Mincemeat Blondies

It doesn’t seem like it’s Christmas unless I make something with mincemeat! I always make mince pies, but I like to make some sort of cookies that also include mincemeat. What mincemeat you use and how it tastes varies a lot. I usually pick up what I can, as long as it’s from England. Some folks make it from scratch, but I don’t usually have that much time. Thankfully, store bought mincemeat is good, and I think of it as spicy, chunky applesauce.

This is a quick and easy recipe and came together in a snap. I’ve used weight measurements here rather than volumetric measures, and it is much more accurate. A kitchen scale that measures both grams and ounces is one of the most used devices I own! I seem to use fewer measuring cups as well when I use my kitchen scale.

This is a British recipe, and there is a learning curve with recipes from abroad. You can translate oven temperature and similar things, but some baking instinct is still needed. These bars were to bake for about 25 minutes, but mine were far from done. I baked them closer to 35 minutes, and they are still quite soft. My foil stuck a bit as well, but I have no idea why! None the less, these bars are lovely and have the spices of mincemeat, which is so warming this time of year.

Mincemeat Blondies 
115 grams butter, melted
210 grams brown sugar
150 grams mincemeat
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg 
125 grams flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Heat the oven to 355 degrees. Line an 8” square baking pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. 

In a large mixer bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar. Using medium speed, beat until smooth. Add the egg, mincemeat, and vanilla and stir again on medium to incorporate. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir just until the flour disappears into the batter.

Spread in the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan after 15 minutes, until set. The bars will be soft but should not be liquid in the center. Allow the bars to cool before cutting them into squares. 

Recipe from Fuss Free Flavours