Bakewell Tart
The royal wedding has me nostalgic for all things British. I can’t believe it’s been over a decade since my husband and I, in our pre-child days, lived and worked in London. We spent 3 years soaking up the culture and travelling Europe as much as we could. British pop culture fascinated me including cooking shows and being introduced to food personalities who were big in the UK and not in the States.
With my serious sweet tooth, I thought I knew my desserts, but there were British ones I had never heard of including the Bakewell tart, which consists of a pastry shell, jam and almond filling. For this tart, I used raspberry preserves and finished it off with sliced almonds. It was toasty and nutty with just the right amount of fruit, and would be a lovely dessert for Mother’s Day or the royal wedding.
Bakewell Tart
Adapted from Bake From Scratch
Makes one 14-inch x 4-inch tart
1 cup all-purpose flour plus more for work surface
1-1/4 cups almond flour, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Nonstick cooking spray
1/4 cup raspberry preserves
1/4 cup sliced almonds
For the crust, pulse the all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup almond flour, 1 teaspoon sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse sand. With the motor running, slowly pour the water through the feeder tube until the dough comes together. Pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, on low speed followed by the almond extract and 1 cup almond flour until just combined.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a rectangular tart pan with nonstick cooking spray. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 15-inch x 5-inch rectangle. Place the dough in the pan pressing into the bottom and sides. Trim the excess dough. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Place parchment paper over the tart and fill with pie weights. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set. Remove the parchment and pie weights and bake for an additional 2 minutes. Let the crust cool before spreading the raspberry preserves on the bottom followed by the almond filling. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top. Place the tart on a sheet pan to catch any drips and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling on a wire rack.
