Scoffopedia

Tag: nuts

  • Bakewell tart

    photo of traditional bakewell tarts

    A Bakewell tart is a confection originating from Bakewell, a town in Derbyshire, England. Historically, it was served at any holiday occasion. Nowadays one could eat them on any day, usually with a cup of tea. Commercial versions are easily available.

    The tart consists of a shortcrust pastry shell, topped with a layer of jam, another of frangipane, and a topping of flaked almonds. The tart itself could be a large round, or a tray bake, which is then sliced into portions, or – as shown above – made into little, cup-cake-sized portions.

    The Bakewell pudding predates the Bakewell tart and the latter is thought to be a 20th century alteration.  The Bakewell pudding has a flaky pastry shell according to Mrs Beeton, although the pudding’s earliest record, by Elizabeth Acton in 1845, makes no mention of pastry.

    Recipe

    Felicity Cloake’s perfect Bakewell tart

  • Almond

    photo of shelled almonds

    Almonds are the nuts of the almond tree, a close relative of the peach, apricot and plum.

    The are two types of almonds – bitter and sweet.

    The bitter almonds contain prussic acid but can be used sparingly to produce oils, extracts and flavourings, eg for the liqueur amaretto.

    The sweet almonds are the ones which are generally eaten.  They are often used in desserts, and are the main ingredient of marzipan and frangipane. They can also be used in savoury dishes, particularly fish. Trout with almonds was a particularly ubiquitous bistro dish in the 1960s.

    Almonds can be ground to make flour, which provides a gluten-free alternative to the more commonly used wheat flour.

    Chef’s Tip

    Blanched almonds are almonds with their skins removed. Make removing almond skins easier by scalding the almonds with boiling water, then leave them in the water for about five minutes. This should make them much easier to peel.  Alternatively, you can buy them already peeled.

  • Baklava

    Baklava - traditional Middle Eastern sweet desert

    What is it?

    Originally from Turkey, baklava is a rich, sticky, sweet pastry made from layers of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey.

    It’s best to score the pastry prior to baking, as it will be very difficult to cut neatly after it’s been baked.

    Recipe

    BBC Food’s Baklava