The Hairy Bakers' Bakewell tart recipe

Learn how to make The Hairy Bakers' Bakewell tart with this simple and delicious recipe. This classic is sure to become a family favourite. The Hairy Bakers, Dave Myers and Simon King describe this bakewell tart recipe as: 'The tart with heart, a gorgeous marriage of raspberry jam, almonds cuddled in a cocoon of almondine sweet pastry.' This tasty, sweet tart will take around 1hr and 35 mins to make and bake and will serve between 6-8 people. It's the perfect dessert to follow on from your Sunday roast. Serve warm and smother in custard or serve cold and drizzle in cream - the choice is yours!

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 350g/12oz plain flour
• 1/2tsp salt
• 200g/7oz unsalted butter
• 100g/4oz caster sugar
• 50g/2oz ground almonds
• 1 whole egg, beaten
• 2 egg yolks

For the filling

• 400g/14oz ground almonds
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 6 medium eggs, beaten
• 1/2tsp (half) almond essence
• 3 heaped tbsp raspberry jam
• 50g/2oz flaked almonds

You will also need a loose-bottom tart tin at least 23-25cm and a good 4-5cm deep.

Method

1. First make the pastry. We prefer to use a food processor for this. Process the flour, salt, butter, sugar and almonds into crumbs. Then add the eggs one at a time to make a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 min. Meanwhile prepare the filling.
2. For the filling; mix the ground almonds with the caster sugar, fold in the beaten eggs and almond essence, set aside.
3. Heat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/gas 6. Grease and flour your tart tin. Roll out your chilled pastry on a cold surface, this is a very short pastry and at first it will appear to be as difficult to handle as it is juggling feathers. Line the tin with the pastry (the excess, trim off, and make some biscuits). Prick with a fork then cover the pastry lightly with some baking parchment and fill with baking beads or beans and bake blind for 15 min.
4. Remove from the oven take out the beads and paper and leave to cool. If the base is still a little raw in the centre pop it back in the oven for a few min to to dry out. Then leave to cool. Reduce oven to 180C/Fan 160/gas 4.
5. When cool spread a generous layer of raspberry jam onto the pastry base. On top of the jam pour on the almondy, eggy filling. Top off with flaked almonds then bake for about 30 min or until the filling is baked through and the almonds are golden. Serve the Bakewell tart with clotted cream or vanilla ice cream.