So, here we are in a New Year with Christmas over and just a few remnants of festive foods lurking in the fridge and cupboard. This recipe is one of the best I know for using up the last of the mincemeat, but actually I would happily open a new jar to make this. There are two recipes for sweet mincemeat on this site. Most recently I have added a delicious Suet Free Mincemeat which is ideal for this recipe. There is also Last Minute Mincemeat, a method for augmenting a standard shop bought jar and very helpful if you have just small amount left over from Christmas. (For a small quantity for each 4tbsp mincemeat add around 3tbsp dried mixed fruit, 1tbsp brandy, 2tbsp orange juice and 4 chopped glace cherries.) About half a jar full is needed for the recipe, but if it is slightly less don’t worry. If you are just slightly short of the quantity required, a third and very quick method would be to simply add a scattering of mixed dried fruit. For the record, another good way of using up leftover sweet mincemeat is in a Candlemas Crumble, which is good at any time, not just on 2nd February! I served a large (double sized) version of Mincemeat & Almond Delight at this year’s New Year’s Day meal for our extended family as an alternative to a Sherry Berry Jelly Trifle. Most people ate seconds, coming back for the pudding they had not tried first time round!
The recipe for Mincemeat & Almond Delight comes from The Complete Farmhouse Kitchen Cookbook. It is a shortcrust pastry flan case filled with Mincemeat and sliced banana and covered with an almond mixture similar to that in Bakewell Tart, known as crème d’amande (almond cream). French Style Pear Tart/Pear Pie Bordalue (Tarte aux Poires), also with crème d’amande, uses a similar method and a recipe will eventually also be posted here. I am indebted to Clothilde at Chocolate & Zucchini (one of my favourite blogs) in her post about Galette des Rois (something else I fully intend to make one day!) She helpfully writes:
“There is a lot of confusion between crème d’amande, and frangipane, so here’s the difference: crème d’amande (almond cream) is a simple mix of butter, sugar, ground almonds, and eggs, more or less in equal parts. Frangipane, on the other hand, is a blend of crème d’amande and crème pâtissière (pastry cream), which is made with eggs, milk, sugar, and flour or cornstarch.”
So now you – and I – know the difference. Having written that the filling for this recipe and the Pear Pie Bordalue was Frangipane I now stand corrected and I have amended my words accordingly. Thanks Clothilde! The original recipe used a butter rich pastry crust, but I opted for a standard Shortcrust Pastry using my usual method. I also finished the tart with a sprinkling of split almonds, toasted as the tart baked, which gave a Bakewell Tart appearance. This recipe can also be made as individual sized tarts for tea time.
Mincemeat & Almond Delight
(Serves 6)
Shortcrust Pastry to line a 20cm/8inch flan case
50g/2ozs butter
50g/2ozs caster or soft brown sugar
50g/2ozs ground almonds
2 eggs, lightly beaten
a few drops almond essence, extract if you can get it
225g/8ozs mincemeat (about half a jar – see details above)
2 bananas, thinly sliced
25g/1oz split almonds to finish (optional)
1. Make the shortcrust pastry (I used 6ozs flour and 3ozs fat). Wrap in plastic and leave in the fridge to chill for at least 30minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 200oC/400oF/Gas 6. Roll out the pastry and line the greased and floured flan case. Fill with beans and bake blind for 10minutes. When cool enough, remove the beans and when cool store for another use.
3. Reduce the oven heat to 180oC/350oF/Gas 4.
4. Make the almond cream. Cream the butter and sugar together. Gradually beat in the egg. Add the ground almonds and almond essence and mix together well.
5. Spread the mincemeat evenly into the pastry case and cover with the slices of banana.
6. Pile the almond cream on top of the banana and spread evenly to the edges of the case.
7. Sprinkle with almonds and bake for 35-40minutes until golden brown.
8. Best served hot or warm, but also good cold. Serve with custard and/or cream, crème fraîche or soured cream. If you have leftover brandy butter it can be served with this tart.
I HAVE been wondering what to do with my precious jar of leftover mincemeat (other than eat it from the spoon while standing in front of the fridge). This looks sublime – and a perfect match for my mincemeat, which has caramelised banana in it!
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Welcome Lucy. Your banana based mincemeat sounds as if it would be a perfect match for this recipe. I do hope that you enjoy it.
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Thanks a million for the poem link on my blog – how beautiful.
I’m saving this recipe for next year!
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Thank you.
I was fascinated by your post on Women’s Christmas –
http://brownievillegirl.blogspot.com/2011/01/happy-womens-christmas-to-you-all.html – which was completely new to me. I am glad you liked the poem. This recipe is definitely worth saving – I get asked for it every year. Enjoy!
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