Lemon Bakewell Slice

I have dusted off my apron, found my whisk and turned on the scales! I haven’t baked in such a long time, a mixture of laze and being slightly fat has kept me out of the kitchen. But…This week it is my turn to bring the cake/bakes so there is literally no better excuse.after much deliberation I settled on a lemon bakewell slice. It is bloody delicious and super easy! The recipe says ‘trust me there’s enough filling’, I didn’t trust it and cursed the recipe for being incompetent and messing up my first time baking in such a long time but then when I took it out of the over it really was enough. I shouldn’t be so doubtful! I will be back baking before long so watch out for my posts 🙂

The below recipe is an adaption from BBC Goodfood.

Lemon Bakewell slices

This dessert sounds and possibly looks complicated, but it isn’t at all! It’s just a simple sweet pastry layer topped with lemon curd and almond frangipane layers. A traditional British dessert with a lemon twist … enjoy!

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 6 tablespoons butter chopped into small pieces
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon water

For the other layers

• 7 tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• zest of 2 lemons
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup ground almonds
• 1 3/4 tablespoon plain flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon curd
• 2 tablespoons flaked almonds

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, quickly rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the icing sugar and lemon zest, then add the egg yolk and tablespoon of water, mix lightly then bring the dough together with your hands. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least half an hour.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C. Line a baking tin (about 20×20 cm) with baking paper and grease it well with a little butter.
3. When the pastry has chilled, roll it out so that it’s a little bigger than the baking tin, then place the baking tin on top of it and cut around it with a sharp knife. Use this square of pastry to line the bottom of your tin, making sure you push it right into the corners. Bake for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make your filling. Beat together the butter, sugar and lemon zest with a handheld whisk until light and creamy-looking. Gradually add the eggs and ground almonds, then stir in any remaining ground almonds and the flour.
5. Roughly spread the lemon curd over the pastry base (don’t go right to the edge, to stop the curd layer from sticking to the baking paper while cooking), then top with the almond filling and smooth down with a spatula or the back of a metal spoon (it may seem like there isn’t enough filling, but trust me, there is). Scatter over the flaked almonds, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top of the dessert is lightly golden.
6. Cut into 8 slices, then serve warm with ice cream, custard or cream or cold, by itself.