Historical recipe: bakewell pudding

Preheat the oven to 190oC (170oC fan) / 375o F. Grease and flour a 23cm (nine-inch) loosebottomed tart tin.

Roll out the pastry on to a lightly floured work surface to form a circle a few inches larger than the tin. Line the tin with the pastry, gently pressing into the edges. Trim the excess pastry from the edge of the tin.

Spread raspberry jam evenly over the pastry base. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy and then gradually add the eggs, beating all the time. Stir in the ground almonds until they are well mixed.

Taste the mixture and add almond essence if you would prefer a stronger almond taste.

Pour the filling mixture into the pastry case and spread it evenly over the raspberry layer.

Bake the tart on the middle shelf of the oven for 35–40 minutes, or until the surface is golden brown. This can take up to an hour or more, depending on the oven.

Dust the top of the pudding with icing sugar and serve.