Mince Pie Brownies
Take your festive bakes to the next level with these seriously decadent mince pie brownies - layers of pastry, fruit mincemeat brownie and brandy buttercream!
Ingredients
For the Pastry
- 150 g Plain Flour or All-Purpose Flour
- 35 g Icing Sugar or Powdered Sugar
- 75 g Butter Unsalted, Fridge Cold
- 1 Egg Yolk Medium
For the Brownies
- 200 g Butter Unsalted
- 200 g Dark Chocolate
- 350 g Caster Sugar or Superfine Sugar
- 4 Eggs Medium
- 120 g Plain Flour or All Purpose Flour
- 50 g Cocoa Powder
- 150 g Mincemeat
- ¼ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt Optional
For the Brandy Buttercream
- 150 g Butter Unsalted
- 300 g Icing Sugar or Powdered Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Brandy
Video
Instructions
- To make the pastry layer - Preheat the oven to 180C/350F, and line a 9-inch cake pan or brownie tin with baking parchment.
- Sieve the flour and icing sugar together into a large mixing bowl. Cube the fridge cold butter and add into the mixing bowl.150 g Plain Flour, 35 g Icing Sugar, 75 g Butter
- Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients, until it is a sandy texture. Alternatively you can pulse the ingredients together in a food processor.
- Add the egg yolk, and using a knife bring the ingredients together until it starts to form a pastry dough. You might need to use your hands to finish bringing the pastry together. If the pastry is too dry, add a drop of ice cold water to help the pastry bind.1 Egg Yolk
- Form the pastry dough into a disc and place between two sheets of baking parchment, then roll the pastry out so it is larger than your cake tin, and about 4-5mm in thickness.
- Peel off the top layer of baking parchment and use the bottom layer to lift the pastry over the cake tin. Gently press the pastry into the bottom of the pan., being careful not to stretch it. Trim off the excess.
- Lie a sheet of baking parchment on the pastry sheet and fill with baking beans, pie weights or uncooked rice. Bake the pastry for 8-10 minutes. When baked remove the parchment and weights.
- To make the brownie layer - Melt the chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl over a small pan of simmering water (double boiler) or in a microwave. Leave the melted mixture to cool down.200 g Dark Chocolate, 200 g Butter
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and caster sugar with a handheld mixer for about 3 minutes until the mixture is thick, pale and fluffy. Alternatively, whisk together in a stand mixer with the balloon attachment.4 Eggs, 350 g Caster Sugar
- Pour the cooled melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and gently whisk on low speed until well combined. The mixture should be silky and smooth.
- Sieve together the flour, salt and cocoa powder, and add into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold together with a metal spoon or spatula making sure everything is well combined and there are no pockets of unmixed flour.120 g Plain Flour, 50 g Cocoa Powder, ¼ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- Add the fruit mincemeat into the batter. Stir everything together until well combined.150 g Mincemeat
- Pour the batter over the part-baked pastry sheet and gently smooth over with an angled spatula.
- Bake the brownies for 30-35 minutes until firm but still a little gooey in the centre. Test the brownies with a skewer after 25 minutes. Make sure you check the brownie about 1-inch from the edge of the pan; if it comes out with moist crumbs then its ready; if its still gooey bake for another 5 minutes and test again.
- Leave the brownies to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then lift out using the baking parchment and leave to fully cool on a wire cooling rack.
- To make the buttercream - In a large bowl or stand mixer with the balloon attachment, whip the butter until pale and creamy. Start on low speed for 2-3 minutes, increasing to medium/high for 4-5 minutes. Alternatively use a hand held mixer.150 g Butter
- Add the icing sugar a 2-3 tablespoons at a time, and gently beat in. Continue until all the icing sugar is combined and the buttercream is light, airy and smooth. Add the brandy to the buttercream and mix through until well combined.300 g Icing Sugar
- When the brownies are fully cooled, spoon the buttercream on top. Then using a palette knife, spread the buttercream evenly across the cake. You can add swirls with the palette knife for texture if you prefer. Sprinkle all over with icing sugar.2 tablespoon Brandy
- To serve the brownies - For perfect slices, once they are fully cooled pop the brownies in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill before cutting into pieces. They will be firmly set and you will end up with nice straight edges.
Notes
Can I use ready-made pastry?
Yes you certainly can! You can go for ready-to-roll or skip the rolling entirely and grab pre-rolled pastry; either way you'll need enough to line the bottom of your baking pan.
What size baking pan do I need to use?
I recommend using a 9-inch square cake pan or brownie tray. This will give you a nice thick brownie layer and serve 16-24 portions.
How long will the brownies keep for
The brownies will keep up to 5 days and are best stored in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Can I make the brownies ahead?
Yes you can; the best thing is to make the brownies and freeze them then add the frosting when you're ready to serve. Once they are fully cooled, slice up the brownies, wrap in baking parchment and place in air-tight container. They will keep for 1-2 months. Remember to fully defrost the brownies before frosting and serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 374kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 5gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 181mgPotassium: 226mgFiber: 4gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 380IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 4mg
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
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