A Classic British Pudding Comes From Bakewell (2024)

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Elaine Lemm

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

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Updated on 01/23/24

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Total: 95 mins

Servings: 6 servings

68 ratings

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Bakewell tarts are traditional British desserts dating back many centuries and attributed to noble culinary traditions, in which pricey ingredients like eggs, almonds, and butter were an affair of just the wealthy and powerful. Originally from Bakewell, in the picturesque Peak District of Derbyshire, these tasty concoctions can take the form of either a tart or a pudding, although not even locals can agree on which one is the truest recipe or came first. But it's fair to say that both are delicious. Our pudding recipe is easy enough to make if you are a novice baker, and its beautiful looks make it special enough to use during a celebratory gathering, not to mention as a sweet treat for an afternoon coffee or tea break.

What differentiates a Bakewell tart from a pudding is that a Bakewell pudding is made with puff pastry, whereas the Bakewell tart is made with shortcrust, but both share common ingredients in the filling. Other recipes for pudding use a sponge in lieu of the puff pastry, but both contain a deliciously eggy almond filling. Other versions use candied cherries on top and are known as cherry Bakewells.

Making a Bakewell pudding with our recipe is surprisingly easy as you'll be using store-bought puff pastry and not making it from scratch—unless you know how to and want to do it! After a quick blind bake of the pastry, the jam and easy-to-make almond filling go in, the tart is then baked again to set, and a dusting of confectioners' sugar gives it a pretty finish. The pudding makes a delicious dessert served hot or slightly warm to enjoy the full almond flavor.

Ingredients

19.2 ounces (544 grams) thawed frozen puff pastry
3 tablespoons raspberry jam
6 ounces (170 grams) butter
3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar
1 medium egg yolk, beaten
3 medium eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups (165 grams) ground almonds
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 tablespoon almonds, blanched and sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Pudding Base

Gather the ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C/Gas 5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board to 1/4-inch thick.
Grease an 8-inch tart tin.
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Line the tin with the pastry.
Fold over the sides of the pastry to fit the tart pan and create an edge.
Prick the base all over with a fork. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Line the tart dough with parchment paper and fill it with baking beads.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is of a pale golden color.
Remove the baking weights, and cook for another 5 minutes.
Spread the raspberry jam onto the base of the pastry. Reserve.

Make the Almond Filling

With the help of an electric mixer or using a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until pale in color.
Beat the egg yolk into the beaten eggs.
Slowly add the egg mixture to the creamed butter and sugar a little at a time. Continue mixing to incorporate.
Gently fold in the ground almonds, lemon zest, and almond extract.

Assemble the Pudding

Pour the almond mixture into the prepared pastry and gently level the surface to ensure the whole tart is filled. Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the sliced almonds.
Return to the oven and bake 10 minutes or until golden and set.
Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar while still warm.
Enjoy.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1070	Calories
76g	Fat
85g	Carbs
16g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	1070
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 76g	97%
Saturated Fat 22g	108%
Cholesterol 170mg	57%
Sodium 592mg	26%
Total Carbohydrate 85g	31%
Dietary Fiber 5g	17%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 16g
Vitamin C 3mg	17%
Calcium 114mg	9%
Iron 4mg	22%
Potassium 316mg	7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

tart
dessert
british
birthdays

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A Classic British Pudding Comes From Bakewell (2024)

Prepare the Pudding Base

Make the Almond Filling

Assemble the Pudding

References