- Bakewell tart
-
Bakewell Tart 
A Cherry Bakewell with fondantOrigin Alternative name(s) Bakewell Pudding Place of origin England Region or state Derbyshire Dales Creator(s) Rutland Arms, Bakewell, in 1820 Dish details Course served Dessert Serving temperature Warm (freshly baked) or cold Main ingredient(s) Ground almond, jam, shortcrust, sponge cake Variations Cherry Bakewell The Bakewell Tart, not to be confused with the Bakewell Pudding, is a shortcrust pastry with a layer of jam and a sponge filling with almonds. The Bakewell Pudding on the other hand is a flaky pastry, with a layer of jam and an egg and almond filling. The tart then can be covered with a layer of fondant. Only the pudding originates from the Derbyshire town of Bakewell[1].
Contents
History
The origins of the pudding are not clear; however, the generally accepted story is that it was first made by accident in 1820 when the landlady of the White Horse Inn (now called the Rutland Arms) left instructions for her cook to make a jam tart. The cook, instead of stirring the eggs and almond paste mixture into the pastry, spread it on top of the jam.[2] When cooked the egg and almond paste set similar to an egg custard in texture and the result was successful enough for it to become a popular dish at the inn. The Bakewell Pudding is exclusive to Bakewell. Bakewell Tarts are a completely different confection, both in appearance, flavour and texture. These are made by larger commercial bakeries, usually with icing sugar on top, which have spread the name.[3]
Commercial outlets
Two shops in Bakewell offer what they both claim is the original recipe pastry - The Bakewell Tart Shop & Coffee House sells a "Bakewell Tart",[4] while The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop sells a "Bakewell Pudding".[5]
A Bakewell pudding
Tart
The tart version consists of a shortcrust pastry shell, spread with jam and covered with a sponge-like filling enriched with ground almonds (known as frangipane). They may also be covered with nuts such as almonds and peanuts. Alternative flavours, including blackcurrant, strawberry and apple are also produced.
A Cherry Bakewell is a variation of the tart where the frangipane is covered with a top layer of almond flavoured icing and a single half glacé cherry, also known as a Bakewell Cake.
Recipes abound, for example those given by Eliza Acton (1845) and Mrs Beeton (1861), and modern commercial examples are to be found in most cake shops and on every supermarket shelf. The name only became common in the 20th century
Pudding
The Old Original Bakewell Pudding ShopThe recipe still used in The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop consists of a puff pastry shell with a layer of jam, covered with a filling of eggs, sugar, butter and almond flavoured icing .
Shot
The Cherry Bakewell shot[citation needed] is a popular alcoholic beverage made from amaretto, cherry liquor and Baileys. A skilled bartender is able to layer the ingredients by pouring the respective spirits over the back of a chilled spoon. The name comes from the similarity in taste to the aforementioned Cherry Bakewell tart.
In Popular Fiction
In the first of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, "Master and Commander," Jack Aubrey is staying at The Crown in Port Mahón, Minorca. He observes: "... the place smelt of olive oil, sardines and wine; and there was not the least possibility of a Bakewell tart, an Eccles cake or even a decent suet pudding."
In Popular Culture
Bakewell tarts were mentioned on an edition of The Great British Bake Off, presented by Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc, on August 23 2011 (the second programmme in the programme's second series). The story of a maid who got the recipe for jam tarts wrong was mentioned on the programme, although the narrator seemed skeptical about the story.
References
Bibliography
- Alan Davidson (Ed.) (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-211579-0.
- Eliza Acton (1845). Modern Cookery for Private Families.
- Isabella Mary Beeton (1861). Beeton's Book of Household Management.
External links
British pies Sweet Apple pie • Bakewell tart • Banoffee pie • Bedfordshire clanger • Black bun • Custard tart • Lemon meringue pie • Manchester tart • Mince pie • Rhubarb pie • Treacle tartSavoury Bacon and egg pie • Bedfordshire clanger • Bridie • Butter pie • Chicken and mushroom pie • Corned beef pie • Cornish pasty • Cottage pie • Cumberland pie • Curry pie • Devizes pie • Fish pie • Game pie • Homity pie • Killie pie • Meat and potato pie • Melton Mowbray pork pie • Pork pie • Scotch pie • Shepherd's Pie • Squab pie • Stargazy pie • Steak pie • Steak and kidney pie • Woolton pieManufacturers Clark's Pies • Dickinson & Morris • Fray Bentos • Ginsters • Higgidy • Holland's Pies • Mr Kipling • Peter's • Pork Farms • Pukka Pies • Shire Foods • Square Pie • Wall's • Wrights PiesCategories:- 1820 introductions
- Almonds
- British desserts
- Culture in Derbyshire
- Derbyshire Dales
- English cuisine
- Peak District
- Sweet pies
- Tarts
- Foods named after places
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
