Blackberry Bakewell tarts
Suzie makes pretty individual Bakewell tarts in a muffin tin so you don't need any fancy equipment. She uses fresh blackberries, instead of the more traditional raspberry jam, but raspberries also work well, as would any jam.
You can also make this recipe faster by buying ready-rolled pastry.
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 250g/9oz plain flour
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 250g/9oz frozen butter, grated
For the frangipane
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú butter, softened
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1½ tsp almond extract
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 30g/1oz plain flour
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú ground almonds
For the tarts
- 1 large punnet blackberries (about 200g/7oz or 36 small blackberries from the hedgerow)
- handful flaked almonds, to decorate
- 5 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and place a large, heavy oven tray on the middle shelf to preheat.
Put the plain flour, caster sugar and grated butter into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add 2–3 tablespoons cold water, a tablespoon at a time pulsing until the pastry begins to come together.
Turn your dough out onto a sheet of baking paper and use a second sheet of baking paper to bring the dough together into a rough ball (using the paper to prevent it sticking to your hands and to avoid adding extra flour). Place the second piece of baking paper on top and use a rolling pin to press down and roll out to pastry until it's 2–3mm thick.
Use a 10cm/4in pastry cutter to cut your pastry into 12 circles. Line each hole of the muffin tin with a pastry circle. Use a sharp knife to trim any excess pastry. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes.
For the frangipane, beat the soft butter and caster sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg and beat to combine. Mix in 1 teaspoon of the almond extract and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract.
Sieve in the plain flour. Add the ground almonds and fold to gently incorporate them into the batter.
Put the blackberries into the pastry cases in the muffin tin – you will need about 3 small blackberries per hole, if yours are particularly large you may need to cut some in half.
Spoon over the frangipane and use the back of a spoon to gently push the mixture down and smooth the tops, making sure the fruit is covered and the frangipane goes right to the edges to meet the pastry and create a seal.
Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top.
Bake directly on the preheated tray for 25 minutes, or until golden-brown on top. Leave the tarts to cool in the tin.
Meanwhile, make your icing. Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and mix with a drizzle of water. Add half a teaspoon of vanilla and almond extracts and whisk through. Add an extra drizzle of water, if needed, to make a smooth icing that's just thin enough to drizzle.
Once the tarts have cooled, remove them from the tin and drizzle with the icing. Finish with a final dusting of icing sugar.
Recipe Tips
Preheating an oven tray and putting the muffin tin on it to cook the tarts ensures the pastry gets an immediate hit of heat, so you won't have any soggy bottoms.
