I have been suffering a lack of time this week. Alas. I hate weeks like that. I have been working on my little knitted item (started at the tea, cake, and craft party), the main part is complete and I am now working on the wardrobe. Post to follow when I have finished fiddling with it.

It was also however the week of a birthday, him of the Tank cake. So what is the next best thing to a fancy iced cake for a Northern(ish) boy?

A Bakewell Tart.

This uses the same pastry recipe as the Lemon Meringue Pie recipe, and is also taken from the Great British Book of Baking.

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Bakewell Tart Recipe – taken from the Great British Book of Baking by Linda Collister

Ingredients

Pastry

175g plain flour

a pinch of salt

2tbsp caster sugar

115g unsalted butter

1 medium egg yolk mixed with 2tbsp ice cold water

3 tbsp raspberry jam

Almond Topping

60g unsalted butter, soft but not runny

60g caster sugar

1 medium egg at room temperature

30g self raising flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

50g ground almonds

a few drops almond essence

Icing/ topping

100g icing sugar

1tsp lemon juice

1tbsp cold water

flaked almonds

Method

Put the flour, salt, and sugar into a food processor, and pulse to combine. Add the butter, and process until it resembles crumbs.

Next add the egg yolk/water mixture and process until it just comes together.

Wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes. Then roll out and use to line a flan tin. (NB. for this, I used a pie dish so that I could have an extra deep Bakewell!)

Prick the base with a fork, then spread with jam and chill while making the topping. Heat the oven to 180C/ 350F, and put a baking tray in the oven to heat up.

Pastry case spread with jam, ready for chilling…

Next, the almond filling, so put all of the ingredients for the filling in a bowl and beat well with a wooden spoon or electric whisk until thoroughly combined. Spoon on top of the jam and spread evenly, then bake in the preheated oven on the baking tray for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is a light golden brown and the filling is firm to the touch and golden.

Filled with almond cakeyness….

Baked….

Leave to cool, then unmould.

Mix the icing sugar with lemon juice and water, and drizzle over the surface. Scatter with flaked almonds, then it’s done!

Done!

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I also like to make individual versions, just like I do with Lemon Meringue Pies, super tasty, the method being exactly the same but baked in a deep muffin pan. Mr Kipling eat your heart out.