Bakewell Tart Recipe

Bakewell Tart Recipe

175 g/6 oz/1.5 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
A pinch of salt
40 g/1 oz/3 tbsp hard block margarine, diced
40 g/1.5 oz/3 tbsp white vegetable fat (shortening), diced
Cold water, to mix
60 ml/4 tbsp raspberry jam (conserve)

100 g/4 oz/0.5 cup butter
100 g/4 oz/0.5 cup caster (superfine) sugar

2 eggs, beaten
100 g/4 oz/1 cup ground almonds
2.5 ml/0.5 tsp almond essence (extract)

175 g/6 oz/1 cup icing (confectioners') sugar
30 ml/2 tbsp lemon juice
Halved glace (candied) cherries, to decorate

Method:

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the margarine and white fat and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix with enough cold water to form a firm dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface. Roll out and use to line a 20 cm/8 in flan dish (pie pan). Prick the base with a fork. Line with crumpled foil and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Spread the base with the jam. Beat together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, then fold in the almonds and essence. Spoon into the flan case (pie shell) and bake for 30 minutes until risen and golden and the mixture feels set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Blend the icing sugar with the lemon juice until smooth. Spread over the surface and decorate with halved glace cherries.