Bakewell Tartlets Recipe

For the pastry:
25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp lard (shortening)

25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter or margarine

100 g/4 oz/1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
A pinch of salt
30 ml/2 tbsp water
45 ml/3 tbsp raspberry jam (conserve)

For the filling:
50 g/2 oz butter or margarine, softened
50 g/2 oz caster (superfine) sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
25 g/1 oz self-raising (self-rising) flour
25 g/1 oz ground almonds

A few drops of almond essence (extract)

Method:

To make the pastry (paste), rub the lard and butter or margarine into the flour and salt until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in enough of the water to make a soft pastry. Roll out thinly on a lightly floured surface, cut into 7.5 cm/3 in circles and use to line the sections of two greased bun tins (patty pans). Fill with jam.

To make the filling, cream together the butter or margarine and sugar, then gradually mix in the egg. Stir in the flour, ground almonds and almond essence. Spoon the mixture into the tarts, sealing the edges to the pastry so that the jam is completely covered. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 20 minutes until golden brown.