Description
Delightful mini cherry bakewell tarts bring British pastry charm to sweet dessert lovers. Buttery almond pastry, rich frangipane, and sweet cherry jam create perfect bite-sized treats you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Flour and Dry Ingredients:
- 250 grams (1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon) plain flour
- 60 grams (1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons) icing sugar
- 60 grams (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) ground almonds
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Fat and Butter Ingredients:
- 125 grams (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 60 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
Wet and Sweet Ingredients:
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 2–4 tablespoons ice water
- 60 grams (1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) caster sugar
- Cherry jam/conserve
- 100 grams (1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons) icing sugar
- 3–5 teaspoons milk
- 12 glace cherries, halved
Instructions
- Craft the pastry foundation by combining flour and sugar, then methodically incorporate cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Introduce egg yolks and icy water to bind the ingredients, gently kneading into a cohesive dough. Partition the dough into two equal portions and refrigerate for half an hour to firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll the chilled dough to approximately 3mm thickness, using gentle, even pressure. Delicately cut circular shapes and carefully line mini tart tins, ensuring smooth edges. Return the lined tins to the refrigerator to maintain structural integrity.
- Prepare the frangipane filling by thoroughly creaming butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in ground almonds, a whole egg, and almond extract, creating a smooth, rich mixture. Transfer the blend into a piping bag for precise application.
- Distribute a thin layer of jam across the chilled pastry cases. Pipe the frangipane mixture on top with controlled, even strokes, ensuring complete coverage. Meticulously seal the edges to prevent leakage during baking.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, watching for a golden-brown finish. Allow the tarts to cool completely on a wire rack, maintaining their delicate structure.
- Whisk icing sugar with milk to create a glossy, smooth glaze. Drizzle or spread the icing over the cooled tarts. Garnish each tart with a halved glazed cherry for a classic British touch.
Notes
- Precision is key when cutting butter into flour, ensuring a crumbly texture that creates flaky, melt-in-your-mouth pastry.
- Chilling dough twice helps develop gluten structure and prevents shrinkage, resulting in a more stable and crisp tart shell.
- For gluten-free adaptation, substitute wheat flour with almond or rice flour blend, maintaining the delicate pastry consistency.
- Try different fruit preserves like raspberry or apricot to create unique flavor variations that complement the almond frangipane.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 208 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg