Blackberry Bakewell Squares Recipes

BLACKBERRY BAKEWELL SQUARES

Steps:

• To make the base, melt the butter, then sizzle until it turns a nutty brown if you want some extra flavour. Blitz the biscuits into crumbs using a food processor, then add the melted butter and blend to mix. Press the crumbs into a lined 20cm square tin, then chill until set.
• Make the filling by beating the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, tip in the flour and almonds and continue beating, then spoon into a piping bag.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Remove the tin from the fridge, then spread over the jam, leaving a gap around the edge. Pipe the filling mixture on top, making sure you start with the edge around the jam. Press in the blackberries, sprinkle over the caster sugar and bake for 45-50 mins. The frangipane should be cooked all the way through with a sugary crust on the top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Can be made the day before and kept, wrapped, at room temperature. Bring to the picnic in the tin, then cut into squares and serve with a large spoonful of clotted cream.

BAKEWELL BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Knead pie crusts together; roll out into rectangle to fit in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Place in pan. With fork, poke holes all over crust. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
• Spread raspberry preserves over crust in pan; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add 3 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
• In another large bowl, beat together almond paste and 1/2 cup sugar. Add butter; beat until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks one at a time. Beat in lemon peel, lemon juice, almond extract and salt. Gradually beat in flour.
• Fold egg white mixture into almond mixture. Spoon dollops of batter over preserves in pan; spread evenly with spatula.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set. Cool completely, about 45 minutes. Cut into squares; dust with powdered sugar.

MINI BLACKBERRY BAKEWELLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and stamp out 12 circles with an 8-9cm cutter. Use to line the holes of a bun tin. Chill while you make the filling.
• To make the filling, beat together the butter, caster sugar, egg, ground almonds and flour. Divide the filling between the tarts, pushing in the blackberries as you go. Scatter over the flaked almonds and bake for 15-20 mins until lightly golden.
• Remove from the tins and serve warm or cool, with a dollop of clotted cream if you're feeling indulgent.

BLACKBERRY BAKEWELL TARTS

Steps:

• For the crust: makes 24 biscuits.
• whisk together 1/2 cup oats, flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.
• with a pastry cutter and your hands mix in the cubed butter until it resembles bread crumbs and has no big lumps of butter left.
• mix 1/2 tsp anise extract with 1/4 cup of the cold milk and add it to the mixture; then keep adding milk in tablespoons only until it forms a dough.
• divide the dough into two flat disks and refrigerate until firm.
• preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• roll out one half of the dough until it is the thickness of a button.
• with a 3-inch cookie cutter cut circles out and pierce each circle with a fork 2 or 3 times.
• bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
• repeat with the other half of the dough.
• grind the cooled biscuits until they resemble bread crumbs.
• add 3/4 cup oats to the ground biscuits.
• add 1/2 tsp anise extract to 6 tbsp melted butter and mix it into the oats and ground biscuits.
• add 4 tbsp of milk 1 tbsp at a time into the mixture and mix until you have a crumbly mixture that sticks together but is not too mushy.
• preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• fill each muffin cavity with the crumble mixture on the bottom and up the sides and pierce each cavity with a fork twice (note: you should have left-over crumble mixture after filling the tart cavities which you will use for the crumble topping later).
• bake for 5-6 minutes until lightly browned; then cool them in their tins.
• For the Jam:.
• bring 12 oz blackberries, 4 tbsp sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract together in a pan and boil steadily on medium heat.
• as the blackberries begin to cook down, mash them with a potato masher until you have no more big lumps of blackberry.
• when the jam reduces, thickens, and coats the back of a spoon take the pan off the heat to cool (note: the jam will thicken more as it cools).
• For the frangipane (almond cream):.
• cream the softened butter and powdered sugar until pale and fluffy.
• add 4 eggs 1 at a time and blend thoroughly.
• add 1/2 tsp almond extract.
• add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup almond flour and blend thoroughly.
• Tart assembly:.
• fill each cooled tart crust with 1/2 tbsp jam; then fill with 2 tbsp frangipane.
• top each tart with about 1 and 1/2 tbsp left-over oat and biscuit crumble mixture.
• bake for 12-15 minutes until they are golden brown and the frangipane has puffed up and is cooked through.
• let the tarts cool in their tins for about 10 minutes before taking them out (note: use a spoon to take them out).