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    Home » dessert » Christmas Week: Mini Bakewell Tarts

    Christmas Week: Mini Bakewell Tarts

    Dec 7, 2012 · 41 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    All good things must come to an end, and that includes Christmas Week.  But there's still one more recipe to share before we go, on the theme of Christmas Pies and Pastries.

    Mini Bakewell Tarts

    I had a few options, but in the end I couldn't pass up the excuse to crack open a jar of homemade jam to make these adorable mini bakewell tarts. They have all the deliciousness of the original, but in a two-bite format that's perfect for holiday cookie trays.

    What's a Bakewell Tart?

    Bakewell tarts are a quintessential British dessert that consists of a shortcrust pastry shell filled with layers of jam and sweet almond frangipane, and finished with flaked almonds. Traditionally they're baked up as a full-sized tart, but I think they're much cuter when they're scaled them down into a two-bite format using a mini muffin tin.

    While you might expect that they come by their name because they're so delicious when they're baked well, they're actually named for the town of Bakewell, where they were first concocted. (Incidentally, Bakewell is also known for their eponymous pudding, which also combines jam and almonds in a pastry base.)

    The recipe I'm sharing with you today is a variation that's more properly known as a cherry Bakewell tart, which is basically the same tart only finished with a thin layer of white almond-scented glaze and topped with a single glace cherry.

    Bakewell tarts aren't a traditional holiday treat, but I think a case could be made for starting a new tradition. I feel like there's something awfully festive about a plateful of teensy tarts draped in snowy white icing and capped with a sliver of bright red glace cherry, after all.

    Mini Bakewell Tarts

    Choosing the Right Jam for Your mini Bakewell Tarts

    The traditional choice for a proper Bakewell tart is raspberry jam, which is what I used for this particular batch.

    That said, you can easily swap out for whatever jam you like best.

    Red fruits like red currant, sour cherry or strawberry are your best bet because they have a natural acidity that balances out the sweetness of the frangipane, plus they're an appropriately festive colour for the season,

    If you really want to buck tradition, though, I could see these being quite lovely with blueberry or even rhubarb. Nothing is off-limits - these mini tarts are a great way to use up whatever half-finished jars of jam are kicking around in the fridge.

    Mini Bakewell Tarts

    Preparing Mini Bakewell Tarts in Advance (Yes, You Can Freeze Them!)

    I'm not going to lie. These tarts are basically the opposite of a quick and easy dessert. The pastry crust and the filling can both be assembled pretty quickly, but the crust needs to hang out in the fridge for at least an hour to firm up, while the frangipane needs to chill for at least a half-hour.

    But the good news is that you can (and should!) split up the prep over several days. The tart dough and the frangipane filling can be made up to 2-3 days ahead of time, which means you just need to assemble the tarts and whip up the frosting while they bake. 

    Even better, they also freeze beautifully, which means you can bake up a batch or two well in advance and then freeze them unfrosted in an airtight container. All you need to do is thaw them out overnight before finishing them off with icing and cherries.

    Mini Bakewell Tarts

    Regardless of how you prepare ahead, make sure to brew up a big pot of proper tea and brace yourself for the inevitable onslaught of compliments. Because if there's one truth when it comes to sweet treats, it's that no one can resist desserts in bite-size format. No one.

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    Mini Bakewell Tarts

    Mini Cherry Bakewell Tarts


    ★★★★★

    4.5 from 2 reviews

    • Author: Isabelle Boucher (Crumb)
    • Total Time: 1 hour 35 mins
    • Yield: 24 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    A British classic goes bite-sized in these adorable mini tarts filled with jam and frangipane and covered with a snowy white icing. Fill with whatever flavour jam you like - raspberry or redcurrant are traditional, but this is also a great canvas for showing off more experimental flavours.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Pastry:

    • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
    • ¼ cup icing sugar
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ½ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
    • 2 egg yolks
    • ½ tsp vinegar
    • 3 tbsp ice-cold water

    Filling:

    • ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
    • ⅓ cup sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • ¾ cup finely ground almonds
    • ½ tsp almond extract
    • ½ tsp vanilla extract
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • ¼ cup raspberry jam (or any other jam you like)

    Glaze:

    • 1 ½ cups icing sugar
    • 2 tbsp water
    • ½ tsp almond extract
    • 6 red glace cherries. quartered

    Instructions

    Prepare the Pastry Shells:

    1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, icing sugar and salt and pulse to mix. Add the cold butter, and pulse five or six times, until mixture resembles coarse meal.
    2. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and vinegar. With the machine running, add egg yolk mixture, then add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, stopping as soon as the dough starts to clump together.
    3. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface, divide in half, and gently form each half into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour or until quite firm. (You can also do this a day or two in advance.)

    Prepare the Filling:

    1. While the pastry chills, begin on the frangipane filling.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in ground almonds, almond extract and vanilla. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.

    Assemble the Tarts:

    1. Preheat oven to 400F.
    2. On lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled pastry to ⅛" thick. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 24 circles. Gently press the dough circles into the cups of a mini muffin tin, then place in the freezer to chill thoroughly for 15 minutes.
    3. Spoon ½ tsp jam into the bottom of each shell, then spoon in a little frangipane overtop, making sure to leave a little rim of tart shell uncovered. (Make sure not to overfill, as it will be very difficult to extract the tarts once they're baked!)
    4. Bake in preheated oven until filling is puffed and golden, about 18-20 minutes. Let tarts cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove and set on a wire rack to cool off completely before frosting.

    Glaze and Decorate the Tarts:

    1. Once the tarts are cooled, whisk together icing sugar, water and almond extract in a small bowl until you have a smooth, thick glaze. Spread a layer of icing onto the cooled tarts, then finish each one with a piece of cherry.
    • Prep Time: 75 mins
    • Cook Time: 20 mins
    • Category: Dessert

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @izzbell on Instagram

    Christmas Week Logo

    Welcome to day #5 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita’s Cocina. Today’s theme is “Christmas Pies and Pastries”. Make sure you visit all the participating bloggers today to see what special dish they whipped up for you:

    • Christmas Apple Pie from Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic
    • Pumpkin Cheesecake Chimichangas from Jen of Juanita's Cocina
    • Cinnamon Pecan Crescent Rolls from Ramona of Curry and Comfort
    • Banketstaaf (Dutch Christmas Log) from Heather of All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
    • Eggnog and Cranberry Christmas Braid from Cathy of The Dutch Baker's Daughter
    • Raspberry Galette from Chung-Ah of Damn Delicious
    « Christmas Week: Mini Holiday Gingerbread Loaves
    Persuading Nina: Egg Nog Waffles »
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    Comments

    1. lauren says

      January 5, 2019 at 5:02 pm

      I wanted to make muffin-sized tarts, so I used your recipe but blind baked the shells for ten minutes before filling. They came out perfectly; thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Isabelle Boucher says

        January 9, 2019 at 8:10 pm

        Thanks for sharing, Lauren. Sounds like a wonderful variation!

        Reply
        • Lisa D. says

          July 17, 2019 at 7:12 pm

          I made a half batch. Since you said they might be difficult to remove, I put a strip of parchment paper in each muffin cup. It worked great. Also, I'm not a big fan of icing, so I put 3 sliced almonds on top of each tart before baking.

          ★★★★

        • Isabelle Boucher says

          July 21, 2019 at 10:11 pm

          Love your parchment paper idea, Lisa... that's genius! Thanks for sharing.

    2. Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction says

      December 11, 2012 at 9:39 am

      Your tarts look adorable. Contrary to the name of my blog, it has nothing to do with these tarts - just a spin on my P.O. Box (kinda funny though).

      Every year I give away about 15 to 20 different cookies. I have some of them on my blog because I've been participating in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog hop. You can find them at https://bakewelljunction.wordpress.com

      Reply
    3. April says

      December 9, 2012 at 3:31 am

      Have always wanted to try making these tarts. Think this is the year and the recipe. I need to send off some Christmas baking for my father's first Christmas on his own so containers would be terrific.

      Reply
    4. Jennai says

      December 8, 2012 at 11:55 pm

      I like Freund on Pinterest as JenniferAnne74

      Reply
    5. Jennai says

      December 8, 2012 at 11:55 pm

      I like Freund on Twitter as Jennai

      Reply
    6. Jennai says

      December 8, 2012 at 11:54 pm

      I like Freund on Facebook as Jennifer Keefer

      Reply
    7. Jennai says

      December 8, 2012 at 11:54 pm

      I would make Homemade Nutella and put in some of the jars if I won

      Reply
    8. Cheri says

      December 8, 2012 at 11:33 pm

      Love the give away! I will fill some of the jars from Freund with my lemon, lime and orange marmalade and gift it to some of my family who are in other states! Also keep a few on hand for my neighbors to enjoy as well. Good Luck to All! Great little tarts too!

      Reply
    9. Mippy says

      December 8, 2012 at 11:13 pm

      Hi!
      I follow Freund on Pinterest by my nickname as well (Mippyfoofalina)
      Such cute tarts! They look tasty! :D

      Reply
    10. Mippy says

      December 8, 2012 at 11:11 pm

      Hi!
      I like Freund on Twitter (@MippyFoofalina) :)

      Reply
    11. Mippy says

      December 8, 2012 at 11:10 pm

      Hi!
      Honestly I really could use either a scale: https://www.freundcontainer.com/benchtop-scales-standard/p/v1327F02/ or the wire shelving unit. I'd package up some fudge w/nuts or cookies if I choose containers. :)

      Reply
    12. Chrik says

      December 8, 2012 at 10:18 pm

      These tartlets are beautiful!

      Reply
    13. Chrik says

      December 8, 2012 at 10:18 pm

      Following on Twitter

      Reply
    14. Chrik says

      December 8, 2012 at 10:17 pm

      Liked on FB

      Reply
    15. Kristen says

      December 8, 2012 at 8:54 pm

      Such cute little pies. The cherries on top make them look so festive.

      Reply
    16. Cathy W says

      December 8, 2012 at 8:27 am

      Very pretty--I love that filling! :) It was great blogging with you this week. Merry Christmas! :)

      Reply
    17. rondah says

      December 8, 2012 at 2:14 am

      Follow Freud on Pinterest:

      Reply
    18. rondah says

      December 8, 2012 at 2:14 am

      Follow Freud on Twitter

      Reply
    19. rondah says

      December 8, 2012 at 2:14 am

      Like Freund on Facebook

      Reply
    20. Margo says

      December 8, 2012 at 2:14 am

      I follow Freund on Pinterest

      Reply
    21. rondah says

      December 8, 2012 at 2:13 am

      I'd make some cookies mixes in a jar as gifts

      Reply
    22. Margo says

      December 8, 2012 at 2:11 am

      I "liked" Freund on Facebook

      Reply
    23. Margo says

      December 8, 2012 at 2:09 am

      What a great giveaway! I would use the glass jars to package the homemade Almond Roca we make each year as gifts.

      Reply
    24. Kim Bee says

      December 7, 2012 at 9:35 pm

      These are so pretty Izzy. I could just see these on the dessert table at Christmas. So happy you joined us this week. Hope to see you soon. xx

      Reply
    25. Liz says

      December 7, 2012 at 9:29 pm

      I love mini desserts and these look amazing!It's been so fun celebrating #ChristmasWeek with you!

      Reply
    26. Corisa says

      December 7, 2012 at 5:45 pm

      I'd package up some red velvet butter cookies !

      Reply
    27. Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts says

      December 7, 2012 at 5:32 pm

      What a great little tart. I have seen these once before, and almost made them. Now I am really going to have to get to work!

      Reply
    28. Anne says

      December 7, 2012 at 4:03 pm

      I follow Fruend Container on Pinterest.

      Reply
    29. Anne says

      December 7, 2012 at 4:02 pm

      I follow Freund Container on Twitter.

      Reply
    30. Anne says

      December 7, 2012 at 4:01 pm

      I'm planning on making some carrot jam for Christmas gifts, and it would look great in Freund's decorative jars.

      Reply
    31. sara says

      December 7, 2012 at 2:56 pm

      So cute! I love Bakewell tarts, and the mini versions are awesome!! :) If I won the giveaway, I would package up peppermint brownies!

      Reply
    32. Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says

      December 7, 2012 at 2:03 pm

      I follow Freund on Pinterest

      Reply
    33. Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says

      December 7, 2012 at 2:02 pm

      I follow Freund on Twitter

      Reply
    34. Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says

      December 7, 2012 at 2:02 pm

      I like Freund on Facebook

      Reply
    35. Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says

      December 7, 2012 at 2:01 pm

      I think some homemade granola would be great in some of those jars

      Reply
    36. Lara says

      December 7, 2012 at 10:38 am

      I think maple brown sugar oatmeal cookies!

      Reply
    37. RavieNomNoms says

      December 7, 2012 at 10:38 am

      What adorable little tarts!!!

      Reply
    38. Jen @ Juanita's Cocina says

      December 7, 2012 at 6:24 am

      Not entering the giveaway, but I wanted to say thank you for participating and happy day #5! Gorgeous tarts!

      Reply

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    Hello! I'm Isabelle, and this is my blog. I'm a 40-something coffee-chugging, booty-shaking, bargain-shopping, trucker-swearing self-taught cook with a major addiction to vintage cookbooks. Come for the recipes, stay for the terrible puns! Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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