This story starts in England, the homeland of generations of talented bakers and, of course, everyone’s favorite TV addiction, The Great British Baking Show. Yes, cream scones to treacle pudding, Britain does dessert right. That’s why our Met Market global foragers visited the English countryside in 2015 looking for the next great treat. There, at a farmstead shop near Cheshire, they found the Bakewell tart and knew they had to bring it back home.
Named for the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, England, our classic-style confection is built atop a flaky and buttery pastry crust filled with a layer of the best raspberry jam followed by extra-rich frangipane. The whole thing is finished with sliced almonds and a generous dusting of powdered sugar. Beautifully buttery, but not too sweet, it can be served for dessert, cut into halves and topped with a delicious dollop of whipped cream, or quartered and enjoyed along with your morning cup of joe.
In the years since we introduced the traditional version, we’ve added several seasonal creations to keep it company. Spring marks the arrival of a strawberry variety punched up by tart Northwest rhubarb; come summer, it’s the perfect pairing of ripe peaches and juicy blackberries that shine bright. In the fall, warm up to the fragrant pumpkin-pecan Bakewell; and, the wintry cranberry-apple version is as gorgeous on your table as it is delicious on the palate.
