Chances are you’ve never come across a Congress Tart—it’s somewhat like the West Country’s take on a classic Bakewell Tart. These little guys are made of all the best things – tangy raspberry jam, sweet pseudo frangipani, and crisp sweet shortcrust pastry. If you’re looking for a Bakewell Tarts Recipe Mini, you’ll want to add a sprinkle of toasty flaked almonds on top, or go traditional with a pastry cross.
How I learned to bake in the rural kitchen
These tarts are quite possibly one of the first things I ever baked, back in the early 90s. My Grandmother used to make them all the time, as well as these delicious coconut buns that my Mum reminded me about when I called her the other week – yep, coconut buns are obviously on their way soon.
Anyway, back to Grandma.
My Grandma is basically the whole reason I know how to bake. All that ‘natural talent’ people think I have was actually learnt in my Grandma’s country kitchen. She didn’t have a stand mixer or an electric whisk, but she still managed to create amazing sweet treats that would bake me under the table if she were still here today.
Mini Bakewell Cake Recipe Guide for Beginners
Now, don’t be scared by pastry. Pastry is second only to brownies in my list of utter baking failures, so when I say that this sweet shortcrust is totally do-able, then please believe me. Your life is going to be a lot easier if you have a food processor, because you want your butter cold. Cold butter is the secret to great pastry, period.
If you don’t have a food processor to get all that chilled butter into the flour, then you’re going to have to get your hands dirty and rub it in, the old-fashioned way. But sometimes doing things the old-fashioned way just feels right.
Tips for a perfect recipe
Make sure to refrigerate the pastry for an hour or so before using, to help keep the butter as chilled as possible. And you are going to need plenty of flour on your worktop and rolling pin, because this pastry can be a little sticky. But, the fact that we are making tiny little tarts for this Bakewell Tarts Recipe Mini makes transferring the pastry disks from the worktop to the cupcake cases so much easier.
If you do make a mistake, and your pastry splits, then this pastry is pretty forgiving when it comes to patching up holes.
Assembling the Congress Tarts is just a case of spooning some good quality raspberry jam into the bottom of the little pastry cases, and then carefully topping with a heaped teaspoon full of the almond filling. For this Bakewell Tarts Recipe Mini, seedless or seeded jam? It’s totally up to you. But I’m all about the seeds.
I’ve got such a soft spot for the little pastry crosses that sit on top of some of these little tarts, but go mad with flaked almonds, cute pastry shapes, or maybe even a fresh raspberry pushed into the top.
If you’re experimenting with frosting or icing for decoration, you might be wondering how to make the buttercream white for that perfect finishing touch. Give it a try, and let me know how you get on.
Bakewell Tarts Recipe Mini【For 12 people】
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Pastry cutter
- 1 Digital kitchen scales
- 1 Measuring Spoons
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Mini tart tin
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Small mixing bowl
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Microwave To melt butter
- 1 Grid For cooling
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTRY
- 225 g (1½ cups) Plain or all-purpose flour
- 75g 1 tbsp Caster (US granulated) sugar
- 110 g (½ cup) Unsalted butter, cold
- 1 unit Large egg
- 12 tbsp Raspberry jam or conserve
FOR THE FILLING
- 75g (2/3 cup) Ground almonds
- 75g (½ cup) Plain or all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Baking powder
- ½ tbsp Salt
- 75g tbsp (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) caster (US granulated) sugar
- 75g (1/3 cup) Unsalted butter, very soft
- 1 Unit Large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp Almond extract
Instructions
FOR THE PASTRY
- Put the flour and sugar into a food processor, then add the butter, cut into small cubes. Blitz the mixture until the butter has been completely incorporated into the flour, and then add the egg and blitz again until combined. If you do not have a food processor, you can rub the butter into the flour and sugar by hand, although this is a little time-consuming. Gently knead the pastry together into a ball, and then wrap in cling film or plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for an hour.Set your oven to 180 °C (355 °F), or 160 °C if you're using a fan setting. Place the dough on a generously floured surface and roll out using a rolling pin. Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter, and place them in a 12-hole cupcake tray – there's no need to grease the tray.Add a teaspoon of raspberry jam to the base of each pastry shell and put them aside.
FOR THE FILLING
- In a spacious mixing bowl, add the ground almonds, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix these dry ingredients thoroughly until they are evenly combined. Ensure that the butter is very soft before adding to the almond flour mix – put the butter in the microwave for 10 seconds if necessary. Blend the almond flour with the butter, mixing thoroughly until the texture is smooth and consistent. Use an electric mixer or a wooden spoon to ensure the ingredients are fully incorporated. Once the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, add the egg, egg yolk, and almond extract to the mixture and beat well until a paste forms.Spoon a generous teaspoon of the almond mixture over the jam in each pastry shell. Carefully spread the almond layer to fully cover the jam, adding a bit more of the mixture if needed to ensure complete coverage.Using some leftover pastry, cut out little strips and place them on top of each of the tarts in a cross shape. Bake for 18–20 minutes, until golden brown. Until golden brown. Take a few of the leftover pastry pieces and cut them into thin strips, arranging them in a criss-cross pattern over each tart.After baking, take the tray out of the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool down fully.
