Low Sugar Berry Almond Bakewell Tart Food

EASY BAKEWELL TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, measure the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water, mixing to form a soft dough.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface and use to line a 20cm/8in flan tin. Leave in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (180C fan).
• Line the pastry case with foil and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for about 15 minutes, then remove the beans and foil and cook for a further five minutes to dry out the base.
• For the filing, spread the base of the flan generously with raspberry jam.
• Melt the butter in a pan, take off the heat and then stir in the sugar. Add ground almonds, egg and almond extract. Pour into the flan tin and sprinkle over the flaked almonds.
• Bake for about 35 minutes. If the almonds seem to be browning too quickly, cover the tart loosely with foil to prevent them burning.
• Meanwhile, sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Stir in cold water and transfer to a piping bag.
• Once you have removed the tart from the oven, pipe the icing over the top, giving an informal zig zag effect.

LOW SUGAR BERRY ALMOND BAKEWELL TART

Steps:

• Thinly roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface , then use it to line the base and sides of a 25cm non-stick, loose-based tart tin. You can leave a little overhang of pastry, but trim away any noticeable excess. Prick the base with a fork and chill for 20 mins. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and put a baking sheet inside to heat up.
• Line the pastry case with baking parchment, fill with baking beans and cook on the hot sheet for 10 mins - the burst of heat from the baking sheet will help to prevent a soggy bottom. Carefully lift off the paper with the beans and bake for 3 mins more to cook the pastry base. Turn down the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas For the frangipane, put all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until well mixed (alternatively, blitz in a food processor). Scatter the raspberries into the pastry case, spoon over the almond mixture and smooth the top with a knife. Scatter over the flaked almonds and bake for 30-40 mins until golden and firm. Carefully trim any excess pastry from the edge of the tart with a sharp knife before serving.

LIGHTER BAKEWELL TART

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Thinly roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Line a 20cm round x 4cm deep fluted flan tin with the pastry, easing it into the tin and the flutes carefully so you don't stretch it. Roll a rolling pin over the top of the tin to trim off any excess pastry. Prick the base lightly with a fork. Put the tin on a baking sheet.
• Line the pastry with foil and baking beans, and bake for 12 mins until the pastry is set. Meanwhile, to make the filling, heat a small, dry non-stick pan, tip in the ground almonds and gently heat, stirring often, for 2-3 mins to lightly brown. Transfer to a medium-sized mixing bowl to cool. Remove the foil and beans from the pastry case and bake for 5 mins more until pale golden. Remove and reduce the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Using a fork, roughly mash the raspberries in a small bowl with the jam, so they are still in small pieces and not completely mashed. Evenly spread the raspberry mixture over the pastry base. Put the polenta, sugar and baking powder in the mixing bowl with the almonds and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre. Beat the eggs in a bowl, then beat in the yogurt and almond extract. Tip this mixture, along with the oil, into the dry ingredients, and briefly and gently stir together with a large metal spoon so everything is just combined - don't overmix.
• Pour the almond filling over the raspberry mixture and scatter the flaked almonds over the top. Bake for 30 mins or until the top is risen and pale golden. Cool slightly, then remove from the tin.
• Mix the icing sugar with a few drops of cold water to make a thick-ish icing, then use a teaspoon to drizzle it over the cooled tart. The tart is even softer when eaten the next day. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.

STEPHANIE JOHNSTON'S BAKEWELL TART

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven, and preheat it to 400. Prick the crust all over with a fork, cover with buttered foil and fill with dried rice or beans. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and weights, and bake for 3 minutes more, until lightly colored. Set aside to cool.
• To make the filling: Reduce the oven temperature to 350. Whisk the almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and sea salt together. Working with a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 minutes, until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs, scraping the bowl as needed. The mixture may curdle - it's O.K. Beat in the almond extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add half of the dry mixture. When incorporated, add the rest, and beat only until it disappears into the batter. Finish blending with a spatula.
• Spread the jam in the crust, and top with the filling, covering the jam as completely as you can. (The filling doesn't spread easily, but imperfections work out in the end.) If you'd like, sprinkle with sliced almonds.
• Bake the tart for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top feels firm and is puffed all the way to the center. (Check the tart after about 25 minutes, and if it is browning quickly, tent it loosely with foil.) Transfer to a rack, and let it cool before icing, if you'd like, and serving.
• To make the icing: Stir the sugar and 1/2 tablespoon water together. If the icing doesn't run off the spoon slowly and steadily, add more water drop by drop. Drizzle over the tart, and let it dry at room temperature.

BAKEWELL TART

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. To make the pastry, put the flour in a food processor along with the salt and icing sugar. Blitz to combine. Add the butter and pulse in short bursts until it's the texture of fine breadcrumbs. Mix 4 tbsp cold water with the beaten eggs and drizzle into the mixture, then quickly pulse to combine. Tip out the crumbly mixture onto a work surface, then form into a puck, cover and chill for 30 mins.
• Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to around 25cm, and to the thickness of a £1 coin. Line a 20cm fluted tart tin with the pastry, leaving the pastry to overhang. Add a large disc of baking parchment big enough to cover the edges, and some baking beans to weigh it down (use dried rice or lentils if you don't have baking beans). Bake for 15 mins, then remove the parchment and beans and bake for a further 7-10 mins or until the bottom is evenly cooked. Trim off any overhanging pastry with a serrated knife.
• For the filling, beat the butter and sugar until combined. Add the ground almonds, almond extract and eggs and beat for a further minute. Spread the jam over the pastry, then top with the almond filling. Scatter over the flaked almonds and bake for 25-30 mins until golden and firm. Leave to cool in the tin (or eat warm at this stage and leave out step 4).
• Mix together the icing sugar and 1-2 tsp water and drizzle over the tart. Slice and serve with cream or custard, if you like.