Bakewell tart

Charlotte Rutledge’s selected Bakewell tart combines a tender butter pastry with raspberry jam and its own almond filling. Sliced almonds finish the surface, while almond flour and almond extract give the filling its nutty character.

The crust begins with pastry flour blend, confectioners’ sugar and salt. Cold unsalted butter is worked into a sandy mixture before an egg yolk and cold water bring it into a cohesive dough; the white is reserved for the filling.

The rolled pastry lines a tart pan, with its overhanging edge folded down to reinforce the sides. After freezing briefly, the shell is lined and weighted for blind baking, then finishes baking without the weights until lightly golden.

A separate portion of softened butter is beaten with granulated sugar and salt. Almond flour, pastry flour blend, a whole egg, the reserved egg white and almond extract complete the filling, which spreads over a layer of raspberry jam in the crust.

Sliced almonds cover the filling before the tart bakes until golden. Rutledge serves the completely cooled tart at room temperature, giving the finished dessert a buttery pastry base beneath the jam and almond layers.