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Mini Cherry Bakewell Tarts Recipe

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★★★★★

4.2 from 34 reviews

These Mini Cherry Bakewell Tarts are delightful bite-sized treats featuring a crisp, buttery shortcrust pastry filled with a layer of sweet cherry jam and topped with a fragrant almond frangipane. Finished with a drizzling of sweet icing and a glacé cherry on top, they are perfect for teatime or a charming dessert.

Ingredients

Scale

Pastry

  • 250 g (1½ cups + 1 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 60 g (¼ cup + 3 tbsp) icing (powdered) sugar
  • 125 g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 2 large eggs, yolks only
  • 2–4 tbsp ice (very cold) water

Frangipane Filling

  • 60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 60 g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) caster sugar
  • 60 g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) ground almonds
  • 1 large egg
  • 0.5 tsp almond extract

Other Fillings and Topping

  • Cherry jam/conserve (quantity as needed for spreading)
  • 100 g (½ cup + 3 tbsp) icing (powdered) sugar
  • 3–5 tsp milk
  • 12 glacé cherries, halved, to top

Instructions

  1. Make the Pastry: Mix together flour and icing sugar. Add cold cubed butter and rub or process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in egg yolks until just combined. Add ice water 1 tbsp at a time to bring dough together in clumps. Handle dough gently to avoid overworking, divide into two discs, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Prepare Tart Shells: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Roll out one dough disc to about 3mm thickness. Cut rounds to fit mini tart tin. Press dough into tin evenly, then chill again while preparing filling.
  3. Make the Frangipane: Soften butter in a bowl, then beat in caster sugar, ground almonds, egg and almond extract until thick and well combined. Transfer mixture to a piping bag if desired.
  4. Prepare the Jam: Place some cherry jam in a small bowl and stir to loosen with a teaspoon of water if needed for easier spreading.
  5. Assemble the Tarts: Spread a thin layer of cherry jam into the base of each tart shell, just enough to cover the bottom. Pipe or spoon frangipane filling over jam, filling no more than two-thirds full. Gently spread filling to edges to seal jam underneath and prevent bubbling.
  6. Bake: Bake the tarts in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until pastry is golden and filling is just slightly wobbly. Allow to cool a few minutes in tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. Finish with Icing and Cherries: Mix icing sugar with milk to form a thick icing. Spread over the cooled tarts, then top each tart with half a glacé cherry. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Ensure the butter is cold when making the pastry to achieve a crumbly texture.
  • Handle the pastry dough lightly to keep it tender and flaky.
  • Chilling the pastry before baking helps prevent shrinkage and improves texture.
  • Sealing the jam under the frangipane prevents it from bubbling out and creating a mess.
  • If you do not have a piping bag, a spoon works fine for filling the tarts.
  • These tarts can be frozen at the pastry stage or after baking; thaw before icing.
  • Adjust the thickness of the icing with milk as needed for easy spreading.

Keywords: Bakewell tart, cherry tart, mini tarts, frangipane, almond dessert, teatime snack, British baking

Find it online: https://epicrecipebox.com/mini-cherry-bakewell-tarts-recipe/