When we were in London this past month, we were absolutely blown away by the huge amount of international cuisines available (even compared to our last visit 10+ years ago). However, we wanted to give proper attention to English classics including our favorite category of food – sweets. Now, we are no strangers to English candy, but we had not ventured far into the world of desserts, or as they are called locally – puddings. While in London, I popped into a bakery that specializes in English treats to brush up on my British baking knowledge: Peyton and Byrne (several locations, I visited 44 Wellington Street, Covent Garden). The case and bakery racks of this appealing cafe were full of delicious treats including familiar-to-Americans apple crumbles and cookies. However, there were some new treats including the Bakewell Tart, which looked too delicious to pass up.
Mini Bakewell Tarts by Mary E
The Bakewell Tart, which originated in Derbyshire, is tart with a shortbread crust, an almond filling and a layer of raspberry jam. On our trip, we saw Bakewell tarts in mini bite-sized versions (as above), or as larger tarts cut into wedges (as below). At Peyton and Byrne, they cut the pie into wedges (and top with almond slivers), which seems to make the perfect filling to crust ratio. We could tell the jam was homemade, and it perfectly complemented the frangipane filling. We found the Bakewell Tart to be perfectly delightful, or shall we say – moreish! There is a recipe for the Bakewell Tart in Peyton and Byrne’s book, British Baking, and recipes for traditional and exotic Bakewell Tarts abound online.
Bakewell Tart by Dan Peters
Eating The World 