a layer of mincemeat which is topped with a light almond frangipane. Perfect for both lunchboxes and tea parties or as an alternative mince pie.

Cook ModeToggle to keep screen awake

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: British

Keyword: almonds, frangipane, mincemeat, slice, tarts, traybake

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 246kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

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.
  100 g flour, 25 g ground almonds, 25 g golden caster sugar
• Add the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
  60 g unsalted butter
• Add the water and stir with a knife.
  1 tbsp cold water
• 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.
  70 g unsalted butter, 70 g golden caster sugar
• Beat in the egg.
  1 large egg
• Sift in the ground almonds, flour and baking powder and stir until just combined.
  70 g ground almonds, 40 g flour, ½ tsp baking powder
• Spread the mincemeat over the shortbread base then cover with the frangipane.
  8-10 tbsp mincemeat
• 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.
  15 g flaked almonds
• Leave to cool in the mould, then cut into 12 slices.

Notes

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 292IU | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below letting us know how you got on and do share a photo on Instagram. Tag @choclette8 or use hashtag #tinandthyme.

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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.

Cake Notebook

Thanks to Jacqui Small for the notebook. There was no requirement to write a positive review and as always all opinions are my own.