Daring Bakers: Bakewell Tart

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

I must confess I've never heard of a Bakewell Tart and was slightly apprehensive about baking this concoction. But, like any good Daring Baker, I decided to rise to the challenge.

The recipe is rather lengthy, so if you want it, just email me. Basically, there are 3 components to this tart. 1) Sweet Shortcrust Pastry 2) Frangipane (that's basically a combination of ground almonds, flour, butter, confectionery sugar and eggs 3) Jam (I used store-bought apricot jam).



This was a pretty straightforward challenge. I really liked the result, but brought most of the tart to work because seriously, I do not need all those calories! And I wasn't sure if the dessert would freeze well. The only "issue" I experienced, was that when I took out the first slice of the tart, the jam sort of oozed out...maybe I did not let the tart cool enough?



Here's a quick recap of what you do: make the crust. Let it sit in the refrigerator, then roll it out, put it into your tart pan and then into the freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile make Frangipane. Then add a layer of jam on top of the crust, then add a layer of Frangipane. Smooth everything out and bake it at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Add sliced almonds and bake 5 more minutes. Voila. You are done!

(click on collages for better detail)