Anyone who follows my blog regularly knows I love a Bakewell tart or any bake that features almonds so I thought why not make an Easter version!
I wanted to base it on a Simnel cake so wanted to use dried fruit and some spice and of course decorate it with the 11 balls to symbolise the 12 apostles minus Judas Iscariot.
I used apricot jam in the base and topped with an almond topping with lots of dried fruit and iced and decorated with marzipan. A perfect Easter treat!
Start by making the pastry. You can do this by hand or in a food processor. You need to rub the butter into the flour and sugar until you have fine breadcrumbs.
Then add the egg and combine until you have a ball of pastry.
This needs to be wrapped and placed in the fridge to keep cool for at least 30 minutes.
Next to make the filling put all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer or you can use a hand mixer.
Mix until it is pale in colour.
Take the pastry out of the fridge and lightly flour the work surface and roll out the pastry and line the tart tin.
Trim the edges and spread an even layer of jam on the base.
Spread the filling on top of the jam and level with a small spatula.
Sprinkle on the flaked almonds.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown, then leave to cool.
Icing Put the sieved icing sugar in a small bowl and add the water and mix until smooth and a dropping consistency.
Drizzle the icing over the top of the cold tart, then roll the marzipan into 11 balls and place around the edges evenly.
Using a cooks blow torch brown the top of the marzipan balls.
Slice to serve.
Easter Bakewell Tart
Sarah's servings: 11
Sarah's skill: Medium
Baking time: 35-40 minutes
Ingredients:
Pastry
200g Plain Flour
45g Icing Sugar
100g Cold Cubed Unsalted Butter
1 Large Egg
Filling
150g Self Raising Flour
150g Unsalted Soft Butter
150g Golden Caster Sugar
90g Ground Almonds
3 Large Eggs
1 tsp Almond Extract
50g Currants
50g Sultanas
50g Mixed Peel
1 tsp Ground Mixed Spice
Zest of 1 Orange
5 Tbsp Apricot Jam
2 Tbsp Flaked Almonds
Decoration
100g Sieved Icing Sugar
1-2 Tbsp Cold Water
150g Marzipan
Method:
Pastry Put the flour, sugar and butter into a food processor and pulse until you have fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively rub the butter into the flour and sugar by hand until you have fine breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and combine in the food processor or by hand until the pastry forms a ball.
Wrap in cling film or similar and transfer to fridge to keep cool for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (160 fan) or Gas Mark 4.
Filling Put the flour, butter, sugar, ground almonds, eggs, almond extract, currants, sultanas, mixed peel, ground mixed spice and orange zest into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until it is pale in colour.
Line a round 23cm tart tin with the pastry and spread the apricot jam in a smooth even layer.
Spread the filling on top of the jam and when level sprinkle on the flaked almonds.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.
Leave to cool.
Icing Put the sieved icing sugar in a small bowl and add the water and mix until smooth and a dropping consistency.
Drizzle the icing over the top of the cold tart.
Roll the marzipan into 11 balls and place around the edges evenly.
Using a cooks blow torch brown the top of the marzipan balls.
Slice to serve.
Sarah's Extra Slice........
I do not blind bake my Bakewell tart case as the pastry always bakes well without needing to. My flan tin is Alan Silverwood 23cm.
You can easily make your own jam but if you don’t have time to make it then always buy a good quality one with a high fruit content.