BAKEWELL TART

Paul’s Nanna Mac used to bake wicked tarts every Sunday for all the kids, and this Bakewell tart was inspired by her. The jam filling would burst out of these tarts as they scrambled for the first bite, hot and fresh from the oven.

Makes one 22 cm (8½ inch) tart

1 quantity Sweet shortcrust pastry

FILLING

340 g (12 oz/2¾ cups) icing sugar mixture

340 g (12 oz) blanched almond meal

270 g (9½ oz) unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

40 g (1½ oz/ ¹/₃ cup) cornflour (cornstarch)

40 g (1½ oz) rum

100 g (3½ oz) strawberry jam, (just raid your fridge for this one)

80 g (2¾ oz/ ¾ cup) flaked almonds

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F).

Roll the pastry out to 4 mm (³/₁₆ inch) thick, and cut it into a 25 cm (10 inch) disc. Knead the excess dough back together and roll it out again to get a few smaller discs to keep in the freezer.

Place the pastry disc on top of a 22 cm (8½ inch) tart tin, ensuring it is in the centre, and use your fingers to gently push the pastry into the tin, moving around the rim until the pastry has been inserted. This will leave a lip of pastry hanging over the sides.

Put the icing sugar, almond meal and butter in a bowl and mix until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, ensuring the first one is incorporated before adding the second. Add the cornflour and rum and mix to combine.

You do not need to blind-bake this pastry shell, so spoon the jam into the raw tart case and spread it evenly over the base.

Spoon the filling mixture over the jam, spreading it out evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.

Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the filling has set.

This tart will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.