Bakewell Tart

Pastry:
250g plain flour
150g butter
2 pinches salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
100g icing sugar
30g ground almond
1 egg
200g chickpeas/beans (for baking only)

Filling:
1 jar cherry jam
3 eggs
115g caster sugar
115g unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp brandy
115g ground almonds
some flaked almonds for decoration

Make the pastry by rubbing in the butter to the flour. Add vanilla, icing sugar and ground almonds. Add egg and mix well to form a soft dough. Do not overwork. Shape into a ball and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cut out a circle of greaseproof paper sightly larger than the 20cm tart case with a removable base you are going to use. Roll out the pastry and line the tart case. If it is not non-stick then you will need to line or butter it. Cover the pastry with the paper and cover with raw chickpeas or beans to weigh down the pastry. Preheat the over to 180 degrees C and bake the pastry for 20 mins. The remove the paper and the beans and continue to bake for 7 mins longer. The pastry will be golden. Let the pastry cool.

Prepare the filling by beating the sugar and the eggs together. Melt the butter and add to the egg mixture. Mix well and stir in the vanilla and brandy. Fold in the almonds. Spread the jam evenly over the pastry case. I recommend the St Dalfour cherry jam as it has no added sugar and whole cherries. Pour the filling on top. Sprinkle with flaked almond and bake for about 30 mins at 180 degrees C in the centre of the oven.