Bakewell Tarts

Bakewell Tarts remind me of a time in University when a friend of mine stepped in to help another friend out with a photography project that involved posing topless with nothing but a couple of cherry bakewells to hide her nips.  Naming no names, but to this day I can’t eat a cherry bakewell without thinking about her 🙂

Anyway, I’ve scoffed a lot of bakewell tarts in my time – my favourite tart by a long way – but never tried making one myself.  I always thought frangipane was a bit of a nightmare.  But, they’re actually not that difficult – especially if you cheat by buying ready-made pastry and don’t bother making the jam yourself.  Pfft!  Who’s got the time for that?

Bakewell Tart (from Mary Berry’s recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 pack of ready-made sweet shortcrust pastry
• Seedless raspberry jam
• 150g butter
• 150g caster sugar
• 150g ground almonds
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp almond extract
• Ready to roll royal icing
• Piped pink fondant icing

1. Set the oven to 180 (fan) and line a fluted tart tin (preferably with a removable bottom – easy) with the shortcrust pastry.  Pop it into the fridge to cool for half an hour.  Line with non stick paper and fill with baking beans.  Bake blind for 15 minutes, then remove the beads and bake for a further 5 minutes.  Set it aside and allow it cool (very important!).
2. To make the frangipane filling cream together the butter and sugar, then add the ground almonds, egg and almond extract. 
3. Spread the bottom of your cooled pastry case with raspberry jam and then spoon in the frangipane mix on top.
4. Turn down the oven to 160 and then bake the tart for 35 minutes (or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.  Leave the tart to cool.
5. Remove the tart from its tin and then use a tin as a cutter to get the right size and shape of rolled out icing.  Decorate with loops or lines of piped pink fondant.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!  ♡