A Very Andalusian BakeWell Tart
A Very-Andalusian Bakewell Tart
This recipe comes from our Spade & Spatula Blog, found here.
When we arrived to George and Gloria’s finca, the valley was blanketed in the soft pinks and whites of their blossoming almond trees. When, two-weeks later, Gloria taught me her recipe for one of George’s favorite tarts, Bakewell, those same trees had begun to transform, their leaves now the vibrant green of spring, and almonds, velvet soft and looking like green olives, already beginning to appear.
Very occasionally in my lifetime of tasting, I’ve come across certain flavors which forever alter my perception of a given ingredient. This tart, using fresh ground almonds and an apricot preserve both harvested from outside the kitchen window where it was baked, has done that for me.
What follows is Gloria’s recipe for Bakewell tart with a few of my own modifications. It’s an extremely simple recipe, and learning to make frangipane at home will reward you endlessly in your future baking. I can’t promise that it will be as life-changing outside of an almond grove, but it is damn delicious.
A final note: Due to travel in general, and the unusual circumstances of the present moment in particular, I’ve not been able to test this recipe as thoroughly as I usually would. I also expect there may be some differences in ingredients and equipment between Spain and the States. Please please don’t let that stop you from baking the recipe - I’m sure you’re results will be delicious - but also, feel free to comment with your results and feedback. Together, we will build a better Bakewell. Happy baking!
Bakewell Tart
Makes 1 9-inch Tart
Ingredients
For the crust:
One Recipe Ian & Shelley’s All-Butter Pie Crust
For the frangipane filling:
150 Grams Almond Flour (ideally freshly picked from a mix of trees, shelled, and ground from your own grove; store bought is acceptable)
150 Grams Sugar
150 Grams Room Temperature Butter
3 Large Eggs (fresh from your almond-fed chickens)
1 tsp Lemon Zest (picked from your lemon tree)
1 T Kirsch, optional
For the tart:
1/2 Cup Apricot or Cherry Jam (also from your trees, picked last summer, and jarred immediately)
Powdered Sugar
Some notes on ingredients:
A few of my additions (the lemon and Kirsch - a cherry brandy) are to help mimic the intensity of hyper-fresh hyper-local almonds which are, no doubt, hard to source in the States. Almond flour/meal is fairly easy to source now in most markets, or, you may grind your own from whole in the bowl of a processor (just be sure to stop short of almond butter, a somewhat costly - if delicious - mistake). Either makes a great tart, though I prefer a coarser home-grind for the pleasant texture it adds to the tart.
Also, feel free to substitute any reddish jam you have on hand - preferably homemade; in various recipes I consulted, cherry, raspberry, and strawberry all seemed like acceptably authentic substitutions. I prefer either apricot or cherry, as both belong to the same family as almonds and help to bolster that flavor.
Prepare in advance one recipe Pate Brisee or All-Butter Pie Crust. Leave to chill in refrigerator until needed.
Place a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 400ºF
To make the frangipane, using a stand- or hand- mixer on low speed, slowly add your sugar into your butter until well incorporated. Increase the speed to high and cream together until the butter becomes light, fluffy, and a bit paler in color.
Replacing the speed back to low, add an egg at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate before adding the next.
Add the zest and Kirsch, if using.
Finally, add the almond flour in stages until fully combined. Place frangipane aside.
Roll your reserved pastry to fit a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan. Prick all over with a fork and line with parchment or foil. Fill with pastry weights, rice, or dried beans and blind bake at for 15-20 minutes, until the sides have set and the crust has begun to take on a light blonde color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Using a spoon or offset spatula, spread your jam evenly across the bottom of your crust. Pour your frangipane over top, being sure not to allow jam to creep up the sides as you do so. Smooth the top of your frangipane and replace in the oven.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes more, or until the frangipane is puffed and browned and the crust golden. If, after 20 minutes, the crust or frangipane seem to be browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil until cooked through. The filling should be soft, with a slight crumb, almost like a set custard.
Allow at least a few minutes to cool, or cool completely.
Just before serving, lightly dust with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Slice and serve, perhaps with English cream (and definitely with a small glass of Kirsch on the side).