Tarts & Pies, Lesson #3 - Apple and Orange Bakewell Tart

The flaky crisp tart shell filled with a layer of tangy orange marmalade, layered with stewed spiced apples, topped with a light almond sponge, garnished with flaked almonds and subtly brushed with an apricot jam glaze, dusted with icing sugar and is best served hot with vanilla ice cream.
Tarts and Pies are generally made of a pastry crust base, with fillings that are either sweet or savoury. They are both quite similar in structure. In fact, the French word “tarte” also means Pie. A pie is usually covered, with a filling on the inside, whilst tarts have a filling over the pastry base and are generally left uncovered.
The history of tarts and pies dates back as far as the early origin of flour dough and the invention of the oven. The earliest ovens were simply clay pots heated by placing fire on the inside; to help keep the juices of the filling from escaping and getting burnt, the meat fillings were wrapped in a cover made of dough before being placed in the ovens to bake, thus resulting in the coming to be of the very first Pie.
About Apple and Orange Bakewell Tart
Apple and Orange Bakewell Tarts consist of a sweet short crust pastry case filled with cooked apples, spread with orange marmalade and a soft almond sponge. The almond sponge is also known as a frangipane consisting of ground almonds, sugar and eggs, beaten together to form a paste and is often topped with almond flakes and icing sugar.
It is believed that the Bakewell tart originated in Derbyshire town of Bakewell, England, in a small pub called the Rutland Arms. However, in 1820, this dessert came to be popularly known as Bakewell pudding and consisted of a flaky pastry base spread with jam and filled with egg and almond paste.
Today the recipe has evolved from the initial ones. The most common recipe calls fora sweet short crust pastry with a layer of jam and a ground almond paste and when baked it becomes an almond sponge. Many of these recipes are glazed with a cherry/apricot jam to give the dish a beautiful shine.
This Dish
The flaky crisp tart shell filled with a layer of tangy orange marmalade, layered with stewed spiced apples, topped with a light almond sponge, garnished with flaked almonds and subtly brushed with an apricot jam glaze, dusted with icing sugar and is best served hot with vanilla ice cream.
To learn more about the popular types of Tarts & Pies, you can go through the introductory lesson - Creative Baking... Tarts & Pies!
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