Morello Cherry Bakewell Tart
There are many variations of Bakewell tart or pudding - some are made with shortcrust pastry, some with puff pastry, and most are filled with almond cake. We have replaced the traditional filling of strawberry or raspberry jam with morello cherry conserve. Drizzled with icing and cut into squares, it makes a lovely tea-time treat or hot pudding.
Makes: 12 slices
Ingredients
375g pack chilled dessert shortcrust pastry
5 tbsp Waitrose Morello Cherry Conserve
100g unsalted butter
125g caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
½ tsp almond extract
150g ground almonds
To decorate
75g icing sugar, sifted
Method
- Roll out the pastry and line a 30 x 20cm rectangular, or 23cm square loose-bottomed fluted flan tin. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, lift out the paper and beans, and cook for a further 5 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly then spread the jam over the base of the pastry.
- Place the butter and sugar in a medium sized bowl and beat with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time. Add the almond extract and fold in the ground almonds. Pour this mixture over the jam and level it out with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Bake the tart on the middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until cooked and golden. Allow to cool slightly, then remove from the tin. Mix the icing sugar with 1 tbsp cold water. Drizzle the icing over the top of the tart using a teaspoon. Cut into 12 rectangles. Serve warm, with thick custard, as a pudding or cold with a mug of tea or coffee.
- This recipe was first published on Waitrose.com in January 2006.