Bakewell Tart

The Bakewell tart dates back to the 19th century when a woman named Mrs Greaves, who was the landlady of the White Horse Inn in Derbyshire, created the Bakewell pudding. It is thought it was baked by mistake, when she asked her cook to create a jam tart, but instead of incorporating the almond paste and jam into the pastry, the cook spread the mixture on top. This created an egg custard resembling a pudding. The mistake proved so successful, that the recipe stuck.

It was officially included in Eliza Acton’s cookbook “Modern Cookery for Private Families” in 1845 and was formally named the ‘Bakewell pudding’ after it was discovered in the town of Bakewell, Derbyshire.  In 1900 the pudding developed into the tart. The egg custard in the pudding was replaced with frangipane, because of its signature taste. Through the years the recipe has been tinkered with slightly and chopped almonds were replaced with glace sugar paste and it became known as the ‘Cherry Bakewell’ when bakers started topping the tart with a candied half cherry. The traditional Bakewell tart was eight to nine inches in diameter, whereas the Cherry Bakewell is designed to be smaller and enjoyed in individual bites.

Ingredients    

• 250g marzipan;
•  4 tbsp raspberry jam;
• Pastry
  • 125g butter;
  • 185g plain flour;
  • 2 large egg yolks;
  • 65g golden caster sugar;
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract;
• Frangipane
  • 125g flaked almonds;
  • 125g softened butter;
  • 85 g golden caster sugar;
  • 1 large egg; 
• Drizzle
  • 3tbsp icing sugar;
  • 2 tsp lemon juice.

Method

1. Rub the butter into the flour with a pinch of salt until crumbly. 
2. Mix in the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until it forms a dough.
3. Roll into a log, cover and chill for at least 1 hr or up to 2 days. 
4. Remove from fridge and slice into rounds about 3 mm thick. 
5. Use the rounds to cover a 20cm tart tin then push them with your fingers so they completely cover the base and sides of the tin, without any gaps and with a slight overhang. 
6. Chill or freeze for a least 1 hour.
7. Heat the oven to 180 fan and heat a baking sheet. 
8. Prick the pastry with a fork, then bake blind for 20 mins. 
9. Lift out the paper and beans then bake for a further 10-15 mins until golden brown. 
10. Remove from the oven and cool completely. 
11. Turn the oven down to 160fan. 
12. Meanwhile make the frangipane.
13. Tip the almonds into a frying pan and toast over a medium heat until light brown.
14. Tip all but 1 tbsp of the almonds into a food processor and blitz to a paste, then set aside. 
15. Roll the marzipan out to a circle that fits the base of the tart and lay over the bottom. 
16. Spread the jam over the marzipan then spread over the frangipane. 
17. Bake the tart for 45-50 mins until puffed up and golden and set to the slight wobble stage. 
18. Trim any overhanging pastry and leave to cool..
19. Make the drizzle by mixing the ingredients.
20. Carefully remove the tart from the tin and drizzle with the icing and scatter with the remaining almonds.