Melt in the mouth shortcrust base, a tart raspberry jam layer, smooth frangipane sponge filling and topped with sweet almond icing and a cherry on top. These mini Cherry Bakewell tarts are delicious, satisfying, and a traditional dessert that oozes comfort eating. I've made a few tweaks to the original recipe to make them gluten and dairy free so that you can still enjoy them even if you have several food allergies.
Preheat your oven to 340°F / 170°C and gather all your supplies and ingredients.
To Make the Shortcrust Pastry
Add 200g (1 1/3 cup) Gluten Free 1-to-1 flour, a pinch of salt and 100g (7 tbsp) unsalted plant based butter to a mixing bowl. Mix until it has a sand like texture and resembles breadcrumbs.
Add 30g (1/4 cup) icing sugar and 1 beaten egg. Mix to combine until it clumps together, Scrape down the bowl and turn out on to a floured surface. Knead a few times in to a smooth ball of pastry. This recipe makes 380 grams of pastry which is enough for 4-5 mini tart cases, depending on how thick you roll it out.
To Make the Tart Cases
On a floured surface, roll out approx 95g of pastry so that it is slightly larger than the tart case. Lay the pastry over the case and then press down gently so that the pastry fits snuggly in to the case. *No need to grease the tart case*
Cut off any excess pastry with a sharp knife and prick holes in the base with a fork.
Cut an oversized circle of parchment paper and line the tart case. Add baking beads, ensuring that they are not stacked on top of each other.
Place the tart cases on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes at 340°F / 170°C. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the baking beads from each case. Use the parchment paper to lift them out and place in a bowl to cool down. Immediately place the tart cases back in the oven for 5 minutes to finish baking. Once baked, allow to cool on a cooling rack.
To Make the Frangipane
Add 100 grams of white sugar to 100 grams of plant based butter and beat together until combined.
In a seperate bowl beat 2 eggs and 1/2 tsp of almond extract together. Pour a bit at a time in to the butter and sugar stirring well between each addition.
Add 150 grams of almond flour to the mixture and stir with a spatula to combine everything together.
Adding the Filling
Once the tart cases are cool, add a generous teaspoon of raspberry jam to each base. Use the back of the spoon to smooth the jam out evenly.
Top with the frangipane mixture, filling the tart cases to about three quarters full.
Bake at 340°F for 25 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
To Make the Almond Icing
Remove the tarts from their baking cases.
Add 100 grams of icing sugar to a small bowl and add small amounts of water to create a thick paste (start with 1 tsp). Add 1 drop of almond extract and stir to combine. The icing should be thick but spreadable.
Spread the icing on top of each tart then add half of a glace cherry on top.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Yield: The shortcrust pastry recipe makes 380g which is enough for 4-5 mini tarts or a larger tart case. I usually make a few different tart flavours when I make a batch of pastry (check my blog for more tart recipes). Spare pastry can be refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for 3 months.
Modifications: If you are not gluten-free, substitute the GF flour with all-purpose flour.
Eggs: I usually use large eggs in my baking, which are equivalent to approximately 50g once removed from their shell. You can also use a medium egg in this recipe.
Vegan Option: To veganise this recipe, use flax eggs in place of regular eggs.
Storage: Store any unused tarts in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Freezer: These tarts can be frozen in an airtight container and stored for up to 3 months. Once you're ready to eat one, remove from the freezer, pop on a plate and allow to defrost on the counter.