Sunday 25 September 2016

A Bakewell Tart

Another week, another GBBO technical challenge and another chance to join in with the Great BloggersBake Off for 2016 hosted by Jenny of Mummy Mishaps. This week, which was pastry week, I could have fancied making any of the challenges - I would have loved to have made some signature Danish Pastries and one day I will definitely try making my own show stopping filo pastry but there really was only time for one thing so sticking to my own personal challenge of doing the technical challenge each week I made a Bakewell tart.


Now the jury is out as to what actually constitutes a genuine Bakewell tart
. The only time I have visited the village of Bakewell we were served a wonderful deep and fragrant frangipane tart topped with flaked almonds... no iced top as in Mary Berry's recipe. But staying true to the challenge I went with the same recipe as the contestants were given and started by making my own jam with raspberries and jam sugar which was really quick and easy.


Having part baked my crust, to ensure no soggy bottom, I then spread a thin layer of the homemade jam over the base of the tart. It is important to have enough jam to taste it but not so much that it oozes out the sides when baked. And I should just say that it really is worth making the jam... it tastes so much better than anything shop bought... really fresh and zingy!


It was then baked and iced just like Mary Berry instructs... although as usual the contestants really did not have enough time to allow the tart to cool before icing it.


And hey presto... this is my tart! It took much longer than the allotted time but then I did rest my pastry for  longer before and after rolling it out and I also allowed the tart to become quite cold before icing it. And to be fair I did also make a cheesecake and a lasagne at the same time ready for a big family lunch today!


I have to say I was really pleased with the way it turned out... very moist and almondy with no trace of a soggy bottom but given the choice I would have preferred a flaked almond topping. Although it looks very pretty with the feathered icing it was just a little too sweet for my liking. Not that the rest of the family seem to be complaining as it is disappearing rapidly!


So there we are are... half way through the Bake Off and five technical challenges completed.


And what is really exciting is that last week my lacy pancakes earned me Star Baker!
I was dead chuffed I tell you!

Do follow the links at the bottom of Jenny's post to see what other bakers have made this week.

Mummy Mishaps

19 comments:

  1. I was wondering what your bake of choice would be this week and if you would go for the filo or not. Glad your tart turned out well. I think is crazy that the contestants are not given enough time for the bake, as surely another 15 or 30 minutes would not make that much difference to the filming and all the difference to the baking! xx

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  2. Dear Gina, from what I have seen and read here (with no access to the television Bake Off...or to this weekend's evenings with Keith R) I am delighted to have my curiosity about what a Bakewell Tart confirmed to be included in general confusion about the definitive version.

    Having typed that convoluted sentence, let me say without reservation that I would have loved a slice of the version you baked...and bet the lasagne and cheesecake would also have been delish!

    I'm not at all surprised that your lacy pancakes pleased the jurors!

    How you continue to inspire me to at least consider doing more baking. Many thanks. xo

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  3. Your tart turned out perfectly Gina, I love the feathering x

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  4. Looks lovely. A local cafe in Malvern does the most delicious bakewell tarts -without icing which I also think makes it too sweet. I haven't made one in years but I'm very tempted!

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  5. Looks lovely. A local cafe in Malvern does the most delicious bakewell tarts -without icing which I also think makes it too sweet. I haven't made one in years but I'm very tempted!

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  6. Congrats on being Star Baker....but we knew that anyway and I wouldn't be surprised if you were this week too!! What a lovely Bakewell but I agree it should be almonds and not icing.

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  7. Yes Bakewell pudding is a very different animal in Bakewell. But yours looks top.

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  8. So pretty, the feathered icing looks lovely.

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  9. Congrats for star baker!! The Bakewell tart looks great, the icing is so precise.

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  10. Congratulations on your Star Baker award. The Bakewell tart looks very pretty, but like you, I would prefer it with flaked almonds on top.

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  11. Oooh, I've never had a Bakewell Tart, but that looks wonderful. You had me at part baked crust though -- it looks amazing!!!

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  12. Mmmm yum, and with homemade jam in the bottom too! It looks absolutely great, lovely feathering. I have to agree, the bakers in the tent really do have their work cut out for them because they rarely manage to finish their technical bakes in the time they're give.
    Angela x

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  13. Congratulations on the Star baker award. Your Bakewell tart looks delicious as always. I have pastry case envy as mine never looks like that.

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  14. I don't know how you manage to fit it all in!

    Your tart was very pretty but I could never bring myself to eat all that icing.

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  15. It looks fab - and as far as Bakewell tarts go, they should DEF have icing on, and pretty icing is even better, authentic or not!
    See, that should have been your business name xx

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  16. asides from your beautiful looking bakewell tart with that neat feathering, i do love your cake server and cake stand! this reminds me that i need to get last weeks Star Baker badges done now my laptop is working again x

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  17. Bakewell tart is one of my favourite sweet treats. Yours looks delicious and really pretty, too. Just as well that most of us don't have the ridiculous time limit for baking as those poor GBBO contestants have! It seems a shame to ruin a perfectly good bake because of a lack of time. Well done, star baker! x

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  18. Your not the only one that thinks it too sweet with icing but it daes look pretty and yours is no exception.

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  19. You made a beautiful job of your Bakewell tart, I would love to eat a big slice of it! I often think the bakers on GBBO are not given time to let things cool, it must be terribly difficult to ice and decorate warm cakes and bakes! X

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