Hedgerow Tart

"There's only so much crumble one can eat...." While I wholeheartedly disagree with this statement and would happily live off the stuff, I felt like shaking it up in the blackberry department and putting these hedgerow gems to a new and delicious use.

This blackberry frangipane tart with it's thin layer of jam, moist (for lack of a better word) almond filling and sweet berry studs is one to brighten any late summer table.

Ingredients

For the pastry

140g butter

280g plain flour

A splash of cold water

For the filling

125g butter

100 g golden caster sugar

1 egg

1 egg white

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

150 g ground almonds

6 tablespoon blackberry jam

200 g blackberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and dust a circular, 23cm tart tin with flour.

2. First make the pastry by rubbing the butter into the flour until fine like breadcrumbs. Then add a splash of ice cold water until it comes together into a ball. Flatten slightly into a disc and leave in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

3. Roll out the pastry and gently press into the tin. Now line with baking parchment, top with baking beans and bake blind for 10 minutes.

4. Remove the baking paper and beans and bake for another 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile make the filling: Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then beat in the whole egg. Now add the egg white and beat again. Fold in the vanilla extract and ground almonds.

6. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C and remove the tart.

7. Spread the jam over the base of the pastry case then top with the almond filling and finally bedeck with blackberries, pressing them into the almond.

8. Bake for 45- 50 minutes until the filling is risen and golden.