Birchover Bakewell Tart Recipe - Great British Chefs

Snack
medium
8
1 hour 15 minutes

PT1H15M

This classic Bakewell tart recipe from actress and Celebrity Masterchef winner Sophie Thompson is made with ready-made shortcrust pastry so it couldn't be simpler to prepare – someone put the kettle on!

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I have a particular fondness for the Bakewell tart. Richard and I were married in Birchover, Derbyshire, and had a big pile of Bakewell tarts instead of a wedding cake. We decided that wedding cake often got left in boxes and missed out on all the fun, so we chose the indigenous, no-frills Bakewell. I seem to remember they came up trumps.

This recipe is from Sophie Thompson's book My Family Kitchen: Favourite Recipes from Four Generations published by Faber & Faber, September 2015.

Ingredients

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320g of shortcrust pastry sheet
200g of soft butter
200g of caster sugar
3 eggs, large
1/2 tsp almond extract
200g of ground almonds
6 tbsp of raspberry jam
2 tbsp of flaked almonds, toasted
icing sugar, to decorate

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Method

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Take the pastry out of the fridge about 15 minutes before using, to allow it to soften slightly

Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/Gas 2

Unwrap the pastry and roll it out to a circle big enough to line a 23cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin. Carefully press the pastry into the edges and let any excess pastry hang over the edges for now

In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, beaten eggs, almond extract and ground almonds until well combined

Spread the jam evenly over the pastry base and the spoon the almond mixture over the top. Trim the overhanging pastry so there is about 3cm all round and then fold this excess pastry over the filling

Place on a baking tray and bake in the middle of your oven for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the tart inside for a further 15 minutes to crisp up the pastry

Allow to cool completely in the tin before removing. Scatter with flaked almonds, dust with icing sugar and serve

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Sophie Thompson

Sophie Thompson is an award-winning actress and Celebrity MasterChef winner. Her new cookbook, My Family Kitchen, is a collection of fuss-free, delicious recipes relayed with her trademark humour, warmth and vivaciousness.