Old Fashioned Bakewell Tart Recipe

This bakewell tart recipe reinvents the classic bakewell, combining it with the slightly more ‘adult’ taste of my favourite cocktail: the Old Fashioned (bourbon, orange, bitters, and sugar). These mini tarts taste amazing, aren’t too hard to make, and your guests will never have tried anything like them before! The jelly should be made a day in advance to give it time to set.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Difficulty: Medium

Serves: Makes 12 mini tarts

Ingredients

  • Shortcrust Pastry - 1 roll (c.300g)

Old Fashioned Jelly

  • Leaf Gelatine - 4 sheets

  • Bourbon - 50g

  • Angostura Bitters - 1-2 drops

  • Orange Rind - 0.5 oranges

Frangipane

  • Butter (Unsalted) - 75g

  • Soft Brown Sugar - 75g

  • Orange Rind - 1 Orange finely grated

  • Ground Almonds - 75g

  • Plain Flour - 1tbsp

  • Egg - 1 (beaten)

Old Fashioned Marmalade

  • Marmalade - 4 tbsps

  • Bourbon - 2 tbsps

  • Angostura Bitters - 1-2 drops

Icing

  • Icing Sugar - 100g

  • Bourbon - 3-4 tbsps

Specialist Equipment

  • Tart tins or muffin tray (and correspondingly sized cookie cutters)

Method

Bakewell Tart Step One - Old Fashioned Jelly

First up is making the ‘Old Fashioned’ jelly. Line a shallow tupperware or dish with cling film and pour into it the bourbon, angostura bitters, and a few thick slices of orange rind.

Whilst the orange rind is infusing, soak the leaf gelatine in cold water for a few minutes. Then transfer it to a pan with just enough water to cover the gelatine and heat on low to medium, stirring continuously until the gelatine is fully dissolved.

Once dissolved, remove the orange rind from the bourbon mix and pour in the gelatine-water mixture. Stir the gelatine into the bourbon, seal the container (or wrap the dish in clingfilm) and transfer to the fridge to set.

 

Bakewell Tart Step Two - Tart Casings

Next up is to make your tart casings. Take the pastry out of the fridge and allow to start to warm to room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Whilst you’re doing this, lightly oil your tart tins (or a muffin tray, as used above) to stop the pastry sticking.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (160°C for fan assisted).

Then on a floured surface roll out your pastry to the width of a thin coin (around 2mm) and using a large cookie cutter (remembering that the pastry will shrink by 10% - 20% in diameter when it cooks) cut your pastry to the required size and place into the tray. Using a fork, lightly pierce the bottoms of each tart casing, to stop them rising during cooking.

Scrunch up little squares of parchment (‘greaseproof’) paper, un-scrunch and place to cover the pastry. Then fill each tart with a weight to help the blind baking process - this can be baking beans, dried pulses, coins, etc. - I’ve used giant couscous in the photo…

Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven, discard the baking beans and parchment and allow to cool completely.

 

Bakewell Tart STEP Three - Bourbon Marmalade

Next we’ll make an ‘Old Fashioned’ marmalade. Simply stir the marmalade, bourbon, and angostura bitters together.

Then add a layer of this bourbon - marmalade mix to the bottom of each of the tart cases.

 

Bakewell Tart STEP Four - Frangipane

Next is making the frangipane. Preheat the oven again to 180°C (160°C for fan assisted).

In a bowl, whisk together the butter, orange rind, and brown sugar until light, paler, and fluffy (around 5 minutes). Then stir in the egg (pre-beaten), flour and ground almonds until fully combined. The mixture will turn into a dense paste.

Fill each of the tart cases with this mix (it won’t rise too much so you can load them almost to the brim, leaving just a couple of mm for the icing).

 

Bakewell Tart STEP Five - Bake the filled tarts

Return the tart cases to the original tray that you baked the cases in, and bake for around 20 minutes (until the frangipane mix has taken on some golden colour).

Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool. If you find that the mix has risen slightly in the middle whilst cooking, take the back of a spoon and gently (using a small circular motion) massage the middle back down so it’s flat enough to pour the icing onto.

 

 

Bakewell Tart STEP SIX - Bourbon Icing

Bourbon icing.jpg

In a bowl, add the icing sugar. Then while slowly whisking, add the bourbon little by little until the mixture reaches a silky semi-liquid consistency that you think you can mould onto the top of the tarts.

At this stage, using a spoon, transfer a small amount of the icing onto of the tarts, and using a knife, gently spread the icing to all the edges. Do this for all of the tarts.

 

Bakewell Tart STEP Seven - Old Fashioned Bakewell Tart

Bakewell Tart.jpg

Take the old fashioned jelly out of the fridge and cut into little (c. 1cm) cubes.

Place a cube on top of each tart in the centre of the icing and return to the fridge to set.

Take the tarts out of the fridge 10-15 minutes before serving.

And that’s it, hope you enjoy!