Mincemeat Christmas Tree is a stunning looking but deceptively simple tear and share bread.
With fruity mincemeat between layers of lightly sweet, buttery dough, it’s a great alternative to mince pies.
Made using my overnight, no-knead bread method it’s really simple too.
Bake in just 15 minutes, then tear off a still-warm ‘branch’ and enjoy!
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I love a good homemade mince pie.
Better than any you can buy, I make several batches every year with homemade mincemeat and homemade sweet shortcrust pastry.
But Christmas mincemeat isn’t just for mince pies.
Last year I fell in love with Mincemeat Shortbread Squares with Almond Crumble.
This year, I’m so pleased with my tear and share Mincemeat Christmas Tree!
Made with a simple bread dough instead of pastry, it’s not as sweet as either mince pies or my shortbread squares.
There is sugar in the dough, but not a huge amount. Extra flavour is brought by vanilla extract, milk, and melted butter.
NO-KNEAD, OVERNIGHT BREAD
Like virtually all my breads, this one is made bya simple, no-knead method.
Instead of kneading to develop the gluten (a protein that gives structure to dough), we stir up a wetter than normal dough.
It’s left to rise overnight instead of the more usual couple of hours.
In the morning, or after around 12-14 hours, the dough should have doubled in size. If it hasn’t, just leave it for longer.
Be aware though, because of the butter (fat can inhibit yeast), that the rise may not be as dramatic as with some doughs.
The final result will still be fantastic though!
SHAPING THE MINCEMEAT CHRISTMAS TREE
The Mincemeat Christmas Tree is made up of three layers of bread dough with a mincemeat filling between them.
Unless you’re brilliant at freehand cutting, you’ll first need to make a tree template on paper or card.
Start with a 30 x 30 cm square. I only had A4-sized pieces of card so joined two together then cut it into the correct sized square.
I folded it in half to find the centre, then marked out a 3 x 3 cm square at the bottom to represent the lower trunk of the tree.
Then I drew horizontal lines from the top of each side of the trunk out to the edges of the paper.
Finally, I drew diagonal lines from the middle of the top edge down to meet the horizontal line. Then I cut out my tree.
LAYERING THE DOUGH & MINCEMEAT
The dough needs to be rolled quite thinly (2-3 mm thick) and the template cut around to create three Christmas trees.
The best way to do this is to first cut the dough in half, then roll out and cut out two trees. Use the scraps from these to cut out the third tree plus, if you like, a star for the top.
Note: due to the triangular shape, you’ll probably still have some dough scraps left over. Don’t throw them away! At the end of this post, I give a lovely suggestion for using them up.
Place the first tree on a baking tray lined with baking paper and spread mincemeat over it. Leave a bare edge all around so you can brush this with beaten egg. You can then place the second tree on top, pressing it onto the sticky edge.
Repeat the process with a second layer of mincemeat and beaten egg, then add the third tree.
CREATING THE BRANCHES & STAR
The twisted branches, with the rich mincemeat peeping out, really make this Mincemeat Christmas Tree.
Not just pretty to look at, they can be easily pulled off, making it a great tear and share bread.
Despite the intricate appearance, they’re very easy to create. Honest!
I use the edge of a ruler to first mark out a trunk all the way up the tree.
Next, horizontal lines around 1.5 cm apart are cut on each side of the trunk.
Make sure you go through all the layers, but try not to cut the paper.
Finally, each branch is picked up in turn, twisted two or three times, then placed back down.
If you want to add a star to the top, lay three dough stars on top of each other with a little mincemeat between them if you like.
Glue them together with beaten egg and stick the star to the tree with more egg.
Confession: I got a bit greedy and put too much mincemeat between the layers of the stars. Thus, probably too heavy, the star toppled over during baking. The result was a bit like a pompom on a bobble hat! Try to be more restrained than me, or just leave the mincemeat out.
The whole thing should then be covered and left to prove for around 30 minutes.
Just before baking, brush all over with beaten egg, getting it into all those twisty nooks and crannies.
BAKING
The Mincemeat Christmas Tree doesn’t take long at all to cook.
After around 12 minutes it should be risen and golden. I then slide the tree and its paper off the baking tray so that it sits directly on the oven shelf.
Another 2-3 minutes and the underside should be nice and done too.
Transfer to a wire rack until just cool enough to handle.
SERVING
The Mincemeat Christmas Tree is best served warm.
Of course, first it needs the obligatory, Christmassy sprinkle of snow-like icing sugar.
You are then free to start pulling off branches and enjoying the spicy, fruity, buttery bake!
Just like mince pies, this stunning tear and share bread is lovely with a tipple like mulled wine, port, sherry, or brandy.
With a lightly sweet dough, I think it’s especially good for those who don’t have an overly sweet tooth.
Leftovers can be reheated in a low oven or even pinged in the microwave.
The bread can also be made in advance, frozen, and reheated to serve.
HAVE YOU MADE THIS BREAD?
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT & RATE THE RECIPE
Got dough scraps and beaten egg left over?
Make this easy mini tear and share Spiced Star Bread!
I had 200 grams of dough scraps, so divided them into three balls and rolled into circles about the size of side plates.
I mixed brown sugar and mixed spice and stacked the circles, layering them with beaten egg and a sprinkle of the spiced sugar.
Go to my recipe for Chai Spiced Star Bread to see how to cut, twist and bake it.
5 from 1 vote
An impressive looking yet simple tear and share, no-knead bread that's a great alternative to mince pies. Fruity mincemeat between layers of lightly sweet, buttery dough.
CourseSnack, Bread
CuisineBritish
Keywordtear and share bread, christmas bakes
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Proving 14 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 15 hours 20 minutes
Servings 6 or more
Author Moorlands Eater
Ingredients
For the dough
- 300gbread flour
- 2tspdry active yeast
- 2level tbspcaster sugar
- ½tspsalt
- 200mlmilk
- 60gbuttermelted
- 1tspvanilla extract
For the filling and glaze
- 300gmincemeat
- 1eggbeaten
To serve
- icing sugarsifted
Instructions
The evening before baking
Put the flour, yeast, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
In a jug, stir together the milk, melted butter and vanilla extract.
Pour the liquid into the flour mixture and stir everything together until you have a rough, wet dough.
Cover the bowl and leave overnight or 12-14 hours.
On the day of baking
The dough should have at least doubled in size. If it hasn't, leave for longer.
Scrape the dough onto a well-floured surface, then bring together into a smooth ball by folding it a few times.
Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into balls. Cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Put a 30cm square piece of baking paper on a baking tray.
Using paper or card, make a Christmas tree template 30cm tall and 30cm wide at the tree base.
Roll out one of the pieces of dough 2-3mm thick, slightly larger than the template.
Cut around the template and transfer the Christmas tree shaped piece of dough to the baking paper.
Gather the unused scraps of dough and wrap in cling film.
Take the second piece of dough, roll and cut out another Christmas tree.
Gather the unused scraps and add them to the first lot of scraps.
Spread half the mincemeat over the first cut out tree, leaving a small edge all around.
Brush the edge with beaten egg then place the second Christmas tree over the top, pressing down to stick it to the first.
Spread the remaining mincemeat over the dough, leaving an edge and brushing with egg as before.
Note: if you want to add a star layered with mincemeat to the top of your tree, keep back 1-2 tsp of mincemeat.
Take both lots of dough scraps and briefly fold together into a ball.
Roll as before and cut out a third Christmas tree.
If you want to add a star to the top of your tree, use a star shaped cutter and also cut out three stars.
Note: you may still have some dough left over. See Recipe Notes for a suggested use.
Lay the third Christmas tree on top of the second layer of mincemeat and press down all around.
Using the edge of a ruler, mark a 'trunk' 3cm wide up the middle of the tree.
Take a sharp knife and cut horizontal lines 1-2 cm apart up each side of the tree.
Make sure you go through all the layers, but try not to cut the paper.
Pick up one 'branch' at a time, twist it 2 or 3 times then place back down.
Repeat for all the branches.
If adding a star
Brush one cut out star with egg and add a little reserved mincemeat if liked. Press the second star on top then repeat with more mincemeat and egg then add the third star.
Brush the top of the tree with egg then place the star on top, lightly pressing down to stick.
Cover the Christmas tree with cling film and leave to prove for 30 minutes or until a finger pressed into the dough leaves an impression rather than springing back.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 4.
Brush the Christmas tree all over with beaten egg.
Put into the oven and bake for 12 minutes.
After 12 minutes slide the tree, still on its paper, off the tray and onto the oven shelf.
Bake until cooked through and deep golden brown (approx 2-3 min).
Place on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.
Dust with icing sugar.
Eat warm by tearing off branches then pulling apart the trunk.
Can be frozen when completely cold.
Reheat in a low oven or the microwave.
Recipe Notes
Use leftover dough scraps and beaten egg to make a Mini Spiced Star Bread:
- Divide the dough into three and roll out into circles the approximate size of a side plate.
- Mix together 1-2 tbsp brown sugar and 1-2 tsp mixed spice.
- Layer the dough circles, brushing the first and second with egg before sprinkling with spiced sugar. Lay the third circle on top.
- Follow the instructions in my recipe for Chai Spiced Star Bread for shaping and baking.
