Food - Drink
How Did The Bakewell Tart Get Its Name?
By MATTHEW SPINA
A Bakewell tart is a short pastry crust filled with jam (usually raspberry) and frangipane (almond custard) and garnished with sliced almonds. The end result is an indulgent slice of buttery and sweet almond pastry, cut slightly by the tangy jam, and while this treat is certainly unique, it gets its name and flavors from an older dessert.
Bakewell is a historic town in Derbyshire, England and the Bakewell tart takes after the town's eponymous Bakewell pudding. The pudding, which goes back to the 19th century, is similar to the more modern tart, but uses egg custard on top of the jam instead of frangipane, and is covered in almond icing in addition to the sliced almonds.
It’s unknown when the Bakewell tart emerged, but by the late 19th century, the most prevalent recipes for the pudding had become closer to the modern day tart, with the shortcrust we know today appearing in the 1900s. Bakewell tarts and puddings have since grown so popular that the town of Bakewell is now a tourist destination.