Shortbread Mincemeat Bars

2 shortbread mincemeat bars stacked on a plate

Makes 12 bars

Loraine grew up loving shortbread cookies, her mother, who was of Scottish heritage, made them for all occasions. Over the years she has tried many different brands, some imported all the way from Scotland and others from small local bakeries. Many were good and a few were excellent, but nothing really beats a fresh homemade shortbread cookie.

This is a very simple recipe to make and the end result is an excellent, super fresh, homemade shortbread mincemeat bar.

Don't bother to ask how long they can last as they will be gone very quickly!

Ingredients

12 shortbread mincemeat bars stacked on a plate

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350° F. with an oven rack in the center of the oven.
  2. Butter the inside of a 9" square baking pan, we use a non-stick pan, but we still butter the inside.
  3. Add the flour and salt to a bowl and thoroughly mix together, set aside.
  4. In a stand mixer bowl beat the butter until smooth.
  5. Add the sugar and vanilla to the butter and beat on medium speed until it is creamy and smooth.
  6. Add the reserved flour/salt mixture and beat until it is incorporated into the butter mixture. You will end up with a clumpy type of batter.
  7. Separate the batter into two; 2/3 of the batter should be placed in the baking pan and the remaining 1/3 of the batter should be reserved.
  8. Press the 2/3 of the batter into the bottom of the buttered baking pan so that you have an even layer, about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick.
  9. Prick the batter with a fork so that the batter will not bubble up when baking.
  10. Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, the shortbread should be a very light brown.
  11. Remove from the oven (do not turn the oven off) and cover the shortbread with the mincemeat. This layer should also be about a 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick.
  12. Take the reserved dough and break it into small pieces and place them over the top of the mincemeat. The dough should not create a solid layer but be a bunch of pieces. Gently press the pieces of the shortbread dough into the mincemeat.
  13. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes, check the top layer of dough, it should be a golden brown, if not return to the oven in 5 minute intervals, until the desired color is achieved.
  14. Place the baking pan on a cooling rack and cut it into 12 bars, it is best to cut the shortbread bars while they are still warm.
  15. Storage should not be a problem, because they are so good they will be gone in a couple of days!

Recipe Categories

Bon Appétit