This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe is from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking with Dorie and is one I was excited to make. I love a good Bakewell Tart…
What is a Bakewell Tart?
There are a couple of different interpretations of what a Bakewell Tart consists of. Most will know this as a shortcrust pastry tart, with a layer of jam, topped with almond cream (not to be confused with frangipane which is a term often used, but frangipane actually is almond cream mixed with pastry cream) and topped with flaked almonds, baked and sprinkled with icing sugar to serve. Others will be more familiar with the Mr Kipling version – individual tarts as described, but topped with a fondant icing. These are more correctly known as “Iced Bakewells” and I’ve got a version of these that I love here.
There was some controversy a few years ago on The Great British Bakeoff (and also recently on the Great Canadian Baking Show) when the version they were asked to make was a large version of Mr Kipling’s with a fancy feathered pattern in the fondant icing.
In actual fact (from Regula Ysewijn’s excellent British Baking Book), the original “Bakewell Pudding” (originating in the town of Bakewell) was invented around 1850 and was a custard filling in a puff pastry case. Over the years, the Bakewell Pudding evolved into a Tart made with a shortcrust pastry, a layer of jam and a filling made from breadcrumbs and almond meal, looking, cutting and eating more like a cake than a tart…
Dorie says:
A classic British bakewell tart is a threesome: a crust; a layer of raspberry jam – one chockfull of seeds; and a sponge cake redolent of almonds. Sliced almonds and a drizzle of icing may or may not be optional, depending on whose recipe you’re using. I got my first taste of a bakewell, and this recipe, in Paris from my friend, Stephanie Johnston, who got it from her mom, Granny Annie, in England. Granny never used almonds or icing but occasionally swapped her homemade raspberry jam for red currant jelly or lemon curd.
Since I love a Bakewell but we don’t need a full-sized dessert in the house, I made 1/4 of the recipe which made 2 generously sized 4-inch mini tarts. Didn’t have slices almonds so used slivered and dusted with icing sugar instead of drizzling with the glaze and these were just perfect!
This was a great ratio of pastry to jam to almond “cake” and such a treat after a buys weekend. The pastry needs to chill before you bake it and then the partially-baked cases need to cool before you fill them and bake again with the almond filling but none of the steps takes very long at all so it’s easy to do in stages.
Another winner from Dorie… and Steph and Granny Annie!
Get the recipe for Steph’s Bakewell Tart from Baking with Dorie on p 298 of Baking with Dorie or here.
Buy Baking with Dorie and join us baking through the book!
Buy Baking with Dorie on Amazon (this link should bring you to the Amazon store geographically closest to you) or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository. Then join us over on Tuesdays with Dorie and bake your way through the book!
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Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of “Baking with Dorie” for review purposes. I was not asked to write about the book, nor am I being compensated for doing so. All opinions 100% my own.
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Love your post and all the history of the tart! I ended up making mini tarts as well, but yours are way better! I have trouble with crusts! This was a tasty treat and enjoyable to make!
Thanks for reminding me about the history of Bakewell Tarts. I made one 2006 and wasn’t really impressed. I baked something else because it’s Dories Tuesday
Love your minis
I love the idea of mini tarts. Yours look delicious. I’ll have to try making small ones next time.
Mini are such a great way to go…don’t you just love to be served your very own little dessert? Your tart looks great and the history of them as well as your history with them made an enjoyable read. Always fun to visit over here and see what you’ve made.
I love your minis!
I also enjoyed reading more of the history of the Bakewell as I had no knowledge other than from the baking show haha. This was a winner at my house and I would be happy to make it again.
Yay, the minis are back! Your mini tarts are just perfect. I find the Mr Kiplings version too sweet – this was just right.
A classic: as Mardi says, the ratio of the three “parts” is just about perfect; and the almond slices adds a nice textural finish.
looking good with those slivered almonds, and the little iced bake wells are so super cute!
Oh yum… I can taste them by looking at the pics.
ah!! okay this makes so much sense and also with the readings I did too. So many different versions and how things have evolved over the years. As always I love how you are able to minify all the baked goods 🙂
~Lillian
We loved this one so much. Thanks for the history lesson on the dish.