Mary Berrys Bakewell Tart Recipes

MARY BERRY(-ISH) CHERRY BAKEWELL TART

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor (you could also do this by hand using a pastry cutter or your fingers), pulse together the Butter and Flour, until the largest chunks of butter are the size of large breadcrumbs or peas. Add the salt and confectioners' sugar, and egg, pulse again. Slowly add the ice water while pulsing until the ingredients just begin to form a soft dough.
• On a floured work surface, pour out the dough and roll into a 12″ circle. Transfer the circle to your 9" tart pan or springform, allowing the dough to cover the sides of the pan about 1-2 inches. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 390F. Line the bottom and sides of the tart shell with parchment paper (or foil would work) and cover with pie weights or dried beans (see Notes). Bake 15 minutes, remove weights or beans, then the parchment. Return to oven for 5 minutes until crust appears dry. Cool on a rack for several minutes while preparing filling.
• Spread the jam across the slightly cooled crust.
• Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the almond flour, egg, salt and almond extract and mix until incorporated. The mixture should be quite thick, sort of like thick oatmeal. Spoon on top of the jam in the shell and smooth with an offset knife.
• Sprinkle the flattened top of the filling with the sliced almonds.
• Reduce oven heat to 355F. Bake 25-35 minutes until top is golden and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of the tart comes out clean. Let the tart cool in the pan until completely cool.
• When ready to serve, sift confectioners sugar over tart.

FEATHER-TOPPED BAKEWELL TART

Steps:

• For the jam, put the raspberries in a small, deep-sided saucepan and crush them using a masher. Add the sugar and bring to the boil over a low heat until the sugar has melted. Increase the heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully pour into a shallow container. Leave to cool and set.
• For the pastry, measure the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the icing sugar. Add the egg and 2 tablespoons cold water, mixing to form soft dough.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to the thickness of a pound coin. Line a 23cm/9in fluted flan tin and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Line the pastry case with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake blind for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and cook for a further 5 minutes to dry out the base. Set aside to cool a little before adding the filling.
• For the filling, spread the base of the pastry case with 4 tablespoons of raspberry jam.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the ground almonds, egg and almond extract and mix together. Spoon the mixture into the pastry case and smooth the surface using a palette knife.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and bake for 25-35 minutes, until golden-brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin.
• For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Stir in the almond extract and about 3 tablespoons cold water to make a smooth, fairly thick icing. Place 3 tablespoons of the icing in a separate bowl and add a little pink food colouring gel to make a raspberry coloured icing. Spoon the pink icing into a small piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle.
• When the tart has cooled completely, spoon the white icing on top and spread to form a smooth surface. Pipe parallel lines of pink icing over the white icing, then drag a cocktail stick through the lines (at a 90 degree angle to the lines) to create a feathered effect. Leave to set, then serve in slices.

MINI BAKEWELL TARTS

Steps:

• To make the pastry, crumb the flour, butter and sugar with your hands until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs OR throw the ingredients into a food processor until the same result is achieved.
• Add the eggs and mix until the dough comes together but be careful not to over work the pastry or it will become tough. Flatten into a disc, and make about 2-3 dozen mini pies in a muffin tin. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
• Put a teaspoon of rassberry jam into the bottom of each tart. Beat the eggs. Cream together the butter and sugar. Then gradually add the beaten eggs and egg yolk. Fold in the ground almonds and lemon zest*.
• Carefully spoon the mixture over the jam. Bake for 20 mins and sprinkle with flaked almonds* and bake for a further 10 - 15 mins or until golden brown and set. Cool to room temperature, dust with icing sugar and serve with pouring cream or custard. * - optional
• They keep well in an airtight container for almost a week but that shouldn't be an issue.

BAKEWELL TARTS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly butter a 12 hole muffin tin. Unroll the sheet of pastry and use a 10cm circular pastry cutter to cut 12 circles out of the pastry sheet. Press the cut circles into the holes of the tin, making sure they come right up and slightly over the top - pushing out any creases. Chill the pastry in the fridge for 20mins. Scrunch up 10cm x 10cm squares of baking paper and then un-scrunch and use to line each of the pastry tarts, then fill with baking beans, rice or dried pulses. Bake for 10 mins, then remove the paper and beans and bake for 10 mins longer, until golden brown. Set aside to cool a little.
• Make the filling by beating together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then whisk in the egg, followed by the flour (the flour will prevent the mixture from splitting). Fold in the ground almonds. Spoon a level tsp of cherry jam into each of the pastry shells, followed by a tablespoon of the frangipane mixture. Bake for 20 mins, until the frangipane is golden and springy. Set aside to cool completely. Neaten the edges of the pastry with a small knife or scissors if you like.
• Mix the icing sugar with 2 tbsp water. Spread the icing over each of the tarts, top each with a glacé cherry, leave to set for 20 mins, then serve with tea.