An English dessert dating back to the 1800s Bakewell tart is a simple pastry filled with egg and ground almond filling and a layer of jam. A great treat for a winter evening.
2 tbsps good Raspberry Jam
1 egg (beaten) for setting the pastry
1 tbsp flaked almonds
Sweet Pastry
225g Plain Flour
115g butter
25g sugar
1 x egg
2 -3 tbsps milk
Frangipane
225g unsalted butter – softened slightly
225g caster sugar
175g ground almonds
50g plain Flour
3 eggs
1 Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees
2 To make the pastry:
Pace four, butter, sugar and the egg in a food processor & pulse to combine
Slowly add the milk 1 tsp at a time, until the mixture just clumps together. (If it becomes too wet it will be tough).
Draw the mixture up into a bowl with your hands, wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 mins. Roll the pastry out and line a 26cm flan tin (with removable bottom) and fold the edges of the pastry over, press down lightly, but not all the way through – this will stop the pastry sinking down inside the tin whilst baking, but will break off neatly once cooked.
Prick all over the bottom of the pastry with a fork, then line with grease proof paper and using rice or dried beans to weigh the paper down, bake blind for 15-20 mins.
Remove from oven and remove beans and paper, prick all over again and return to oven for 3 mins, then remove again and bush all over the inside of the pastry with the beaten egg. Return to oven for 5 mins. Set aside to cool.
3 Reduce oven temp to 180 degrees
4 To make the filling:
Mix the almonds and flour together and set aside. In the food processor, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add a handful of the flour and almond mixture and 1 egg, pulse until combined, repeat twice, one handful of flour and almonds to 1 egg.
Add the remaining flour mixture and pulse lightly until combined.
5 To assemble the tart:
Trim the excess pastry from the cooled tart (Do not remove from tin). Spread the jam in a thin layer over the bottom of the pastry, leaving a 2cm gap around the edge (this gets spread across by the frangipane and you don’t want it seeping up to the top). Spread the frangipane mixture over the top, ad smooth lightly. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top.
6 Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown in colour. Allow to cool and remove from tin.
Bakewell tart is traditionally eaten cold but tastes good hot as well.
Enjoy with a glass of Milford 20yo New Zealand Single Malt Whisky for a real almond kick
Courtesy of The Whisky Shop.
