Crumble Topped Frangipane & Mincemeat Buns
I love buns. There, I said it. Every year, I make a big batch of mincemeat but rarely use it for anything other than mince pies. This year, I stared at my leftover mincemeat and wondered what else I could do with it. After scrolling through Instagram, I landed on buns. Why not create a festive twist on Chelsea buns? To balance the sweetness, I added a frangipane filling and topped them with an almond crumble instead of icing. The result is a not-too-sweet bun with a lovely texture. If you’ve got leftover mincemeat, I highly recommend giving these a try.
Makes 12
Hands-on Time 1 hour
Proving Time +2 hours
Baking Time 35 minutes
Ingredients
For the Dough:
500g strong white bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
1 sachet or 2½ tsp fast-action yeast
75g plus caster sugar
½ tsp fine sea salt
½ tbsp mixed spice
100g unsalted softened butter
2 medium eggs
275ml full-fat milk
Oil for greasing (flavourless, e.g., sunflower or vegetable)
For the Frangipane:
100g unsalted softened butter
100g caster sugar
30g plain flour
100g ground almonds
1 tsp almond extract
1 medium egg
For the Filling:
600g mincemeat
1 lemon (zest and juice)
For the Crumble Topping:
50g plain flour
50g ground almonds
40g chilled unsalted butter (cubed)
½ tbsp caster sugar
For Decorating:
2 tbsp icing sugar
Equipment
Large bowl
Dough scraper
Tea towel
3 mixing bowls
Spatula
Micrograter
Sharp knife
Juicer
Roasting tray (approx. 24cm x 34cm)
Baking parchment
Rolling pin
Palette knife
Pastry brush
Fine sieve
Method
1. Make the Dough
In a large bowl, combine 500g of flour, yeast, 75g of sugar, salt, and mixed spice.
Add 100g of softened butter and 1 egg. Gradually add the milk while mixing with your hands until a dough forms.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes until smooth.
Lightly oil the bowl, return the dough, cover with a tea towel, and let it prove for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
2. Make the Frangipane
In a mixing bowl, combine 100g of softened butter, 100g of sugar, 30g of plain flour, 100g of ground almonds, almond extract, and 1 egg. Mix until smooth.
3. Prepare the Filling
In another bowl, mix the mincemeat with the zest and juice of 1 lemon.
4. Assemble the Buns
Line the roasting tray with baking parchment.
Roll the dough into a 48cm x 40cm rectangle.
Spread the frangipane evenly over the dough, then top with the mincemeat mixture.
Roll the dough tightly from the long side. Cut into 4cm intervals using a sharp knife.
Place the buns swirl-side down in the lined tray. Cover with a tea towel and let them prove for 1 hour.
4. Make the Crumble Topping
In a clean bowl, mix 50g of plain flour and 50g of ground almonds.
Rub in 40g of chilled butter until crumbly. Stir in ½ tbsp of caster sugar.
5. Bake the Buns
Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C (fan)/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
Brush the buns with beaten egg and sprinkle with the crumble topping.
Bake on the middle shelf for 35 minutes until golden.
6. Decorate and Serve
Let the buns cool in the tray. Dust with icing sugar using a fine sieve before serving.
Enjoy!
