The Ultimate Bakewell Tart Recipes

THE ULTIMATE BAKEWELL TART

Steps:

• Sift the flour, icing sugar and a pinch of salt into a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until it forms fine crumbs. Add the beaten eggs and milk and lightly bring together to form a firm dough, taking care not to handle it any more than necessary. Shape into a disc (which will be easier to roll out later), then chill, wrapped in cling film, for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4 along with a baking sheet. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a pound coin. Use to line a 23cm fluted, loose-bottomed tart tin. Try not to stretch the pastry when tucking it into the edges. Trim the excess and prick all over with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Place on the pre-heated baking sheet and blind-bake (see our how-to video below) for 15 minutes, then remove the beans/rice and paper. Cook for a further 5 minutes until pale golden and dry on top.
• Make the filling. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs a little at a time, then fold in the ground almonds and lemon zest.
• Spread the jam evenly across the base of the pastry case, then spoon over the sponge mixture, levelling the surface with the back of the spoon. Scatter over the almonds and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden, well risen and just set in the centre. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

TRADITIONAL BAKEWELL TART

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven 325 F / 170 C / Gas 3.
• Sift the flour into a bowl.
• Add the butter and salt and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles sand (working as quickly as you can so the dough does not get warm).
• Add the water to the mixture, a little at a time, and, using a cold knife, stir until the dough binds together. You should have a soft, but not sticky, dough that has formed. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and chill for a minimum of 15 to 30 minutes.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board to 1/4 inch thick.
• Grease and then line an 8-inch deep tart tin with the pastry. Prick the base all over with a fork. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Line the tart case with parchment paper and fill with baking beans . Cook for 15 minutes or until the pastry is a pale golden color.
• Remove the baking beans, lightly brush the inside of the pastry case with a little egg white , and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Spread the raspberry jam onto the base of the pastry case. Leave to cool.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until pale in color using an electric hand whisk.
• Add the beaten eggs and egg yolk a little at a time.
• Gently fold in the ground almonds and lemon zest.
• Pour the mixture into the pastry case and gently level the surface to ensure the whole case is filled. Place the tart tin on a baking sheet,
• Bake for 20 minutes, then sprinkle the flaked almonds onto the top of the tart.
• Bake for a further 20 minutes, or until golden and set.
• Leave to cool and serve with custard sauce or cream.

BAKEWELL TART

Steps:

• Make the puff pastry:
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Using a knife, stir in about 1 cup of water. Continue stirring until the dough just starts to come together but is still stringy and clumped together. Stir in more water as needed (you will probably use about 1 3/4 cups total), until the dough is smooth and gathers itself into a ball-like shape.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and using a rolling pin, roll it into a long, 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Arrange all of the butter in the center of the dough, 2 sticks on top of 2 sticks, so that the butter divides the rectangle of dough in half. Fold one long end of the dough over the butter, and then fold the other long end on top, like folding a business letter. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Return the dough to the lightly floured surface and roll into a long, 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Fold one long end of the dough toward the center, then fold the other long end on top. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Repeat this step 1 more time so that the dough has been rolled, folded, and refrigerated a total of 3 times. DO AHEAD: The puff pastry can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap, up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Butter an 8-inch deep-dish pie plate.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 1/4-inch-thick circle about 12 inches in diameter. Fit the dough into the prepared pie plate, remove any excess dough, and reserve the excess for another use. If desired, use a fork to crimp the edge of the tart. Using a fork, prick the bottom and sides of the tart shell all over, then chill 15 minutes.
• Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans, then bake until the pastry is set and pale golden along the edge, about 15 minutes. Remove the weights or beans and the parchment paper, then gently brush the bottom and sides of the tart shell with the egg white and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and spread the jam evenly across the bottom. Set aside to cool.
• Make the filling:
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy and pale in color, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes total. Using a spatula, gently fold in the flour. Pour the batter onto the jam in the cooled tart shell and smooth the top. Bake until the tart is golden and set, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer tart to rack to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

BAKEWELL TARTS

Steps:

• Make the tart shells: In bowl of food processor, combine butter and granulated sugar and process until smooth. Add egg yolks, salt, and vanilla and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup flour and process until smooth. Add remaining 1 cup flour; process to combine. Turn dough out onto plastic wrap and form into a flat square; wrap tightly and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Wipe clean food processor bowl.
• Make the filling: In bowl of food processor, add almonds and granulated sugar and process until finely ground. Add butter, egg, flour, rum, salt, and almond extract, and process until frangipane is smooth.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out chilled dough to a 1/4-inch-thickness. Using a 4 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out 10 circles, re-rolling dough as necessary. Fit each circle into a 4-inch round fluted tart pan with removable bottom, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill each tart shell with 1 tablespoon jam, then top with about 2 tablespoons frangipane; place on parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. (You will have about 1/4 cup frangipane leftover.) Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove tarts from pans.
• Make the glaze: Sift confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Stir in lemon juice to combine. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe glaze onto tarts as desired.

BAKEWELL TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Arrange tart shells on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove shells from oven and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Spoon 1 teaspoon raspberry jam into the bottom of each tart shell.
• Beat butter and white sugar together in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add flour, egg, baking powder, and almond extract and mix well. Spoon 1 tablespoon butter mixture on top of raspberry jam layer.
• Bake tarts in the preheated oven until filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Stir confectioners' sugar and water together in a bowl until icing is smooth; drizzle over warm tarts.

TRADITIONAL BAKEWELL TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch pie plate. Whisk together the flour, ground almonds, and baking powder; set aside.
• Roll the pie crust pastry into a round shape a little larger than the pie plate. Cut off a 1/2-inch wide strip from the edge of the pastry circle, and line the lower sides of the pie plate with the strip, placing the cut side upwards (the pastry will not reach the rim of the pie plate). Dampen the strip with water, then place the remaining pie pastry circle into the pie plate, pressing to seal the edges of the circle onto the strip where the pastry overlaps. This will create a crust that is slightly thicker around the lower edges. Spread the strawberry jam evenly over the center of the pastry shell.
• Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a bowl until light and fluffy. Whisk the egg together with the lemon zest, and add gradually to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Gently fold the flour mixture, a spoonful at a time, into the egg mixture, folding until just incorporated. Spread the batter over the jam in the pie shell.
• Bake the tart in the preheated oven until the filling is firmly set and browned, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.