Bakewell tart

A true British classic, Bakewell tart is best served slightly warm with a dollop of lightly whipped cream.

Info

Serves
Makes 1
Prep time
Less then 30 minutes
Cooking time
30 minutes to 1 hour

Ingredients

For the pastry

  • 350g / 12oz plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp (half) salt
  • 200g / 7oz unsalted butter
  • 100g / 4oz caster sugar
  • 50g / 2oz ground almonds
  • 1 whole egg, beaten
  • 2 egg yolks (NB If you want a super rich pastry use duck eggs)

For the filling

  • 400g / 14oz ground almonds
  • 175g / 6oz caster sugar
  • 6 medium eggs, beaten
  • 1/2tsp (half) almond essence
  • 3 heaped tbsps Raspberry Jam
  • 50g / 2oz flaked almonds

Method

  1. First make the pastry. We prefer to use a food processor for this. Process the flour, salt, butter, sugar and almonds into crumbs. Then add the eggs one at a time to make a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 min. Meanwhile prepare the filling.

  2. For the filling; mix the ground almonds with the caster sugar, fold in the beaten eggs and almond essence, set aside.

  3. Heat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/gas Grease and flour your tart tin. Roll out your chilled pastry on a cold surface, this is a very short pastry and at first it will appear to be as difficult to handle as it is juggling feathers. Line the tin with the pastry (the excess, trim off, and make some biscuits). Prick with a fork then cover the pastry lightly with some baking parchment and fill with baking beads or beans and bake blind for 15 min. Remove from the oven take out the beads and paper and leave to cool. If the base is still a little raw in the centre pop it back in the oven for a few min to to dry out. Then leave to cool. Reduce oven to 180C/Fan 160/gas 4.

  4. When cool spread a generous layer of raspberry jam onto the pastry base. On top of the jam pour on the almondy, eggy filling. Top off with flaked almonds then bake for about 30 min or until the filling is baked through and the almonds are golden. Serve with clotted cream or vanilla ice cream.