Frangipane for the tart
The Bakewell Tart is reputed to be an accidental recipe, created in England in the early 1800s (but not early enough for Jane Austen to have eaten it). The jam that is spread over the crust was supposedly a misunderstanding of the instructions (clearly not very good instructions!) given to a servant. I have decided to continue the creative “misunderstandings” of the recipe, in the interest of variety and a fruity tang.
Quince paste usually comes in rectangular plastic containers (sometimes tins, but quality varies). This Spanish product shows the quince fruit on the label.
I have made Bakewell Tart with jam on the bottom, and very nice it is, too. But I really prefer fresh or defrosted frozen fruit, cooked with some brown sugar, or else a layer of membrillo, a sweet paste made from quince. Raspberries work well, as does rhubarb, either of which can be used in my recipe here. I also like to add ground toasted walnuts to the traditional egg-almond meal mix or frangipane. Some recipes for Bakewell add lemon zest to the mix as an antidote to its sweetness, but I prefer simply to cut the sugar down.
For the dough:
5 ounces or 1 level cup of unbleached all-purpose flour
3 ounces or ¾ stick of butter (6 Tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons of ice-cold water (equals 6 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon sea salt or other high-quality, medium-fine salt
½ teaspoon of sugar
For the fruit layer:
1¼ cups frozen or fresh chopped rhubarb or raspberries
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Or ½ cup jam or fruit preserve
Or 1 cup membrillo (quince) paste
For the frangipane:
4 ½ oz / 125 g almond flour. If you don’t have almond meal or flour, grinding 1½ cups of slivered almonds in a food processor will give you the same result.
½ cup walnuts, lightly toasted, and finely chopped or ground, as wanted
1 large egg, beaten
4 oz or one stick of unsalted butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
For the garnish: ¼ cup flaked almonds
To make:
On the blind-baked and cooled crust, spread the jam. If making a fruit compote to replace the jam, microwave the berries on high for at least half a minute or until the berries are hot and juicy. Stir in the sugar and spread over the crust.
If using rhubarb, boil the chunks in an open pan for several minutes until the rhubarb has broken up, juice has evaporated and the rhubarb resembles a purée. Add the sugar. Leave to cool. Spread on the crust.
Toast the walnuts and crush them (for larger pieces) or grind to a flour.
Pre-heat the oven to 375°F or 190°C.
In a large pan, melt the stick of butter over a medium-high heat, being careful not to brown it. Turn off heat and stir in the almond meal or flour, the walnuts, the brown sugar, and the salt. Pour this mixture over the fruit layer.
Bake for about 35 minutes, being sure to check the tart after about ten minutes for over-browning. I recommend placing tinfoil over the tart because otherwise it will burn before the filling has cooked and set. When the tart is nearly done (about 5 minutes to go), sprinkle the top with flaked almonds and return to the oven.
Serve hot as it is, or with clotted cream or whipped cream. If you are having it later, it’s fine at room temperature but heat intensifies the flavours wonderfully. I find that giving it a quick re-heat in the microwave makes it taste so much better.