Bakewell Tart

Bakewell Tart

Daring Bakers time again! Has it been a month already? Wow, the summer is flying by too quickly.

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

I loved Jasmine and Annemarie's challenge choice. I had never heard of a Bakewell Tart let alone tasted one so I was excited to do this something new.

Once again I left it to the last possible day to do the challenge. I worried that I wouldn't have enough time to make the tart before the deadline. After work, I went to the grocery store to pick up the ground almonds and I actually ran into Jasmine. She took a look at my cart and I was so busted! Jasmine reassured me that I'd be able to make the whole tart in a couple of hours. [insert sigh of relief here]

I told Jasmine that I was making my tart with my friend Lynn's homemade red currant jam. I stopped by Lynn's house to pick up the delicious jam and to also pick some fresh red currants from her bush in the backyard. I wanted to sugar the fresh currants and use them as a garnish for the tart. Jasmine liked the ideas and wished me luck.

Jasmine was right, it only took me a couple of hours to complete the whole tart. This is one of the quickest challenges yet. Enjoy!

Thank you Jasmine and Annemarie for a great challenge!

Bakewell Tart…er…pudding

Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

Components:
One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Assembling the tart:
1. Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

3. Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

4. The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

5. When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry



Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

Ingredients:
225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Directions:
1. Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

2. Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

3. Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Frangipane

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

Ingredients:
125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Directions:
1. Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.


93 comments:

KennyT said...

I am bringing my plate, lining up the long queue for a piece now.

veggievixen said...

wow, i have never baked with fresh currants before! sounds like quite an undertaking. great photos!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful as always. I love the currants and your photos are spectacular. Not to mention your tart is stunning. :)

Esther said...

Yum I love red currants and that looks fabulous!

Alpineberry Mary said...

The currants are like jewels atop your tart. Lovely!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

A very pretty tart! I love that filling!

Cheers,

Rosa

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

The redcurrants make your tart look so beautifully dressed.

pigpigscorner said...

Beautiful plating!

Barbara Bakes said...

Your sugared currants add a touch of elegance. Great job!

Audax said...

What a classy tart you produced and those redcurrants really are th perfect touch to it. Beautiful pixs very professional looking. Cheers

Isabelle Lambert said...

avec des groseilles, j'aurai adoré !
c'est superbe :)

Talita said...

Great pics! I loved how you embelish this tart!

Adam said...

Awesome job, and right under the wire! I don't blame ya, there's this crazy thing called life that has deadlines too :)

I love that word fragipane, it sounds like something I'd say if I stubbed my toe.

Heather said...

Mouthwatering dessert indeed! It's a perfectly formed tart and I just love the fresh currents addition.

Arundathi said...

Amazing!! Looks like it came out perfect!

Sara said...

Oooooh, that currant jam looks totally amazing! Yum...gorgeous tart!

Creative Classroom Core said...

Your tart came out so beautifully! Nice work! I am impressed :)

Olga said...

super cute decorations!

jasmine said...

Hee! The look on your face at the bigscarymegamart was priceless.

Glad it worked out ;)

j

Anonymous said...

Your gorgeous tart was baked well indeed. I love all the photos. Great presentation! Congrats!

lisa (dandysugar) said...

Delicious and sophisticated! The fresh currants look lovely on top. Wonderful job!

Elissa said...

Your tart came out looking really nice! I love the sugared currants on top :)

Wolf said...

I am so jealous that you have a red currant bush handy.
Hmph.

Anonymous said...

Look at those currants! marvelous job

Lisa is Bossy said...

Beautiful sugared currants. I LOVE that you ran into Jasmine. That's hilarious! I wish I ran into Daring Bakers at my local grocery store!!

Chou said...

I am in love with your tart! The sugared currents just add a little extra pizazz.

Madeline said...

Congratulations on a beautiful job! I love the sugared currants. Very good call :)

maybelles mom said...

I love red currants. so far this is my favorite bakewell tart.

Cheri said...

Beautiful presentation. I have never had red currants, to my knowledge, but they look like they would be really yummy.

Lisa said...

What a beautiful tart! Lovely photos.

Simones Kitchen said...

Yours look amazing! Love the sugared berries on top.

Soma said...

The currants are so beautiful. i wish i could have some of that jam! pretty pictures.

Sue said...

I love the red currants as a garnish-they're beautiful! I bet the jam is delicious! Lovely tart:)

Anna said...

Yummy looking tart! Great thick layer of the jam :)

Anonymous said...

Love the thick jam layer & beautiful frangipane! Very pretty!

Zita said...

You're so lucky, You have a Db's host friend and a friend who can make delcious jam, no wonder your tart looks so mightylicious :)

Isabelle said...

Beautiful tart and your photos are amazing! I love red currants.

Lauren said...

Beautiful job on your tart!! The currants sound wonderful, as a jam and a garnish! Yum =D.

Melissa said...

Love the sugared currants! I bet that tart tasted delicious!

Gera@SweetsFoodsBlog said...

So colorful and pure sweetness...all the goodness I need with these tarts :)

Cheers!

Gera

Kris said...

Oh, your tart looks absolutely wonderful! I've never had current jam before, I will have to try and find some.

Hannah said...

Looks perfect! Fresh currants are very hard to get around here, so I can only imagine what a special treat this would be.

Mme said...

Currents are a great idea for jam, and they're so pretty on top too.

Everything you make looks so delicious.

Corry said...

Wow, that is so pretty. Red currants, we don't see them too often in Australia. Love your photography.

Deeba PAB said...

That's just gorgeous Paula...stunning. I remember Jasmine rediscovering you through the Apple Cake I posted off your blog ages ago. What fun these coincidences are.Your Bakewell is so appealing & exciting. I love th ered currants & the jam too. How yum!! I guess I'm too late for a slice, though I'll still stand in queue. Could wait for this forever!

alana said...

Oh the currants are a perfect idea- and the garnish is luscious. I love this...

Isolated Foodie said...

Gorgeous, gorgeous tart! I love red currants. My mom grows them, but they moved a couple years ago and her new bushes haven't produced a good crop yet. Maybe this year!

(The cookies in the post below this one would make Husband's head explode with joy. I'll have to keep those in mind for a special treat for him.)

WolfHowling said...

Lucky find...I will bookmark this site and comeback often

giz said...

Beautiful job on the tart. I wish I would have had the time this month to participate. Sigh....another one of those life gets in the way months.

Anonymous said...

oh my God. That looks SO rich and tempting! It's to DIE for!

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Well, I can see I didn't put enough of that frangipane on my tart but we did enjoy it.

How fabulous that you can run into Jasmine in the grocery store!!
And you have a friend like Lynn with homemade red currant jam and fresh ones as well.
Gorgeous red currants!

Dewi said...

Scrumptious! Well done, your tart look absolutely gorgeous.

Jamie said...

Luscious, really luscious and so lucky to have a friend that makes such jam! I'll bet this was so delicious!

rahyan said...

Jamie's right! this is soooo luscious looking!

Jo said...

Great job on your challenge and your tart looks absolutely delicious. Love the pictures and presentation too!

sweetakery said...

love the filling!..great looking tart!..thanks for dropping.

Cook the Books said...

Just lovely! Beautiful photos.

Debbie said...

That is one delicious looking tart and sounds so tasty!

Amanda said...

That looks like the perfect thing to bring to an outdoor summer lunch! How pretty.

Anonymous said...

I've never tasted a Bakewell tart but would love to - it looks so pretty and sounds delicious especially with the red currant jam!

tonic said...

It's been far too long since I've had currants, and this looks like the perfect application. Beautiful photos too!

Susan@LunaCafe said...

Where oh where can I get fresh currants? They look so pretty on your beautiful tart. It looks like just the thing for afternoon tea, my favorite little ritual. I will definitely try this.

raquel said...

absolutely beautiful! and i bet the currant filling tastes wonderful, too! i've never had currants before. awesome job on the challenge!

Shandy said...

Gorgeous! I love the current filling and the fresh currants on top of the tart. Great challenge!

Christie @ Fig & Cherry said...

Those sugared currants are gorgeous!

Madam Chow said...

Beautiful - those currants look like little jewels!

Valérie said...

Very pretty! The frangipane looks perfect, and currants are one of my favourite fruit! They look so tempting!

I was also surprised at how quick this recipe was.

Jen @ MyKitchenAddiction.com said...

Looks so delicious! I also waited until the last minute. Next month I will start sooner!

Beth said...

Those sugared red currents look like little rubies, and i bet their flavor was great with the frangipane. I love that you got "busted" in the grocery store. Nice job pulling the tart together at the last minute - glad it worked out for you.

NKP said...

So pretty! I love the glossy, sugary red currants.

Faery said...

Not only a beautiful but also yummy, I love the layers so well defined and the golden color with the red currants look great:9
It is so curious but I've never tried red currants because they are not produced in my country :(
The photos are beautiful too.
Yanks for your nice visit and comments in my blog :)

Sara said...

I love the sound of this, probably because I'm a total almond fanatic :). Great pictures too.

Elin Chia said...

Beautiful piece of tart and how blessed Jasmine is to have fresh red currants grown in her backyard :)

PAM said...

I love red currants. Nice choice for your challenge, your tart looks perfect.

Anonymous said...

Your tart is beautiful and looks delicious, mmmm, love currants!

ice tea: sugar high said...

great photos, great flavours, great tart.. Love the sugared currants on top, they look like ruby coloured jewels.

Lisa said...

Oh, I also love the little sugared berries on top, they are gorgeous!

art and lemons said...

Mmm, sugary currant filling and topping, this tart is a perfect summer twist.

Megan said...

I've never seen a red current bush but what beautiful fruit! It was a great challenge, wasn't it!

Katherine said...

Oh I wish we could get currents like that here in Texas! They look wonderful!

minisuperbias said...

we all know the tart is amazing, but I'm particularly loving the currants!

Amanda @ Mrs.W's Kitchen said...

Mail me a slice? It looks so good!

Fahrenheit 350° said...

How creative! Simply gorgeous!

tina said...

Tart has browned beautifully and the sugared currants look so good.

Anonymous said...

Your tart looks perfect! I love the fresh currants on top. YUM.

Thistlemoon said...

Now that is a beautiful tart!

Andreas said...

Yummy tart. Nice idea with the sugared red currants.

Jewelry Rockstar said...

Oh man that looks good. Can I use blueberries?

jillian said...

Beautiful tart and I love the sugared currants!

Unknown said...

Dragon thank you for visiting me!!
I loved this challenge too and I had never heard of a Bakewell tart before, it's fantastic to discover new recipes!!

Your Bakewell Tart looks fantastic and delicious with the red currants!!The sugared currants looks very nice, and the photos are very appetizing.

Congratulations!! I didn't know your Blog, It's wonderful, now I'm one more of your followers ;)

Cheers
Eva from Spain

NOT SO VANILLA said...

Ha, you live so close to me! I'm in London. I love when I meet DB'ers in Ontario.
Thanks for the nice comments. I will definitely be checking your blog form now on. It's great.
Your tart looks very yummy.

Jill @ Jillicious Discoveries said...

I love that you used red currants! That sounds delicious and your tarts looks so beautiful with the sugared currants on top. Well done!

Jewelry Rockstar said...

Looks fab. I want to make this

 
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