I confessed some wanderlust a few weeks ago, though “some” is a bit of an understatement. See, parents get paralyzed a bit in the beginning — in the early days, just getting a cup of coffee in the morning is kind of a triumph — thus even when the kid hits a half year old (which once-Wee Jacob did this week, sniffle) and you’ve got a good routine down, you still know you’re not ready to pack everything the three of you will need for one week into suitcases and then willingly relocate to a 180 square foot stateroom for a so-called vacation.
But we’re doing it anyway and I cannot wait. The prospect of “whee! vacation!” is officially less terrifying than the number of diapers, burp cloths, types of infant first aid, teething rings and onesies we are packing into suitcases, thus, it is now or never: we’re getting on a boat. And guess who is coming with us?
Don’t worry, this tart travels too. Sure, it sounds and may look like a traditional bakewell tart, but oh, I want to take it places. For example, my initial ambition had been to take it to Spain (for that aforementioned tapas party) with marcona almonds and either a Seville orange marmalade or membrillo (that I’d cook down until jam-y) base. Alas, I gave up quickly when I realized that finding unsalted, not already roasted marconas was going to be more effort than I was willing to put out on a Friday afternoon but in theory, this tart will travel nicely to Spain.
Or Hawaii — macadamia nuts and pineapple, anyone? Or Vienna, with walnuts and a sour cherry jam. And heck, I’ve already taken it to Thanksgiving dinner. However, even if it never leaves its original home — lovely old Bakewell, in Derbyshire, England — this is a delicious thing, a buttery tart shell and a slick of bright raspberry jam underneath a toasty baked almond frangipane filling.
I find it impossible not to like.
This week: We’re sailing the deep, blue sea (or, I have heard that it is both deep and blue and will be very upset if I have been misled) thus comment responses will be slow. But new recipes will still magically appear as we work through my cooking backlog. See? Everyone wins.
One year ago: Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Cornbread and Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Strawberry Coulis
Two years ago: Pasta with Cauliflower, Walnuts and Feta and Caramel Walnut Upside-Down Banana Cake
Three years ago: Lighter-Than-Air Chocolate Cake and Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas and Roasted Red Peppers
Bakewell Tart
An amalgamation of many recipes
1 Great Unshrinkable Sweet Tart Shell, partially baked in a 9-inch removable bottom tart pan
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds, blanched if you can find them
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest (not traditional, but just lovely in there)
1/3 cup raspberry jam
Slivered or sliced almonds, for garnish (optional)
Finely grind almonds and flour in processor. Mix in sugar, then butter, extract and orange zest. Blend until smooth. Mix in egg and egg white. Transfer filling to medium bowl. Cover and chill at least 3 hours.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Spread jam over base of tart shell. Dollop the almond filling all over, then spread it carefully with an offset spatula. If using slivered or sliced almonds as garnish, sprinkle them over the top now. Bake tart until golden and tester inserted into center of filling comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool tart in pan on rack.
To serve, push pan bottom up, releasing tart from pan. Cut tart into wedges and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
Do ahead: Almond filling can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Whole tart can also be made half a day in advance. Let stand at room temperature
I’m an American ex-pat living very near Bakewell and I have never had The Tart (I feel the capital letters are justified when you live round here). I’m so surprised to see it on an American website that I feel encourage to give The Tart a try. Thanks, Deb! Also, have a great holiday.
I love this tart. So easy. Just takes time to do the shell abd let things chill. But I had trouble spreading my frangipane over the jam without the jam spilling up and getting mixed with the frangipane. Looked pretty-kinda marbled, but any tips on how to avoid this?
Hi Deb. This looks beautiful and fairly simple, but I think the specifics (quantity and condition) surrounding the egg are missing from the ingredients? Have a great trip!
Jen
Whoops — Egg (and egg white) added to ingredients. Thanks!
let us know how it goes…i have an 8 week old and we are thinking of cruising when he is around the same age. that picture is ADORABLE.
Have a great time on your vacation!
The tart looks amazing as always!
HThe tart, and Jacob, look gorgeous! Bakewell’s only about an hour away from where I live but I haven’t yet made it over there. Till then I will ‘content’ myself with your yummy version!
(is mine the first comment to this post?!)
No it’s not – maybe next time ;-)
This look AMAZING. I want it now. You didn’t happen to weigh the almonds, did you? I have a bag of ground almonds staring at me from the freezer, left over from a macaron experiment.
Sharon — No, and I wish I had. I’d say you’re looking for around 4 ounces, maybe a little less.
Oh, My GOD, Bakewell tart?!! Aaah, I am MAKING THIS. Thanks, Deb!
I’d never heard of Bakewell Tart before, but I have to admit I’m intrigued! I’m a sucker for anything frangipane-ish, and I love how this seems infinitely adaptable.
You are a brave soul. I hope you have a great vacation! Your recipe and description have almost convinced me to go buy a tart pan. Thanks for sharing!
Oh good grief, this looks fabulous!……and the baby is beautiful too. :)
I don’t understand. You ate the tart, and not that baby? The tart looks amazing, yet I don’t think I can agree with your decision at all.
My God, that hair. Our almost-10-month-old is balder than the day she was born, I think.
This is so cool. My mother-in-law from the Midlands used to make this only in little shallow tart (muffin?) pans (8 to a pan) and always just called them almond tarts. They were my favorites but her recipe was in weighed amounts so it always seemed too much trouble to me. I will be making this and thinking of Doris. Thanks.
Oh wow, that looks delicious! The Spain-y marmalade idea sounds good (I’ll have to try it sometime) but, English girl I am, I don’t think you can improve on a proper bakewell!
Have a fantastic holiday!
Are you familiar with the Bakewell tart vs. pudding controversy?
Laura — Wikipedia got me up to speed. ;)
piccola — What is freezer jam?
Could I make this with freezer jam? Or will it be too watery?
Wow, your boy is growing! I keep reading your recipes, getting hungry, but never make anything. This tart looks really good, though. At least I will print out the recipe and tell myself I will make it soon. I wish I could eat it off my computer screen.
this looks lovely. Have a fantastic time on your cruise. I hope you are going some place warm!
Well he is simply precious! Now is the perfect time of year for a tart such as this, with the jammy tastes of spring but with the buttery feeling of winter still lingering! it looks divine!
This looks perfect for any destination for sure. AND I think I have all the ingredients on hand, which, again, is perfect since I have a dessert social tonight and no dessert to take – not yet.
Happy Vacating!
Safe travels too!
YUMMY!!!! =P looks really spectacular & not too difficult to make.. Can I use raw, whole almonds with skins still on for the filling? Because that’s all I have and I REALLY want to make this =D oh and btw…
HAPPY HALF-YEAR BIRTHDAY, JACOB!!!!!!! You must be very proud of him…they grow up so quickly. A half-year is a wonderful milestone. Cherish it!! Enjoy your day, Jacob!!
Freezer jam is homemade jam that you keep in the freezer. I’m also wondering this!! I’m sure you could…it’s all I have!!
Freezer jam — Ah, I had never heard that term. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
It’s decided…I’m baking this. A member of my family just returned from a shopping spree with two LARGE jars of FRESH homemade strawberry jam…*sigh* It CANNOT get better than this (no, wait, the picture of Jacob just made it, unbelievably, EVEN better)
The tart looks tasty. The head of hair on that baby boy? Oh my goodness. He’s gorgeous!
This looks perfect! Thanks for showing the steps so clearly. I would love to try it. Thanks for sharing.
Looks delicious! What boat are you vacationing on?
How decadent!!! It sounds fantastic :)
I am impressed by the tart shell… and since almonds is a favorite of mine in the kitchen, I’ll have to make this tart. Enjoy your vacation!
Well that does it. I just returned from a lovely Hawaiian vacation with a jar of pineapple jam, a suitcase full of macadamia nuts and a heart that aches to be back on her beautiful shores. Thank you Deb, for solving help me extend my vacation just a bit. I hope you and your family have a wonderful (and relaxing) time on your travels!
Can’t say I’ve ever had that before, but it looks fantastic! Heh, great pic of Jacob. With all the attention he’s giving to his feet you won’t have to pack as many toys. ;)
Cruise ship rooms are tiny, but somehow uncrowded. Don’t worry; living in an NYC appt. your whole life should prepare you well for small spaces! :) lol You’ll be surprised how quickly the time passes; have fun with that bunch of cuteness (6 months, gah!! ;))! Also, the tart looks incredibly delish. I’m not sure if I have it in me to try it, but if I ever get all creative-feeling and the like, I’m apt to attempt it! :) LOL BTW, Jacob’s hair is rediculous! Sell it on eBay for a million bucks! :) RAH! lol
Oh…meh. And Jacob seems to like his toes. :)
I made my first tart with frangipane filling last week and pushed fresh figs into the top. It was so delicious but I will say the tart shell was a little too soft. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe and the tart shell you used. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your vacation!
I visit your blog almost daily – as your recipes are FABULOUS! However, I have never left a comment until today – and it isn’t food related at all. YOUR LITTLE ONE IS ADORABLE!!!!!!!!! When you’re finished with him can I have him? (lolol)
Looks like Jacob is ready to sail. He is sooo cute.
The tart looks delicious. Thanks.
Wishing you and your family a relaxing vacation.
This looks beautiful! I cant believe Jacob is sitting up by himself and going on his first vacation! Time really does fly! Have a wonderful time…
I’m an American expat in London and actually had my first introduction to the Bakewell Tart a few weeks ago. It was a bit untraditional as it was made with seville orange marmalade…which is in no short supply here! I’m actually not a huge fan of marmalade, find it to bitter, but I think I would love the original version. I too love anything frangipane.
Oh dear lord I need to buy a tart tin. Why don’t I own one?!? Is this a European cruise? So jealous. My next vacation is scheduled for (checks calendar) September. Damn.
Beautiful. I like the idea of changing it up according to your location. And boy, is that some hair!!! Where does he get the curls from?
Never had a Bakewell Tart before, but now I will. Lovely. Enjoy your trip. And the hair (how do you keep your fingers out of it all day long…)?
at last you admit it! its easier to make pie dough with a food processor..
m.a.r. — Pie dough and tart dough are not the same. With pie dough, where it is all about flakiness, I find that the FP too easily grinds the butter too finely for a good flaky pastry. For tart dough, I’m more concerned about a good shell than I am about flakiness (which would get hidden). And yes, the FP is always easier. It just doesn’t do as good of a job on pies, IMHO. :)
Bri — He gets curls from both of us. But I’m pretty sure I’m the one to blame for his hair.
Someone said something about sitting up, but he’s really not yet. That was like one second and then crash. I blame that 90th percentile noggin for his imbalance.
ooooh–happy vacationing!! Little bub can almost sit up–wow, time flies. The Bakewell tart reminds me of Linzertorte…which is my absolute fave of all time!!!!
Looks fantastic. I have been looking to get out of my recent dessert rut where I seem to make the same things over and over again. This is perfect!
it’s the cheek meat that weighs him down!!!!
that hair! what gorgeous hair. definitely a handsome boy.
Jacob is the most precious little thing ever. My gosh, those chubby cheeks!
Mmm, I’d like to have this for breakfast!
Enjoy your vacation! I love the picture of Jacob and his toes.. and the tart looks pretty good, too. :)
Have a great time! We took 6 month old twins on a cruise and it is the best vacation you can take with babies. You don’t have to pack anything in a car to go do things, it is all right there. No need to pack carry around a huge diaper bag stocked with everything, because you can just run back to the room. Also, be prepared for the adoration of strangers. Most cruises have few babies (except for probably the Disney ones) and I predict Jacob’s adorableness will be much admired by your fellow cruise villagers (we overheard strangers contemplating buying pictures of our babies taken by the cruise photographer). Have fun!
look at all of that hair!!!
I have been lusting ove rrecipes for frangipane tarts for ages (I’ve never had one, but love almond anything) and hadn’t found one that appealed enough to give it a go until now. Plus, finding blanched almonds lately has been almost impossible; what gives I wonder?
You’re smart to take Jacob with. We left our first for what I thought was a much needed adult getaway, but it was too soon and all I wanted was to go home the whole trip. Erik was all I thought about once we were out of reach. What a waste of what could have been a great trip had I either waited or taken him with us.
The toes! The curls!
I lost all my recipes when we were flooded out of our place 3 years ago, including for my marzipan tart, and I have been searching for this ever since. I found some recipes on the Odense website – this is closer. The ingredients look identical to what I remember and although the batter looks a little stiffer (mine would not have held in globs), this is clearly the closest I’m going to get. You can also substitute Amaretto or Fra Angelico for the almond extract. Definitely on the list to be made – just love the tart. Thank you! You’ve ended a frustrating search.
Interesting about it being Bakewell, which I had not heard of before. An aunt-in-law was married to a Dutch man, and when I made this for a family gathering, she said it is very typically Dutch with the almonds and raspberry jam.
Looks delicious! And my son didn’t sit up well until 7 months or so; we also blamed it on his ninety-FIFTH percentile head.
Perfection as always.
RE: Freezer Jam – freezer jam is just jam that has not been preserved in a hot water bath (it is kept in the freezer until opened instead). It shouldn’t make any difference in a tart like this.
And 6 months is a great time to travel with a baby – they aren’t too independently mobile yet, they’ll still nap and sleep just about anywhere, and yet are awake enough to interact with. We took our daughter on her first “vacation” to Vegas and Death Valley for a family wedding at age 6 months and to Hawaii at 7 months and they were the easier trips we did with her as a baby/toddler. As long as you can pack enough diapers and other stuff for the entire week into your luggage (and carry on the plane enough stuff to keep you going for at least 24 hours including a full change of clothes for both parents) it should be great!
oh my use raspberry freezer jam!!…i once stayed at a home and they had raspberry freezer jam. It was the seriously the best jam I’ve ever had…oh just thinking about it now…and this was almost 10yrs ago. I vaguely remember this dessert…layers of homemade apple sauce, sweeteded bread crumbs?, raspberry freezer jam and whipped cream on top.
It looks so beautiful that I can’t imagine it staying like that when you travel! But I’ll take your word for it. Have fun!
My wife and I recently made cupcakes with ground almonds in the batter, and it worked fantastically. I’m very curious to try this recipe and to see how the same ingredients can produce very different effects. I’m also envisioning a maple syrup-pecan variation…
I have some leftover almond FLOUR and am wondering about replacing ground almond+flour in the recipe for equal amount of almond flour?? Any suggestions?
Thanks!
this looks delicious. I don’t have any almond extract(or even vanilla extract). Will skipping over it make a huge difference?
Rachel — No. It just makes the almond flavor stand out more, since almonds themselves only have a little flavor.
Wow, that looks amazing! Bon voyage, Deb! Congrats on having the nerve to take that little mop of hair with you. I think everyone on the boat is going to find it impossible not to touch the baby!!
Traveling with a baby is sometimes daunting, but it’s easier than you’d expect, especially since he’s not mobile yet. Well, except for that ginormous bag you’ll lug along and finding a suitable place to dispose of those dirty diapers. Good luck!
On the subject of freezer jam, it actually doesn’t get cooked at all. You macerate sugar with fruit and add pectin, put it in sterilized jars and store in the freezer. I have yet to try making this but supposedly it tastes fresher than a traditional cooked jam.
Have a great time!
Deb, I use a food processor for my pie crust, and I won the State Blueberry Pie contest this year. The key is restraint.
It looks. so. amazing.
I’m just not sure if I’ll be able to overcome my tart shell fear to make it.
teehee. loved the baby pic thrown in the mix ;)
I’m kinda sorta on a diet (not really willing to admit it, but I’ve been at it six days now), and I’ve decided that I really need to have at least one day a week where I can still make something delicious. This sounds like it will be high on that list. I will bring it to work with me next week so as not to eat the whole thing by myself at home. =)
I love Bakewell Tart and haven’t had it since moving to the US ten years ago. I am going to have to try this so I can share it with my boys! The one I remember having in the UK was covered in a sugar icing with a cherry on top, made by Mr. Kipling! LOL
gastroanthropologist … you should try English Marmalade if you have not already. American marmalade is very bitter and I don’t like it, but English Marmalade is much sweeter :)
Aww, six months already?! Unbelievable, and congratulations!
I remember making the bakewell tart for a Daring Baker’s Challenge. It was pretty good, but I wasn’t crazy about it. It is a pretty tart, though!
Have a safe trip. I wish I could go on vacation!! You’re very fortunate.
I have followed you for a bit- but seldom comment (sorry!) What made me now? The tart #2 and the baby #1 ! So cute- time flies by so fast…. It’s so nice to see the human life with the food life…. we need both to survive! Keep up the awesome job! :)
Just love the hair on that kid. Even Donald Trump would be jealous!
Hannah and Susan – it is possible to blanch almonds yourself by covering almonds in boiling water for about 1 min. The skins *should* slip off relatively easily. I remember doing this as a kid for my mum. It is a bit of a pain, but can be done if you don’t have/can’t find almonds already blanched.
I have always wanted to try one of these, anything with frangipane has got to be excellent!
I have wanted to ask you a question for quite some time, but I know you get a bunch of comments and questions that you most likely do not have enough time to read- let alone answer!
But here it goes, since I think you are the best person for me to ask! Have you ever been able to find an amazing recipe for a vanilla cake? I am looking for something incredibly moist, and with a strong vanilla flavor (whether it be through vanilla extract or vanilla). I would be so ridiculously happy if you could help me find a good recipe!
Thanks : )
By the way, I meant vanilla extract or vanilla beans!
I love vanilla, and could use a good vanilla cake right now!
Yum! This seems like a great spring (maybe just anytime) dessert! Thanks for the new recipe to add to my list. Always great ideas when I look on your blog!
This is so cool that you made this! It was one of the daring kitchens bakers challenges last year, end of summer beginning of fall sometime- I made it then sometime, and as a follower of this blog its super neat to see you making it! It’s a really cool recipe. It said that you could use any combination of tart, jam/curd and frangipan. When I made it, I used your recipe for mango curd as the jam and used a recipe for a sweet almond tart crust. A nice frangipan and some blanched almonds on top- it turned out to be really good. I think its a really cool recipe with a lot of different options- the version you made looks delicious!
OMG your Jacob is too adorable!!!! Gaaah those limbs and cheeks! :P
I’ve never heard of this kind of tart but it looks amazing! :)
Jenn
Hi Deb… do you feel that non-blanched almonds would affect the taste quite a bit? Also curious if you’ve ever tried the filling with a natural sweetener such as honey?
I love the pictures… well I love all of your pictures but these are especially beautiful. I think I’m going to have to go buy a tart pan now!
Thanks for leaving us something to drool over while you’re gone. We’ll be waiting for your safe return!
ha, we all think the pie’s the thing but Jacob knows better…it’s all about toes!
Can’t believe he’s 6months now, Time does fly!
This tart looks fantastic! Everything from your kitchen does anyway. Enjoy your trip! And happy half a year birthday to Jacob!
It’s so weird. I was all prepared to make my first ever Bakewell tart this weekend but didn’t because I made some incredible chocolate brownies first.They totally took over all my sweet desires.
Seeing your Bakewell has snapped me out of my chocolate obsession. I’m so making this next!
Have a great holiday with adorable Jacob :-)
Once you make strawberry freezer jam, it’s hard to eat cooked strawberry jam. It is much fresher tasting. You can make it from any frozen berries as well as fresh. Consult the pectin box insert for the recipe.
It’s just not fair to show me a recipe like this first thing Sunday morning! The plans are instantly revised to fit this in. I have a big bag of whole almonds, skin on. They can be easily blanched in boiling water for one minute. Drain and pop them from the skins by sqeazing each almond to pop it out of the skin. Dry for 5 minutes at 350 F, spread out in a roasting pan. (Thanks to Julia Child)
I love your site and have tried several things so far and passed the link to a friend who is a great cook. We have both been cooking for 40 years (thanks again to Julia Child), and are just as hungry for great dishes as ever. Bon apetit!
The tart looks amazing, but the baby is just adorable!
The tart looks beautiful — but what a GORGEOUS baby! Makes me wish my three
“little” ones were little again! I miss those days when I could hold them on my hip while stirring a pot! Enjoy each moment — and have a fabulous trip!
I’m making this for Easter brunch this year. I love raspberry anything. Have fun on your cruise.
I think you might have cooked the perfect tart. It just looks so professional. And looking at the ingredients you have added I know it will taste good too. Well done.
What a lovely and simple tart to make! It looks perfect. Hope your vacation turns out as well! Usually little ones are pretty great traveling companions. Toddlers can be another story! :) Have fun!
Deb, it looks fabulously yummy! I’ve never had anything quite like this before so I may give it a shot. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Don’t worry about taking Jacob on a vaca. If you whisk him around town easily then a week away with him won’t be much more difficult. I packed lightly on diapers, wipes, and stuff like that opting to save the luggage space since there’s generally a supermarket or department store near our destination for those types of purchases away from home. Good luck and have fun!
Well, I’ve never commented on a website before in my life, but the talk of freezer jam has unstuck me. It’s not just jam, kept in the freezer, but it’s actually made differently. Crushed, and NOT cooked, so it tastes like fresh berries more than it tastes like jam. Raspberry and strawberry are unbelievable. If you haven’t tried it you’ve got to put it on your list of things to make/try soon.
Deb –
Jacob is just about the cutest thing you’ve ever baked! Thanks for sharing a photo of him. The Bakewell tart is looking pretty yummy, too. It was one of my favorite things when we lived in the UK. Wishing you a wonderful journey!
Have a fabulous vacation – you are a brave, brave woman. Have tart, will travel.
Someone up there said this almost makes them want to buy a tart pan. HA! I had to try the cauliflower onion tart that was posted several weeks back. It’s amazing so if you have’t tried that one…there’s another reason to buy that tart pan. I must try this one too. I do have the tart pan afterall. :) Have a great vacation.
I’ve only had the original tart while visiting Bakewell, but I’d be willing to try this version. :) So far everything I’ve tried from SmittenKitchen has been HEAV-EN-LY! But I think I’ll also look for the traditional Bakewell too. :)
He found his toes! SO CUTE.
I haven’t hit the coffee every morning mark yet, but soon, very soon, I hope. Baby slept for 5 hours last night and I am beside myself with glee.
i have been wanting to make a bakewell tart since i lived in the UK and couldn’t get enough of them – thank you for enabling me!
one question: i have a bag of ground almonds in the freezer – any idea what the equivalent amount would be if i wanted to use these in place of the whole almonds?
Bakewell tart is so worth any effort! I made tiny versions of Nigella’s recipe for a Christmas party, in a mini-muffin tin. The filling parsed out like that made 4 dozen – I had to make a second batch of pastry. They were a huge hit – disappeared in about 15 minutes.
After years of frustration trying to roll out pie and tart dough on wax paper or plastic wrap (not wide enough/wouldn’t stay put/dough would stick and tear), I decided to give my Silpat liners a try (one on the bottom and the other on top) for what I had previously dreaded. I am now a HAPPY camper. And since I absolutely love almonds, I will have to give your tart a try. Adorable is inadequate to describe Mr. Jacob. Thank you so very much for sharing him with us. :D Have a wonderful vacation.
Made this last night. I had some leftover almond meal that I picked up at Trader Joe’s a few months ago, and, barring a slight color difference, it was perfect! What a great party trick.
I don’t know if the Whole Foods in NYC have them, but the one I work at here in NC has raw unsalted Marcona almonds.
Ah… Bakewell Tart… something I’ve savored firsthand in the town of Bakewell itself! As an American living in London I have to confess that this and Sticky Toffee Pudding make living with all this rain (almost!) bearable. Thanks for a great blog: always makes me salivate and smile :-)
I am going to make this tart next weekend. I have loved everything I have made from your blog!
Your baby is sooooooooooooooo ADORABLE! And I really wanted to say how much I love your blog; I check it everyday for new recipes!
Absolutely stunning picture of that tart. And the baby is so incredibly adorable.
Lovely! Bakewell Tart is my almost favorite british dessert – made the bakers challenge one – was very good. I used cherry jam though as I think it is more traditional. My fave UK pastry is Battenburg cake … Deb you are challenged to find a good recipe – I have tried a couple and it never turned out right! But such a yummy cake!
We travelled with our son to England when he was 6 months and it was great. He adjusted to the time difference easily and was a dream on the plane. I wish you a lovely vacation!
You’re making me so sad I killed our food processor a few weeks ago (why didn’t we spring for the 11 cup again?) – this looks delicious!
Have a lovely vacation. Herself and I are mulling over vacation options with the Rocket (a month behind Jacob) for this summer, so we’re curious about trips with babies, and how they go.
Looks good.
I really need to get a tart pan. With all of the baking I do, I’m shocked that I don’t have one already! I love the flexibility of the recipe that I will have to make it soon!
OMG! You are brave. Have fun!
Deb, I love your website and all the recipes I’ve tried …. but honestly, I think Jacob is the most delicious thing here!
Made the Bakewell today and I think for the first try at it, success…however, as it is so tasty with the hint of orange and almond the remaining portion after dinner was put away for future enjoyment. Does anyone know if it freezes well?
Travel now! As much as you can before he can walk. Then it gets harder. Oh, and we are BIG fans of Bakewell tarts in our house. Thanks for a new take.
How I wish I owned a tart pan! This looks amazing!
Yum…your tart looks very tasty! I think tarts are such pretty desserts!
the tart looks great and very tasty.
great for entertaining.
I can’t believe how big Jacob’s getting – he’s such a cutie!
Bakewell is one of my favourite tarts – I can’t wait to try your version. And I second the challenge for a good Battenburg recipe.
Have a wonderful holiday!
I need a tart pan. That is all.
Could this be made into mini tarts? If so, how many would it make?
Max — Depending on the size of your small tart pans. I believe I usually get about 6 4-inch mini-tarts from one 9-inch recipe. I know that sounds off but it somehow all works out.
Your tart is beautiful. I want this today! Have a great trip.
My daughter brought me an Almond Horn as a treat yesterday. Deb, the recipe is similar to this tart filling, and I am so, so smitten! I’m making this tart today and those fabulous cookies when the tart is gone. OMG….
The name “bakewell” is so simple and sweet, this tart looks delicious, I have mini tart pans…maybe I’ll try it that way.
Bon voyage!! I’m excited to see the pictures you’ll be taking!
Enjoy the cruise. It’s one of our favorite ways to travel. The babysitting services are usually wonderful too.
While the tart is delicious, I think next time I’ll take the jam down a bit. I found it a little too sweet next to the frangipane.
The baby is adorable!!!!!!
His HAIR. OMG.
Wonderful! I went to school in Bakewell. I have a slight bias toward Bakewell Pudding, but damn, this looks good. What a treat to find on a New York blog!
How is this different from a Hollander Tart, except that the Hollander has apricot preserves under the frangipane?
If this travels well, will you please ship one to me? Cause….YUM!
I love Bakewell Tarts! I usually use rice flour to give it a little lighter quality and that way I can may it crustless for those with gluten issues. This makes me want to make another one this weekend.
I’ve been reading your blog for a few months now and love it!
Funny thing – we just came back from a cruise yesterday (had a great time!) and I ate a fruit tart for the first time on the cruise. I am in love with fruit tarts now and can’t wait to make one :)
P.S. made the red velvet cake you posted from Confetti Cakes the week before the cruise. So delicious and moist!
I need a tart pan so I can make this. YUM
You don’t even need to bake desserts when you have those luscious baby cheeks to nibble on! Oh, he just looks scrumptious.
Love that baby’s hair…..he is just a cutie!
Oh, this was good! I made it last night, and can already tell that I’ll make it over and over. I use a different tart crust recipe (from David Lebovitz’s site – French Tart Dough) – it does shrink a (very) little, but it’s buttery and flaky. And the best part about it is no chilling, no rolling, and the whole thing from start to baked takes less than 45 minutes. One of these days I’ll have to do a comparison with this crust, since you rave about it, but that requires advance planning, which isn’t my strong suit. Seriously, though – who cares about the crust when the rest of the tart was so delicious! I ate two pieces of it before I thought about just how much butter I’d consumed, then resolved to think less and recommend this tart to all of my almond- and raspberry-loving relatives.
Dear Deb,
I’m a first time commenter, looong time blog follower. And Deb, I simply cannot go on reading your posts without expressing to you and yours that Jacob is, without rival, the most beautiful baby I have ever laid eyes on…in my entire life! Seeing photos of him always puts me in a better mood. I hope to one day be a mother to a child of equal cuddly-cuteness. Congratulations! And thank you for sharing your recipes and your life.
-Sarah,
Chicago IL.
Deb, what’s the reason for chilling the filling for 3 hours? I ask this as someone who didn’t read the recipe carefully enough in advance and now wants to bake this quickly. OK to pop the filling in the freezer for a little bit, then bake? Other Bakewell tart recipes don’t include the chilling-the-filling step, so I’m wondering what the reason for it is, and how much it matters.
Gah! That picture of Jacob made my uterus twinge. My Wee Beastie is 18 months (my other Not-So-Wee Beastie is 15 years. with a driving permit. eep.) and I’m already wondering if I could handle just one more…then he gets into the drawers or manhandles the phone for the umpteenth time that day and I decide that no, I couldn’t.
I admit I haven’t ready through all the comments, but when I saw this I was very excited to try it. One of my favorite desserts when living in England were the Bakewell tarts. I am slightly confused by this recipe though because the tarts I remember had icing on them and were always made with cherry. Looking forward to making this and comparing tastes.
Oh my you are brave! I would love a little trip right about now! My wee one just turned 6 months this week too, sniffle is right! Time sure does fly. Yours is just a peach. So cute. Oh yeah, the recipe looks yummy too! :-D
Yum! I made this tart about a week ago and it came out great, even if it was a little overshadowed by the chocolate layer cake next to it.
Lacking a tart pan, I made it in a 9 in. springform, which worked out fine. Though I did panic when, in the process of transferring the dough from parchment to pan, I missed the pan. I patched the crust back together (extensive patching) and it was still great. During the first part of par-baking it seemed to puff alarmingly, in spite of the foil — maybe I need a sharper pricking fork — but it stayed down after I pressed it back with a spoon.
Hi! I’m just wondering. Does the tart really take 45 minutes?? This seems like a really long time as the tart shell is already partially baked. Other recipes only put in the oven for 15-20 minutes…
Anne — It is correct. The partial-baking of the tart dough is not to reduce baking time (it doesn’t), but to keep it crisp once you add a wet filling.
Thanks, Deb. It turned out wonderfully :)
I made this and it was TRULY TRULY devine ! I’ve just posted it on my blog :) well done here ! This recipe was so very good, and I served it too all my family, and it disappeared in seconds.
I made your bakewell tart. I used the sweet pastry dough from Nick Malgeri’s ‘How to Bake’, used regular almonds, and didn’t measure the jam, just bunged in enough.
It was super easy and I got tons of compliments.
Will definitely make this again.
Just baking this now – the entire process was made that much easier by using up the spare tart dough I had in the freezer from a few other Smitten recipes I’ve used in the past. :-)
Any idea if this tart would be good with chocolate or nutella in place of the raspberry jam?
If I’m making this with almond meal instead of grinding the almonds myself, I’m assuming I should still add the flour? And how much — weight OR measure, I’m not picky! — almond flour should I use? I can’t wait to try this!
I had a similar looking tart in an Italian restaurant and have been obsessed with trying to recreate it. It was lemony, but did not have obvious lemon curd, and it was covered with pignoli nuts. I’ll definitely give this a try but any suggestions on how to rework this recipe to achieve my dream lemon pignoli tart?
@Carissa – you should still add the flour; almond meal lacks gluten, so it won’t bind the filling together properly. Deb posted about that you should use about 4 oz. of almond meal.
Angela – Thanks so much. I didn’t even THINK about the lack of gluten in almond meal! Huge help, loads of thanks.
This tart is incredible!!! I added lemon zest instead of orange (what I had around), used just a little less sugar than called for (because I like my desserts on the subtly sweet side) and used almond meal (approx 1 cup). Delicious.
I made this for dessert for St Patrick’s Day this year. This tart is fabulous! It’s rich and just fantastic. There were no leftovers, everyone loved it.
Just made this today into tartlets and they were fantastic! Since the tarts were so much smaller, I adjusted down the cooking time. The pre-baking of the shells took 15 minutes (and in retrospect, I could’ve left them in a few minutes longer to get a deeper color) and the filling took 25 minutes. I also made one without the jam and I added sliced peaches. Loved them!
OMG! I made this today because my British husband requested it. I had never heard of a Bakewell Tart but the look of the Kentucky pie I made last week reminded him of it. Although I’ve used your site before I just googled it, and lo and behold yours was the second link just after Wikipedia–and here I go. I did not own a tart pan….I knew nothing about shrinking tart crusts….and now I feel that I have totally been enlightened. I used your shell recipe that, for me, was scary to read but easy to do and then proceeded to baking the tart. We just ate our first serving of Bakewell Tart and I am soooo much in love with this. This is a taste from heaven! Thank you very much for these great recipes. I love your recipes and your photos and your style! PS: my husband LOVED it too–a taste of England for him!
It’s nice to see a British Dessert on smitten Kitchen
Hi, Just did the tart for Xmas party yesterday – taste great, love it…. however my top filling did not come out like yours — a bit wet…( I used sliced almonds with skin )….wondering if you know why, thx!
Mink — When you say wet, do you mean it didn’t set in the oven? I don’t think the skin or the texture of the original almonds matters much; only that you used the right weight of them.
My British husband requested this for Valentine’s Day, and this post was SUPER helpful. I’d never had it before, but he assured me that is was spot on. The only change I made was that I didn’t add the egg white to the almond mix, because I only had two eggs (one for the pastry, one for the almonds). And I had to cover the tart with foil about 35 minutes into baking as it was well browned and not quite cooked through. The next time I make it, I might reduce the time on the blind bake as the crust was just a bit overdone for my taste. That’s probably just my oven though, not a fault of the recipe. It tends to run hot. Oh, and I used strawberry jam instead of raspberry because that’s what we had in the fridge.
Thanks for this wonderful recipe. I made the great unshrinkable tart shell according to the recipe (worked beautifully!) and then the bakewell tart which I took to a dinner last night. It was eloquent, gorgeous and delicious and got incredible reviews from my friends. I topped the tart with blanched slivered almonds which made the tart quite attractive – no need for powdered sugar. I also saw a bakewell tart recipe in an Irish cookbook that topped the tart with Crème Anglaise right before serving. Found a great recipes for Crème Anglaise at the Epicurious website.The combination was to die for! Thanks again for this amazing recipe!
I’d like to echo Jennie’s question from back in March 2010; why do you chill the almond mix for three hours? Is it to allow the zest time to mingle, or is there some other effect? It’s the one downside of this recipe, since it thusly requires advance planning.
You know, I did, but with frangipanes I’ve made since then, I don’t think it’s mandatory. It will be rather soft before it’s chilled, so it’s good to cool it at least enough that it can be spread without mushing up the jam too much. But you can probably do that in 30 to 60 minutes instead of an hour. And if you’re really in a rush, I don’t think it will be ruined, per se, if it’s not chilled at all. Hope that helps.
Thanks for the reply. I’ll worry less about chill times for subsequent iterations.
As for spreadability, perhaps my fridge is colder than yours, because the batter is impossible to spread without lumping up the jam fresh out of the fridge.
Just made this today, with a homemade strawberry jam filling mixed with some leftover curd from the Whole Lemon Tart recipe. (I only chilled the frangipane for the length of time it took the shell to bake and cool, so, about an hour, and it worked fine.) The combined fillings made it a bit messy, but this is SO tasty. Thank you so much for the post! :D
Made this tart for the second time this past month! I love this recipe. I put the filling in the freezer for about 30 minutes only. Also, I forgot to blind bake the tart crust, but it didn’t affect the tart at all — thank goodness! It only came out a little puffier than it normally would be. My tart was finished in 30 minutes. Thanks, Deb!
Hi Deb! Is there any reason it can only be made a half day in advance? Do you think I could make this the night before to bring to a potluck the next day? Thanks!
can I just use almond flour for the filling, since it’s “already ground” almonds? Or is it too finely ground?
No, it should be just fine.
If I use almond flour is it still 1 cup? Thanks!
I’m also wondering how much pre-ground almond flour may be substituted. Help please :-) Thanks!
Any chance you know the weight of the almonds?
Since I’ve made this about a dozen times now, I thought I should leave a comment!
This has become my go-to take-along dessert — I’ve made so many variations: cranberry / orange quick jam for Thanksgiving, blueberry / lime jam for summer potlucks, and just now with an extra thick lemon curd filling / candied lemon slices + slivered almond topping for special birthday celebration.
Thanks for this old standby, Deb!
Chiming in again to report I’ve now made a satsuma curd version with candied satsuma slices on top and have all the parts ready to assemble for a Christmas version with cranberry/orange/ginger marmalade — I usually add citrus zest and cinnamon to the crust to carry the flavors through. Also, the last two times I’ve made the crust, I’ve used Bob’s Red mill gluten free flour mix with amazing results — my newly GF family member was thrilled! Thank you x a million, Deb — this recipe is so brilliant and versatile!
I am really impressed with the selection of topic by the author, which is no doubt, a unique topic and also well written article. Thanks for sharing with us.
http://newskhana.blogspot.com/2017/11/baked-fish-with-lemon-and-garlic-sauce.html
Oh my goodness, the first time I made this I misread the recipe and added 1 1/2 CUPS of flour to the filling and ended up with a marzipan-esque paste. Luckily I checked the photos, realized something was wrong, and re-made the filling correctly. Any suggestions on things I could use the incorrectly-made filling for, as I’d hate to throw it out? I feel like it’s gotta be useful somewhere, perhaps in another recipe where something closer to marzipan is called for…?
Hi- I can’t find the answer regarding how much almond flour to use if you didn’t want to use the ground almond mixture. Can someone help? Thanks.
This recipe felt hard to me, since I’m not good at crusts. But the finished product was delicious. I made a few substitutions – granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar in the crust (on accident), raw almonds instead of blanched, apricot instead of raspberry jam, and 2 eggs in the filling. The crust slumped but looked fine once the filling was baked. When I tasted the raw filling I thought it might need salt, but I’m glad I didn’t add any because once baked, everything together tasted perfect. For simplicity, I’m wondering if the butter can be cut to 8 tablespoons (1 stick) each in the crust and filling. I will try that next time!
Thank you for the recipe! Do you let the tart shell cool before filling it?
I don’t; maybe I should but I feel like the filling is going to cool it down quickly anyway.
I made this tart a couple of times, and it is the best, even made the raspberry jam homemade. I live in Argentina and no one here has had anything similar, delicious