Bakewell Tart Traybake

I do love a pretty wedge of Classic Bakewell Tart (with a nice cup of tea, of course!), but sometimes I want to serve more people. I could make two proper 9-inch tarts, but that does seem like a lot of trouble, doesn't it? So I decided to try it as a traybake.

A lot of people don't have tart tins anyway. And if you don't have a quarter-sheet pan, you could use a 13x9x2-inch pan; but I recommend you get one or more quarter-sheet pans as they are good for sooooo many things.

What you don't need for this recipe, besides tart tins, is a mixer or food processor or anything that has to be plugged in. You don't even need a rolling pin. Just make the easy pastry in a bowl, throw it into the pan and press it into the bottom of the pan and partially bake it.

Then stir up the filling right in the pan in which you melt the butter. Spread on the jam. Pour on the filling. Throw on the sliced almonds. Pop it into the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, and Bob's your uncle, as they say in the home of Bakewell Tarts!

I was actually a bit short (38 grams) on the almond flour and was too cheap to spring for another bag of it, so I just used unbleached all-purpose flour to make up the difference. Perfectly delicious. No need to panic.

Bakewell Tart is very rich, so bear that in mind when cutting portions. For an afternoon tea, where everything must be tiny and cute, you could cut it into 48 squares. For the neatest slices, be sure to wait until it is completely cool to cut it.

 Don't forget to Pin it!

 

Just FYI, I cut this tart into 28 pieces of the size and shape you see here.

Bakewell Tart Traybake 

(Makes one 13x9-inch tart)

The Pastry - No-Roll Shortcrust Pastry 

1 1/3 dip-and-sweep cup (6.66 ounces/189 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce/28 grams) unsifted powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces/113 grams) cold unsalted butter, shredded
1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water, reserve the white for the filling

Note: if you're gluten-free, do my Gluten-Free Pie Crust.

The Filling - Frangipane

1 cup (8 ounces/227 grams) unsalted butter
1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar
2 firmly packed cup (8 ounces/227 grams) super-fine almond flour (ground almonds)
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) raspberry jam
1 cup (3.5 ounces/99 grams) sliced almonds (also called flaked almonds)

1 Spray a 13x9x1-inch (33x23x3 cm) quarter-sheet pan with cooking spray. In medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, powdered sugar and salt. With your fingertips, rub in the cold shredded butter to a crumb texture with some bigger hunks of butter remaining. Sprinkle on egg yolk-water mixture and mix in, adding more water, if needed, just a teaspoon at a time. Put dough in prepared quarter-sheet pan and press it in an even layer on the bottom of the pan, just ever so slightly onto the side so that when it shrinks during baking the bottom will be completely covered. Pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375F/190C/Gas5.

Note: You can also line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on the ends so you can lift the cooled tart from the pan all in one piece. But this time I just cut it in the pan.

2 Bake for about 20 minutes until slightly browned to a pale golden. Let stand to cool a bit while proceeding with the recipe.

3 While pastry is cooling, make the filling. In 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Take off heat, and stir in the sugar; then the ground almonds, eggs and reserved white, almond extract and salt until well combined.

4 Spread the jam over the bottom of the prebaked pastry shell. Pour in the frangipane. Top with sliced almonds. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Dust with sifted powdered sugar just before serving.