Bakewell Bars

'I love the classic combination of light almond sponge and buttery shortbread, sandwiched together with a tasty layer of raspberry jam.  You can use any type of jam you wish, of course - apricot would be a delicious alternative in this recipe'.

Rachel Allen, 'Bake', p22

July marked a big milestone for my little chap, as he came to the end of his time at preschool. He's had a wonderful 2 years, and the staff have been fantastic... but onwards to the next chapter! Of course, his last couple of weeks were a busy whirl with leavers' sports day; final parents' evening; visits to 'big boy school' and meeting his new teacher.  By far Evan's highlight was the end of term trip.  This year's trip was to Twinlakes, near Melton Mowbray.  It's a theme park with farm animals; outdoor splash zone; indoor soft play and of course, plenty of rides.  The whole family went, and Evan had a wonderful time charging around.  Plenty of energy needed, so we took a nice big picnic.  These Bakewell Bars were my special treat!  Here's the recipe...

• 75g (3oz) butter, softened
• 25g (1oz) caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 175g (6oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• Half a jar (approximately 200g/7oz) raspberry jam

Topping

• 100g (3 1/2oz) butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 eggs, beaten
• A few drops of almond essence
• 100g (3 1/2oz) ground almonds
• 100g (3 1/2 oz) semolina
• 100g (3 1/2oz) caster sugar
• Flaked almonds, for sprinkling

• 20 x 20cm (8 x 8in) square cake tin or, you can make double the quantity to fit a 23 x 30cm (9 x 12in) Swiss roll tin.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/GM4.  Butter the sides of the cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
2. First, make the biscuit base.  Cream the butter in a large bowl, or in an electric food mixer until soft.  Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolk and mix well, then sift in the flour and mix together to form a dough.
3. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to the right size to fit the base of the tin, and then press into the prepared tin.  Spread the raspberry jam over the top, then allow to chill in the fridge while you make the topping.
4. Place the melted butter in a bowl, add the beaten eggs and almond essence and mix well.  Stir in the ground almonds, semolina and caster sugar.
5. Take the tin out of the fridge and spread the almond dough over the jam, being careful not to mess up the jam up too much (I usually place the almond dough in dots over the jam, then join it all together using the back of a spoon).
6. Sprinkle the top with the flaked almonds and bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden and set in the centre.  Allow to cool in the tin, then cut into fingers

These were fantastic, really moist and pretty similar to traditional Bakewell tart.  They also brought back memories of Sunday teatimes at home.  Typically, we'd have ham sandwiches; a cup of tea and then a Mr Kipling's Cherry Bakewell or apple pie.  My brother really doesn't have a sweet tooth, but he loves both of those... oh, apart from the cherry on the bakewell.  Not keen on those, so I used to get an extra one!  Making (and eating) these bars really brought back memories of Sunday teatimes; Songs of Praise; Antiques Roadshow and Last of the Summer Wine!  Actually, I'm wondering if I could ice these bars, and top them with glace cherries, for that authentic Sunday experience?!  I'll let you know what happens!

I really struggled to find the semolina for this recipe, couldn't believe how elusive it was! Our 3 local, moderately sized supermarkets didn't have it.  I popped into our local healthfood shop, who didn't have it either.  However, the owner told me it's a typical Asian ingredient.  Never realised that, it always makes me think of British school dinners!  I was considering a trip to Leicester's 'Golden Mile' (famous Asian shopping area) to get some, but found it in a big Sainsbury's.