Bakewell Tarts #Baking Bloggers

February 11, 2019

Bakewell Tarts #Baking Bloggers

Baking Bloggers are international this month with the theme British Baking, sweet or savory. I was so excited to try out these tarts I saw in London but never got to eat. While we were there I did get to enjoy Cornish pasties, a full English fry up, jammie dodgers, and lots of other goodies but not the bakewell tart. And I've meant to fix that for quite a while and I'm so glad I finally got around to it. With the premade crusts they were super simple to whip together.

Big Ben and the House of Parliament

Westminster Abby

So what IS a Bakewell tart exactly? It's a tart, regular sized to cut in wedges or mini like I made. Inside is fruit jam, usually raspberry, on the bottom topped with frangipane. So now you might be asking, well then what is frangipane? That is a delicious mixture of almond paste, sugar, and butter that makes in to a delectable confection. Both soft and light and dense and the flavor complements the raspberry wonderfully. From there though, the jam and the raspberry things can be done a couple ways. Some people top with sliced almonds and powdered sugar while others top with a sugar glaze and a candies cherry. I sort of went this route because it's really pretty. But not quite because I just haven't gotten on board with candies cherries so I subbed that out with a fresh raspberry. No one complained.

18 shortcrust tart shells
1/4 c. good quality raspberry jam
1 (8 oz.) box almond paste
2 eggs
2 tsp flour
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
pinch salt
18 raspberries

Heat the oven to 375

In a food processor blend the almond paste until it's crumbled. Add the flour and sugar and run again until smooth. Add the butter until incorporated and the almond forms a ball and then add the eggs and vanilla and keep running until smooth.

In the bottom of each tart shell smooth out a generous half a teaspoon of jam. Top with a spoonful of of the almond mixture. This will puff up really big in the oven and then sink again when you pull it out but it will still be slightly bigger than it was uncooked so slightly under fill them to leave space for the glaze.

Place on a cookie sheet and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 13 - 15 minutes, until the almond is really puffed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

When the tarts are cook whisk together the salt, powdered sugar, and the lemon juice. Spoon and smooth a thin layer over the top of each tart and immediately place a raspberry in the center. Allow the glaze to set completely and enjoy.