Bakewell And Baked Best: The Classic British Teatime Tart

“O district of the mighty Peaks, O home of Bakewell Tart: 

What wondrous things thou giv’st to us, how generous thou art!

A pastry case so crisp and thin, a bright red jammy layer;  

Rich frangipane to fill it up, sweet almonds in the air.”

-    Katie de Bourcier, Peak Ponderings 3

Notes From The Hermitage, 2020

There’s nothing quite so British as an elegant afternoon tea (except perhaps habitual colonising). But let’s look on the brighter side of life and focus on the quintessential custom that is teatime in ol’ Blighty. Traditionally this repast was to be enjoyed in the mid-afternoon when the long stretch of time between lunch and dinner became altogether unbearable for the British aristocracy. Until the early 19th century, it was a custom reserved for the wealthy while the working class enjoyed a heartier ‘high tea’ later in the day during post-work hours. The afternoon tea is characterised by more dainty fare like scones, finger sandwiches, cakes and tarts. 

One of the classics that has remained in vogue even today is the Bakewell Tart, named after the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire. It’s made with a crumbly shortcrust pasty case filled with a layer of jam, and frangipane (almond cream) and usually, is topped with almond flakes and glacé icing. 

Also Read: The History Of The Practice Of Afternoon Tea

The name might be a little misleading, however, as there’s no evidence that the tart was first made in the town of Bakewell at all, although it does hold claim to its original variation – Bakewell Pudding. The pudding was first made by accident at the White Horse Inn in Bakewell around the late 18th century. The story goes that the landlady, Mrs Greaves, had left instructions for the cook to make a jam tart, but instead of stirring the almond paste and eggs into the pastry as instructed, she spread the mixture on top and it set like a custard. She then unknowingly served it to the guests who deemed it a huge success. 

Bakewell Tart evolved from this pudding in the 1900s and the egg custard was replaced by frangipane, an almond-based Italian confection made from ground almonds, eggs, butter, and sugar. A modern addition is the addition of the glacé icing and the addition of a maraschino or candied cherry which designates it as a Cherry Bakewells. These are usually small, individual tarts rather than the classic 8-9 inch version.

Though simple, the tart has garnered many devotees over the years and has cemented its place at the British tea table proving that sometimes happy accidents really can change the course of history.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups plain flour
• 1/4 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 125g butter, chilled, chopped
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp chilled water
• 1/4 cup cherry jam
• 1/4 cup flaked almonds

Frangipane Filling:

• 125g butter, softened
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups almond meal (ground almonds)
• 1/3 cup plain flour

Method:

• Combine flour, almond meal, sugar and butter in a processor. Process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. 
• Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of chilled water. 
• Process until dough just comes together, adding more chilled water if necessary. 
• Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until just smooth and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a tart pan. 
• Roll out pastry to 5mm thickness and line the pan with pastry. Trim the excess and return to the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• Blind bake the pastry case filled with weights for 12 minutes until the edges are light brown. 
• Remove the weights and bake for a further 10 minutes.
• Allow it to cool before spreading in a thick layer of jam. 
• For the filling, beat butter, sugar and lemon rind until light and fluffy. 
• Add the eggs one at a time and beat until just combined. 
• Sieve in the almond meal and flour and beat it in until no streaks remain.
• Spread the filling over the jam, sprinkle with almonds and bake for 45 minutes.
• Allow it to cool, dust with icing sugar and serve with cream.