A is for Apricots
Apricot Bakewell Slice
Everyone has their favourite bars and cakes, this is one of Brian’s. His Gran made it for him with apricot jam because he can’t eat raspberry or any berries without coming out in a delightful rash. Might be more information than you want to know but that’s why this is not the usual raspberry jam version.
The key components of a bakewell slice, are a bottom, a middle and a topping, ( I sound like my old English teacher describing how to write an essay, hah!) and there must be fruit in there and there must be ground almonds. Having said that, there are probably nut free versions out there too. Some bakewells are topped with white icing and cherries, this one was finished off with handcut almond chips, because we had run out of flaked almonds. With hindsight the almond chips made it almost impossible to cut this rich soft bar cleanly, though being home blanched and cut, they were of course fresher tasting than those packet ones you buy ( and a bit cheaper).
To print this recipe off as a pdf click here.
This slice used an 8 “ x 10 “ tin.
I lined the bottom with baking parchment. Another time I might line the sides as well, but it did lift out with a knife run round the edges once it had cooled down a bit.
For the pastry base
Use whatever pastry makes you happy – I used a creme fraiche shortcrust pastry made with 100 grams plain sifted flour and a pinch of salt rubbed together with 50 grams cold butter cut into little bits plus a tablespoon of creme fraiche to bring the pastry together.
You might be better off doubling this as it only makes just enough for a very thin base and you might want some more pastry to play with.
Chll the pastry before you roll it out.
I cut the parchment for the tin first, then used that to cut the pastry base by placing the parchment on top of the rolled out pastry.
- Before I worked out how to do labels!
Then I pricked the pastry lightly with a fork and spread half a jar of homemade apricot jam over it, about 220 grams in all and put the tray in the fridge to chill for about half an hour.
The topping was made as the Bakewell Bar recipe in Rachel Allen’s lovely book Bake: From Cookies to Casseroles. She uses a different base more like a shortbread biscuit.
I made the topping with:
100 grams of ground almonds (almond meal)
100 grams of fine semolina
2 eggs beaten lightly with a fork
100 grams of melted butter
100 grams of golden caster sugar
2 heaped teaspoons of mahlab (optional and not particularly traditional)
but you could use a little almond essence if you like the taste of it, that’s what it tastes of traditionally, but I always think it tastes a bit artificial. You could use something like kirsch to add a hint of bitterness to the almonds maybe?
Mix the eggs with the melted cooled butter and almond essence, then add the dry ingredients and mix it all up really well. I let it sit for about ten minutes so that the nuts and semolina could fluff up.
The topping is quite stiff, so you need to be careful about how you put it on top of the jam as you want the jam to stay put as a separate layer. I put small blobs all over and then joined them up with a palette knife, it works fairly well.
Then press the flaked or chipped almonds into the top and bake for about 25 minutes in a 180 º C (350 º F) oven until the top is golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin before cutting, it is very soft and crumbly so take your time doing this.
- A slice of apricot bakewell – hope Brian’s Gran would approve…
Like so many cakes made with almonds, if you can bear it, it is better to leave this for a couple of days before eating. It will taste better, more almondy. But I understand if you can’t wait! It is incredibly filling and calorific but very delicious!
Zeb Bakes 
It looks amazing and DELICIOUS. I want one now. I really do. Like the idea of the handcut almonds. Certainly classier than those commerically flaked.
It looks most delicious Joanna and what a beautiful colour too. Love almond slices, but it’s another of the things I’ve never made.
I made something very similar to this for my grandson’s birthday.
A bakewell, Hmm?
I think the one I made was called a torte- and I grated the dough into the bottom of the pan, layered the apricot filling with another grating of the same dough and then baked it all at once after I covered the top with almonds and then sprinkled some icing (10x) sugar on the top after it cooled.
I think I will try your recipe next
@ Annalisa – are you a Bakewell fan too? How lovely!
@ Thanks Choclette, I was thinking about whether one could put a layer of chocolate ganache in there instead of the jam, or maybe as well as the jam….?
@ Heidi – completely forgot to do the bit about the difference between Bakewell Pudding and Tart and where the name comes from which is a town in Derbyshire called Bakewell. More about Bakewell and its cakes here.
I call this one a slice so as not to have to worry about whether it is the Pudding or the Tart. There is of course also the cherry bakewell, which is the one with the white icing and the cherry on top. If you like almonds and apricots then you will like this :)
Good grief I have to wait a few days before eating? Never going to happen. I think there would be burn marks on my mouth it would be eaten so quickly after making it.
I’m not familiar with mahlab, but I will keep my eye out for it.
Just read the blog tips from the post from your side bar- very funny.
I have made Raspberry Bakewell slice, but Apricot sounds wonderful (and very husband friendly – his favourite fruit!) I must have a go at this one sometime.
Thanks
hopeeternal
Thanks for visiting Hope!
I’ve never heard of a Bakewell, but this sounds absolutely wonderful! But wait a few days?!? Would never happen in my house!! =)
Beeyootiful! I love the colour of the jam, and the handcut almonds look every so refined! Waiting a couple of days is probably a good tip, but like the others here, I think we’d have trouble with it too! :)
This looks gorgeous! As a variation, the apricot flavour of the jam goes well with a chocolate Bakewell topping. Just replace some of the semolina (or flour, depending on the recipe) with cocoa.
I love almonds cut like this – they look so much nicer than flakes. You used to be able to buy them ready cut, but I haven’t seen them for years.
Thank you all for your enthusiastic response to this one :)
It will be nicer if you wait, though I discovered this by eating two warm pieces and thinking they tasted a bit bland and then eating more the next day, better, day 2, perfect. So what can else can I say ? :)
The hand cut almonds were out of necessity, but I first saw them on Dan Lepard’s Christmas Cake so no credit to me and remembered them when I made this! This is the cake I mean:
Got a minute now…
Suelle, I love the idea of adding the cocoa in to the topping, probably more practical than my thought of a layer of ganache.
Abby, Bakewell is the name of a town where the cake originates! See comment to Heidi above.
Celia, thanks :) I look forward to seeing yours soon too. I might have to make another one as this one’s all gone now…
Another chocolate thought, Joanna – Nutella instead of jam.
Good idea Suelle, I have forgotten Nutella since I used it up in my one and only chocolate tempering experiments :)
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