Mincemeat Squares

A pie in a cookie sheet! Excellent company or pot luck recipe for mincemeat lovers everywhere. My family loves these squares at Thanksgiving and Christmas but they are good any time of the year. Good with a scoop of ice cream and some butterscotch sauce on top if you dare. Or a dollop of whipped cream is nice too.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 20-25

Ingredients

• PASTRY

• 2 1⁄2 cups  sifted all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon white sugar
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  cup  lard
• 1  egg yolk, reserve the egg white for the top
• 1⁄2 cup milk, enough to make 1/2 cup

• FILLING

• 3  cups  mincemeat
• 1 -2  tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

• TOPPING

• 1  egg white, for top crust

• GLAZE AFTER BAKING(optional)

• 1  cup icing sugar
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1. PASTRY:
2. Sift flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl.
3. Cut in lard with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal.
4. Put egg yolk in measuring cup, add milk to make 1/2 cup.
5. Add egg mixture to bowl; stir until dough clings together and forms a ball.
6. Roll out half the dough on a floured surface to a 15" x 11" rectangle; transfer to a cookie sheet.
7. Note: You can make a parchment paper or wax paper pattern measuring 15” x 11”. Roll out pastry directly onto the paper for easy transfer to baking sheet.
8. FILLING:
9. Spread mincemeat filling evenly over dough to within 3/4 inch of edges.
10. Dot the top of the mincemeat with the bits of butter.
11. FINAL ASSEMBLY:
12. Roll out remaining half of dough; cut vents.
13. Moisten edges of bottom pastry with cool water using a pastry brush or your fingers. Cover filling with the top pastry, sealing edges.
14. Pinch edges together and crimp.
15. TOPPING:
16. Beat egg white until stiff; spread on top crust.
17. Bake in preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack.
18. GLAZE (optional):
19. Combine icing sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl.
20. Drizzle over warm pastry.
21. Cool slightly before cutting into squares to serve.