This is a cross between two English classics. The Bakewell tart, named after the town in Derbyshire where it was supposedly invented by accident in the nineteenth century, is a layered jam, custard and almond treat. Burnt cream is the English cousin and forerunner of the French crème brûée. It's also known as Trinity cream, since it is thought to have originated at Cambridge's Trinity College in the eighteenth century.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Crust
Filling
Preparation
For crust:
Step 1
Blend first 4 ingredients in processor. Add butter; cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles fine meal. Blend in enough water by tablespoons to bind dough. Gather into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill 1 hour.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough on floured surface to 11-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges. Freeze crust 15 minutes. Line with foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake crust until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)
For filling:
Step 3
Place cream in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean.
Step 4
Bring to simmer. Whisk sugar, yolks and cornstarch in small bowl to blend. Slowly whisk hot cream into yolk mixture. Return to saucepan and cook over medium heat until custard thickens and boils, whisking often, about 7 minutes. Discard vanilla bean. Chill until firm but still spoonable, whisking occasionally, about 1 hour.
Step 5
Spread preserves in crust. Carefully spoon custard over. Refrigerate until custard is firm, 4 to 8 hours.
Step 6
Preheat broiler. Press brown sugar through sieve over tart, covering evenly. Broil until sugar caramelizes, rotating pan as necessary to prevent burning and watching carefully. Chill 1 hour. Transfer to platter. Garnish with berries and mint.
