Mini British Bakewell Tarts (Almond and Jam Tarts)

Like just about every other baker on the planet, my younger daughter and I succumbed to the passion that is The Great British Bake Off (aka The Great British Baking Show).

We binged all the episodes available on Netflix, then the Masterclasses and holiday series. Even my non-baking husband got swept up in the mania.

Yes, we had it bad.

And, like every other baker, we started making the recipes we saw being made on the show.

Now, I kind of have a head start on that because of my How They Made It column for OutlanderCast.com, where I talk about 18th and 20th century baking from Outlander, the STARZ show and book series.

But this BBC show has introduced me to a whole host of new British recipes that I'd never knew of before, like the classic Bakewell Tart.

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What is a Bakewell Tart?

A traditional Bakewell Tart is a layered mix of jam and an almond flavored filling topped with sliced almonds on a sweet shortcrust pastry. It can be dusted with powdered sugar for a pretty presentation.

The tart is said to be a variation of Bakewell Pudding, and both are associated with the market town of Bakewell, in Derbyshire (located in the Midlands of England). People disagree as to which dessert is older, but most agree that the basic Bakewell recipe originated in the early- to mid-18th century.

What you need

The ingredients for My younger daughter and I created our version of Bakewell Tarts by baking them in 4-inch mini tart pans, for better portion control. We used a sweetened version of my shortcrust pastry for the base, which just uses flour, butter, eggs, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt.

Recipes for Bakewell Tarts vary as to the flavor of the jam used, and some have fresh fruit added along with the jam. Commonly, raspberry or strawberry jams (with or without the fruit added) are used.

There's even a variation called the Cherry Bakewell which uses cherry jam with candied cherries on top. Riffing on this theme, our mini Bakewell Tart recipe contains a homemade kirsch cherry and raspberry jam.

If you can't find jarred kirsch cherries, I have instructions below so you can make your own.

The portion of the Bakewell Tart recipe that's most unfamiliar to me is the frangipane.

(Frangipane? What's that?) Ah, that's what I wanted to know as well.

It turns out that frangipane (aka frangipane cream) is a filling made from eggs, sugar, butter, and almond flour (finely ground almonds, like you'd use for macarons).

When baked, frangipane has a soft texture somewhat like a cake but with a more candied chew. It's almost like if a Treacle Tart was given a more pronounced cake-y structure.

How to make Mini Bakewell Tarts

The best way to make the tarts is to make the components in stages, then assemble everything at the end.

Don't let the length of the recipe fool you. You can make any substitutions you want, including using your favorite jam recipe. You can make the pastry dough and/or jam ahead of time. You can even use store bought pie crust and/or your favorite jam instead of making your own.

You're in control here.

Step 1: Make the shortcrust pastry

Shortcrust pastry is essentially an enriched pie crust, with a recipe ratio of 3-2-1 flour, fat, and liquid. Here the egg not only adds liquid, it also adds a bit of structure that allows the tart to be released from the pan.

Start by whisking the flour, sugar, and salt together, then cutting in cold butter with a pastry blender (or use two forks or by hand) until the mixture looks like coarse sand (photo 1).

The lemon juice or vinegar is just to tenderize the crust a bit. Don't worry if the dough has a slight lemony or vinegary smell...that will dissipate during baking and/or be overwhelmed by the filling.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and push together into a rough ball. Knead a few times to combine, then divide into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disc with smooth edges (no cracks), cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Step 2: Make the jam

While the pastry is chilling, you can make the kirsch cherry and raspberry jam. The kirsch cherries add a deep cherry flavor, and when combined with the raspberries, this jam is intense. Luckily, making this jam is very easy. If you don't want to bother, then just use a ready-made raspberry jam.

Start by draining the cherries, reserving their juice. Chop the cherries roughly into quarters.

Mix the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of the reserved juice. Pour the remaining juice into a small saucepan, then whisk in the slurry. Stir in the sugar, then add the raspberries and chopped cherries (photo 3).

Slowly bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and stir until thickened. You want the mixture to be able to form a gel (photo 4).

Simmer for 2 minutes, then mash the berries and strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the raspberry seeds. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

Step 3: Make the tart shells

Now that we have our pastry and jam, it's tart time.

Roll the pastry out into a circle about 14 inches in diameter with a thickness of between ⅛ to ¼-inch (no higher than the height of two stacked quarters). Because these are mini tarts, you don't want the shell to be too thick.

Cut four circles of dough with the 6-inch round cookie cutter, re-rolling the dough if necessary (photo 5). Ease the dough circles into the tart pans then prick with a fork.

I use my tried and true foil and freeze method to blind bake my pastry shells (photo 6). Tear off a piece of foil that fits over the mini tart pan with overhang (or add extra foil as needed). Spray the foil with baking spray to keep it from sticking to the dough. Press the foil into each tart pan and tightly up against the sides. Bring the foil up over the rim and mold it to the sides of the tart pan.

Freeze the crust for 15 minutes, then bake for 12 minutes at 375°F. You don't need to use baking beads or beans using this frozen-foil method.

Remove the foil and bake the tart shells until they're golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes more.

Step 4: Make the Almond Frangipane

While the tart shells are cooling off a bit, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the flour, ground almonds, and the almond extract (photo 7).

Step 5: Assemble the tarts

Spread the cooled jam over each of the pastry shells. Top each with the frangipane and gently spread it to the edges of the tart, smoothing out the surface with a small offset spatula.

Bake for 10 minutes, then scatter the sliced almonds on top and bake for a further 10 to 12 minutes until the filling is golden (photo 8).

Questions asked and answered

Here are some questions you might have...

A lovely snack for tea time or any time

Bakewell Tarts offer so much flavor and texture! You have that spongy, buttery, almond frangipane set against the deep berry sweetness of the jam. The crunchy pastry shell and sliced almonds add even more to the tart.

And they're just so darn cute!

Mini Bakewell Tarts are perfect for portion control, and freeze well. And that's good, so you can have some ready to go anytime.

Would it be too on the nose to say these mini tarts go great with a cup of tea?

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