Mincemeat Wedges

There's not much still waiting to be used up after Christmas. Anything perishable has been frozen ages ago, so there are just a few pieces of cheese left in the fridge, alongside some longer lasting chutneys and relishes, and an open jar of mincemeat. I know mincemeat is sold all year round, and I know it's wonderful in many ways other than mincepies, but if I don't finish the jar quickly, I also know it will still be there next Christmas.

These Mincemeat Wedges used 115g (4oz) and just about emptied the jar. The remaining spoonful can go into the next apple crumble, with some sultanas and cinnamon. The dough mix for these wedges is very similar to a rich scone dough made with wholemeal flour, and the finished result was scone-like in texture too. The dough is baked in a sponge tin, rather than being free-formed like a scone round, as it is slightly wetter than a scone and needs to be held in shape. It's then cooled in the tin before being cut into wedges.

The mincemeat gave just a subtle hint of fruit and spice to these scone wedges, but certainly made the kitchen smell like Christmas again!

The recipe comes from the Ultimate Cookie Book.
Ingredients
225g wholemeal flour + 2 teaspoons baking powder (or use SR wholemeal flour if available)

75g unsalted butter

75g light muscovado sugar (the recipe used demerara)
1 egg, beaten
115g mincemeat
about 4 tablespoons milk
crushed brown or white sugar cubes for topping

Method
Preheat oven to 200C. Base line a 20cm(8") sandwich tin with baking paper and grease the sides.

Rub the butter into the flour, then stir in all the other ingredients, using just enough milk to give a dough which is soft enough to spread.

Spread the dough evenly into the prepared tin and sprinkle the top with the crushed sugar.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until risen and golden and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin, then cut into twelve wedges.