British · Dessert
Bakewell tart
A classic English dessert consisting of crisp pastry, raspberry jam, and a rich almond filling, topped with flaked almonds. This Bakewell tart is perfect for tea time or as an elegant dessert for any occasion.
The Method
Instructions
Alright, let's start with the pastry. Take your plain flour and pop it into a large mixing bowl. Now, grab your cold butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the flour. You want to keep going until the mixture looks like fine, sandy breadcrumbs. This step is really important because it gives your pastry that lovely crumbly texture. Once that's done, slowly add the cold water bit by bit, mixing it in gently until a soft dough just starts to come together. Be careful not to overwork it, or it might get tough.
Next, lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough. You're aiming for a circle big enough to line a 20cm or 8 inch flan tin. Take your time here, and if the dough is a bit sticky, just sprinkle on a little more flour. Once rolled out, gently lift the dough into your tin, pressing it into the edges so it fits snugly. Don't forget to trim off any excess around the top. Now, pop this pastry lined tin into the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes. This step helps keep the pastry firm so it doesn't shrink when baking.
While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 200C (that's 400F or Gas mark 6 ), or 180C fan if you have a fan oven. This ensures the oven is nice and hot, ready for your pastry to bake evenly.
Okay, time to bake the pastry case blind. Line the chilled pastry with a sheet of foil, making sure it covers the base and sides. Then fill it with baking beans or something heavy to keep the pastry from puffing up or shrinking during baking. Pop it into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. After that, carefully remove the foil and beans,don't burn yourself,and then return the pastry to the oven for another 5 minutes. This extra baking dries out the base so it won't get soggy once you add the filling.
Now for the delicious filling. Spread a generous layer of raspberry jam all over the base of your now slightly cooled pastry case. This jam layer adds that perfect fruity tang to balance out the sweet almond topping.
Time to make that almond filling. Melt the butter gently in a small pan over a low heat. Once melted, take the pan off the heat and stir in the caster sugar. Let it cool for a minute or so, then add the ground almonds, your beaten free range egg, and a good splash of almond extract. Stir everything together until you have a smooth, thick mixture that smells amazing.
Pour this almond mixture carefully over the raspberry jam in your tart case, spreading it out evenly. Then scatter the flaked almonds on top. These will toast and add a lovely crunch and nutty flavor as the tart bakes.
Pop your tart back into the oven and bake for around 35 minutes. Keep an eye on it towards the end , if you notice the almonds are browning too quickly or looking like they might burn, just loosely cover the tart with some foil to protect those nuts while the rest cooks through. When the tart is golden and set, take it out and let it cool a bit before slicing. Enjoy!
Next, lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough. You're aiming for a circle big enough to line a 20cm or 8 inch flan tin. Take your time here, and if the dough is a bit sticky, just sprinkle on a little more flour. Once rolled out, gently lift the dough into your tin, pressing it into the edges so it fits snugly. Don't forget to trim off any excess around the top. Now, pop this pastry lined tin into the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes. This step helps keep the pastry firm so it doesn't shrink when baking.
While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 200C (that's 400F or Gas mark 6 ), or 180C fan if you have a fan oven. This ensures the oven is nice and hot, ready for your pastry to bake evenly.
Okay, time to bake the pastry case blind. Line the chilled pastry with a sheet of foil, making sure it covers the base and sides. Then fill it with baking beans or something heavy to keep the pastry from puffing up or shrinking during baking. Pop it into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. After that, carefully remove the foil and beans,don't burn yourself,and then return the pastry to the oven for another 5 minutes. This extra baking dries out the base so it won't get soggy once you add the filling.
Now for the delicious filling. Spread a generous layer of raspberry jam all over the base of your now slightly cooled pastry case. This jam layer adds that perfect fruity tang to balance out the sweet almond topping.
Time to make that almond filling. Melt the butter gently in a small pan over a low heat. Once melted, take the pan off the heat and stir in the caster sugar. Let it cool for a minute or so, then add the ground almonds, your beaten free range egg, and a good splash of almond extract. Stir everything together until you have a smooth, thick mixture that smells amazing.
Pour this almond mixture carefully over the raspberry jam in your tart case, spreading it out evenly. Then scatter the flaked almonds on top. These will toast and add a lovely crunch and nutty flavor as the tart bakes.
Pop your tart back into the oven and bake for around 35 minutes. Keep an eye on it towards the end , if you notice the almonds are browning too quickly or looking like they might burn, just loosely cover the tart with some foil to protect those nuts while the rest cooks through. When the tart is golden and set, take it out and let it cool a bit before slicing. Enjoy!
Pairs Well With
