Melmerby Mistletoe Slice

This recipe for a Melmerby Mistletoe Slice is a brilliant alternative to mince pies - much easier and less fiddly to make.

If you’re mystified by the name, I created the original recipe (which you’ll find on this website) in honour of JM Hall’s Thirsk Garden Centre mystery series (it’s the sleuths’ teatime favourite). When, to my surprise and delight, I discovered my favourite spice company, Steenbergs, is based in Melmerby, Yorkshire, I thought it deserved a Christmas spin.

Note before you begin: after mixing the biscuit layer, don’t forget to weigh out 175g into a fresh bowl, as it’s used for the crumble. This is clearly explained in step 2, but speaking from experience, easily forgotten.

Cuts into 18 bars

FOR THE BISCUIT LAYER

350g plain flour

2 tsp mixed spice

pinch of salt

125g caster sugar

225g butter, room temperature

FOR THE FILLING

300g mincemeat

FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING

50g walnuts or flaked almonds, toasted and chopped

50g rolled or jumbo oats

50g light muscovado sugar

25g butter, room temperature

dusting of golden icing sugar, to finish

1 Line a traybake tin (about 13x9 inches) with baking paper or foil, folding it right into the edges, and butter lightly.

2 Put the flour, spice, salt and caster sugar into a bowl and mix. Add the 225g butter and rub in till sandy and beginning to clump. (If you prefer washing up to sticky fingers, you can do this is a processor or mixer.) Transfer 175g of this mixture to a bowl, to use as a base for the topping in step 4.

3 Tip the remaining flour mixture into the lined tin and use a spatula to spread it out evenly, then press down firmly all over. Put into the oven – no need to preheat unless you’re in a mad rush – turn it to 170C fan and bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating at half time, till just golden round the edges and on the point of browning.

4 Make the topping while the biscuit layer is in the oven. Mix the reserved flour mixture, nuts, oats and muscovado, then rub in the 25g butter until crumbly.

5 When the biscuit base comes out of the oven, spread thinly with mincemeat,  right to the edges, then sprinkle over the crumble mixture and spread evenly with your fingers so the mincemeat is roughly covered. Put back in the oven for a further 20-25 minutes, rotating at half time, till the mixture is brown and the mincemeat gently hissing.

6 Allow to cool completely in the tin (two to three hours) then lift out and cut into slices. They keep for about 3 days in a plastic box, although they will start to soften; or you can freeze them. Sift over a little icing sugar before serving.