Mincemeat Brown Butter Streusel Squares

These are the perfect little square to enjoy all winter long.  

Yes, I’m saying that mincemeat shouldn’t be reserved for only December. 

The Joy of Mincemeat

I think that mincemeat is totally underrated.  For some reason, it has a reputation of being ‘old fashioned’ (said with a sarcastic, somewhat demeaning tone) But I think it has such a wonderful depth of flavour and rich sweetness. There is a lovely tart undertone that comes with the dried currants, cider, bourbon (more on that later!) and citrus zest.  All in all, an earthy, deep, multi-faceted flavour profile.  For a fantastic history on mincemeat, check out this link.

Mincemeat at its core is simply fruit like chopped apple or pear, chopped nuts, dried fruit like raisins, sultanas or currants, spices, sugar and cider and brandy.  Brandy may be the classic liquor to add to the simmering pot, but these days, I think bourbon is a better more ‘modern’ choice.  Most of us probably have a bottle of bourbon in the liquor cabinet, so why not put it to use, as opposed to purchasing a bottle of brandy which may not get used as often.

Let everything simmer on low until the liquids thicken into a joyous syrup which coats all the chopped fruit and nuts.  Once set, this filling is amazing in pies, tarts, eccles cakes, and today, these awesome streusel squares.  And if you need a reference point, these may be considered a distant cousin to date squares.  

Streusel Squares

Also known as crumble bars or squares, this is basically a dough (not unlike shortbread etc) which is divided.  One portion is patted into a baking dish and baked. This is the base.  The rest of the dough is crumbled up, and stored in the fridge till needed.

Once you have this recipe for the base set, the fillings are endless.  From fruit, to caramel, even pie fillings will all work to create the filling that gets layered over the par-baked base.  Then the remaining dough is crumbled over the filling, and baked.  Once the top layer of streusel-like dough is golden and puffed, and the centre is bubbling, these squares are done.  All that is left is to let them cool and then slice them up.

My Tips

The dough uses melted butter.  Since we are already melting the butter, why not take it a step further and let the butter slowly foam until the lovely brown nutty bits of butter fat develop at the bottom of the pot?!  This will add another layer of flavour to your streusel squares.

I’ve added sliced almonds to the streusel top.  Scatter and push them in gently into the streusel.  This layer is totally optional, you can omit, and they will still taste fine!

Once the squares have baked and cooled in the baking dish, set the dish in the freezer for 10 minutes.  Then lift them out using the parchment overhangs, and place them on a chopping board.  Slice up using a sharp knife, using a good back and forth sawing motion to cut through the top layer instead of pushing down and mashing the streusel up.

I am including my recipe for mincemeat in the recipe, but if you are in a time crunch and can only use a jar of purchased mincemeat, go for it.  I do think homemade tastes better, plus you know what is in it.

For other mincemeat treats check out my Mincemeat Citrus Frangipane Strudel, and Eccles Cakes, a lovely hand held pie with a currant mincemeat filling.

And for the leftover mincemeat, why not use it as a filling for my Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls, a perfect brunch choice!

Love Jen