Bakewell Tart recipe. A very simple shortcrust pastry. Filled with jam and an Almond Frangipane. Decorated with a water icing and Toasted Flaked Almonds.
The Traditional Bakewell Tart has its routes in the Derbyshire town of Bakewell. There have been many variations of the original recipe ever since. I've added some simple Bakewell flavours to this Raspberry Bakewell Cake recipe which I love.
This is my version. A shortcrust pastry filled with a moist Almond Flavoured Frangipane. It's worth making the effort to learn how to toast flaked almonds.
Please have a good read through the recipe before you start. As I really want you to be able to get every aspect of it just right.
The Almond Frangipane Recipe can be used in other recipes such as a Plum and Frangipane Tart.
I love Ground Almonds in Cakes, the oil from the nuts help to kee the cakes moist. One of my favourites is this Ground Almond Cake with a Chocolate Drizzle.
How to Make a Bakewell Tart
There are a few steps to making this Bakewell Tart. You need to make the shortcrust pasty case first
Place the Flour, Butter, Trex and salt into a food processor and blitz until you have fine breadcrumbs. You can also do this using the rubbing in method with your fingertips. But a Food Processor if much quicker.
Add the water. Blitz again until the pastry dough comes together into a ball of smooth, putty like texture.
Wrap the pastry in baking parchment or cling film. Flatten it a little and place in the fridge for at least 30 mins to rest.
You can prepare the pastry dough the night before. Leave wrapped in clingfilm, overnight in the fridge.
How to Blind Bake Pastry
Take the pastry out of the fridge. Remove the cling film and start to roll it out between two large sheets of baking parchment.
Roll from the centre outwards. Turning the dough quarter clockwise as you go along.
Release the sheets of baking parchment as you go along. This will help the dough to roll easily between the sheets of paper.
FIG 1: Roll the pastry out until it is large enough to cover and overlap your tart tin. Any excess will be cut away. These cut offs can be frozen to make an offcut pie another time.
FIG 2,3 & 4: Line your tin with the pastry, allowing plenty to hang over the sides. This is to allow for any shrinkage while it rests in the fridge and during baking.
Fig 2: Use a piece of pastry dusted with flour to help get the pastry firmly in the corners.
Place the pastry back into the fridge to rest for at least an hour. Cover the pastry with cling film to help prevent it drying out in the fridge
At this stage you can also prep the day before and leave in the fridge overnight until required.
Preheat the oven to 200deg c Fan Assisted.
Take the pastry tart out of the fridge. Prick the base very gently with a fork. Taking care not to cut all the way through.
Line the inside of the pastry with a fresh double layer of industrial cling film. With plenty of overlap. Avoid using supermarket cling film as it will melt.
Fill the case with plenty of dried beans, or rice. Fold the clingfilm over the top of the beans to stop them falling out.
If you don't have cling film, scrunched up baking parchment is a good alternative.
Bake on a baking tray in the centre of the oven for 20 mins.
After 20 min. Carefully lift up the beans to see if the base is beginning to look dry. If not, return to the oven for another 5 mins.
Carefully remove the baking beans. Return the pastry to the oven for 5 mins to complete the bake. The pastry should have a slight golden colour and feel dry
Take out of the oven. Leave to cool a little. But not completely.
While the pastry is still warm very carefully trim the flat top edge of the pastry case using a small serrated knife. Use the frame of the tart tin as support. Slicing from the inside out will prevent the pastry edges from breaking.
To make the egg wash. Mix the egg with a little water. No more than ½ a teaspoon. Give it a good whisk. Ensure all the yolk and white are mixed together.
Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the pastry case all over with a thin coating of egg wash. This helps to seal the pastry and prevent a soggy bottom. No one wants a soggy bottom.
Return the pastry case to the oven uncovered. Bake for a further 1 min to dry the egg wash.
Remove from the oven and leave to one side to cool.
How to Make Frangipane
Turn the oven down to 175C
To make the Frangipane in a Bakewell Tart. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and smooth.
In a small bowl mix together the eggs, Almond Extract and Vanilla Extract. This will ensure all the Almond and Vanilla Flavours disperse throughout the Frangipane Filling.
Add the egg mixture and the flour to the Butter and Sugar. Mix until well combined.
Add the ground almonds and mix until well combined. Add the lemon zest. Mix with a spatula until well combined.
Cover the bottom of the pastry tart with a thin layer of jam.
Add the Almond Frangipane filling to a piping bag. Beginning at the inside edge. Carefully pipe the filling over the top of the jam. Using a small spatula. Evenly spread out the filling.
Bake for 30 – 35 mins until lightly golden and slightly risen. Testing the centre of the tart with a skewer until it comes out clean.
Note. It’s normal to see a few specks of ground almond on your skewer.
Take out of the oven and leave in the tin to cool completely.
How to Make Water Icing Topping
Mix the icing sugar with the pre boiled water. One Teaspoon at a time. Until you have a very thick, but slightly runny consistency.
Spread the water icing over the top of the tart. Before the icing sets. Top with toasted flaked almonds.
Try making your own Toasted Flaked Almonds. It takes only 5 minutes. If you love making pastry, this Yorkshire Curd Tart using Cottage Cheese is a breeze to make.
Learning how to make shortcrust pastry can take time, but it is so worth doing.
Why This Recipe Works
Allowing the pastry to rest in the fridge reduces the risk of shrinking during baking.
Using an oven thermometer ensures that the pastry is baked at the correct temperature.
Egg washing the baked pastry shell helps eliminate those soggy bottoms.
Bakewell Tart Recipe
Equipment
- 8 inch loose bottomed tart tin
- Piping Bag
- Spatular
- Cake Skewer
- Stand Mixer
- Cling Film
- Dried Baking Beans
INGREDIENTS
For the Pastry
- 200 g plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- 50 g butter cold cut into cubes
- 50 g Trex or Lard cold cut into cubes
- 50 g cold water
Egg wash
- 1 egg
For the Filling.
- 120 g butter softened
- 120 g caster sugar
- 120 g ground almonds
- 50 g plain flour
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- A few drops of almond extract
- ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Zest 1 small lemon
- 3 tablespoons jam
Icing and Topping
- 120 g icing sugar
- 2 teaspoons of Pre Boiled water
- 25 g toasted flaked almonds
Instructions
- Method
- Grease a 20cm 8 inch fluted loose bottomed tart tin
Make the Shortcrust Pasty
- Place the Flour, Butter, Trex and salt into a food processor and blitz until you have fine breadcrumbs. You can also do this using the rubbing in method with your fingers. But a Food Processor is much quicker.
- Add the water. Blitz again until the pastry dough comes together into a ball of smooth, putty like texture.
- Wrap the pastry in baking parchment or cling film. Flatten it a little. Place in the fridge for at least 30 mins to rest.
- You can prepare the pastry dough the night before. Leave wrapped in clingfilm, overnight in the fridge.
How to Line a Tart Tin with Pastry
- Take the pastry out of the fridge and start to roll it out between two large sheets of baking parchment.
- Roll from the centre outwards. Turning the dough quarter clockwise as you go along.
- Release the sheets of baking parchment as you go along. This will help the dough to roll easily between the sheets of paper.
- Roll the pastry out until it is large enough to cover and overlap your tart tin. Any excess will be cut away. These cut offs can be frozen to make an offcut pie another time.
- Line your tin with the pastry, allowing plenty to hang over the sides. This is to allow for any shrinkage while it rests in the fridge and during baking.
- Place the pastry back into the fridge to rest for at least an hour. Cover the pastry with cling film to help prevent it drying out in the fridge
- At this stage you can also prepare the day before and leave in the fridge overnight until required.
- How to Blind Bake Pastry
- Preheat the oven to 200deg c Fan Assisted.
- Take the pastry tart out of the fridge. Prick the base very gently with a fork. Taking care not to cut all the way through.
- Line the inside of the pastry with a fresh double layer of industrial cling film. With plenty of overlap. Avoid using supermarket cling film as it will melt.
- Fill the case with plenty dried beans, or rice. Fold the clingfilm over the top of the beans to stop them falling out.
- Bake on a baking tray in the centre of the oven for 20 mins.
- After 20 min. Carefully lift up the beans to see if the base is beginning to look dry. If not, return to the oven for another 5 mins.
- Carefully remove the baking beans. Return the pastry to the oven for 5 mins to complete the bake.
- Take out of the oven. Leave to cool a little. But not completely.
- While the pastry is still warm very carefully trim the flat top edge of the pastry case using a small serrated knife. Use the frame of the tart tin as support. Slicing from the inside out will prevent the pastry edges from breaking.
- To make the egg wash. Mix the egg with a little water. No more than ½ a teaspoon. Give it a good whisk. Ensure all the yolk and white are mixed together.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the pastry case all over with a thin coating of egg wash. This helps to seal the pastry and prevent a soggy bottom. No one wants a soggy bottom.
- Return the pastry case to the oven uncovered. Bake for a further 1 min to dry the egg wash.
- Remove from the oven and leave to one side to cool.
- Turn the oven down to 175C
Make the Frangipane Filling
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and smooth.
- In a small bowl mix together the eggs, Almond Extract and Vanilla Extract. This will ensure all the Almond and Vanilla Flavours disperse throughout the Frangipane Filling.
- Add the egg mixture and the flour to the Butter and Sugar. Mix until well combined.
- Add the ground Almonds and mix until well combined.
- Add the lemon zest. Mix with a spatula
- Cover the bottom of the pastry tart with a thin layer of jam.
- Add the Almond Frangipane filling to a piping bag. Beginning at the inside edge. Carefully pipe the filling over the top of the jam. Using a small spatula. Evenly spread out the filling.
- Bake for 30 – 35 mins until lightly golden and slightly risen. Testing the centre of the tart with a skewer until it comes out clean.
- Note. It’s normal to see a few specks of ground almond on your skewer.
- Take out of the oven and leave in the tin to cool completely.
Make the icing topping
- Mix the icing sugar with the boiled water. One Teaspoon at a time. Until you have a very thick, but slightly runny consistency.
- Spread the water icing over the top of the tart. Before the icing sets. Top with toasted flaked almonds.
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