Whenever I visit the Peak District I always make a point of visiting the town of Bakewell, and a visit to "The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop" to buy a traditional Bakewell Pudding is a must. This is my attempt at re-creating their delicious Bakewell Pudding at home, though mine doesn't quite have the traditional look, it almost tastes just as good.

The Bakewell Pudding is an almond based dessert that originates from the Derbyshire town of Bakewell, nestled in the Peak District in North England. It was first made by accident in the 19th century as the result of a mix-up between the landlady of a local Inn and her cook, who incorrectly followed her instructions on how to make a jam tart. What resulted was a dish that proved to be very popular at the Inn and the town of Bakewell is now famous for them.

Some of you may be familiar with the Bakewell Tart. Mr. Kipling may make exceedingly good cakes, but he also makes historically inaccurate ones. The Bakewell tart (made popular by the Mr. Kipling brand of confectionary) has no connection to Bakewell or the famous Bakewell Pudding.

Read more about the county of Derbyshire, the town of Bakewell and the Bakewell Pudding on Wikipedia. You can also find out more about the "Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop" on their website.

Step 1: What You'll Need

To re-create the Bakewell Pudding you will need the following ingredients:

1x Packet of ready-to-roll puff pastry ..it's not cheating, honest!
4x Tablespoons of a good quality strawberry jam
120g Caster sugar
60g Unsalted butter ..plus a little extra for greasing the dish
3x Medium eggs beaten
3/4 Teaspoon of almond extract
60g Ground almond

The "Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop" also add a pinch of another 'secret' ingredient. I don't know what this is but I've tried it with cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon, just use whatever suits your taste.

Note: No flour is used in this recipe, we are using ground almond instead.

You'll also need the following kitchen utensils:

Tablespoon
Teaspoon
Whisk
Mixing bowl
Weighing scales
Shallow pie dish
Greaseproof paper to line the dish optional
Ramekins ...I used these for setting out my ingredients once measured, but this is not necessary

Tip: I used a flan dish, which is too shallow to create an authentic looking Bakewell Pudding. Be sure to use something a little deeper with a lesser diameter for that true Bakewell Pudding look.

Step 2: Method

To make the pudding follow these simple steps:

Grease the dish with butter and line with greaseproof paper (if using)
Roll out the puff pastry over the dish, gently pushing the pastry into the sides
Brush the base liberally with the jam
Put all of the remaining ingredients (sugar, butter, eggs, almond) into the mixing bowl and beat together
Pour the filling and spread evenly over the jam
Place on the middle shelf of a pre-heated oven at 200°C / 400°F / Gas mark 6 for approximately 30 minutes
Remove from the oven and allow to cool and set

Note: The egg / butter mixture rises during baking and should collapse as it cools.

Step 3: Serve (Warm or Cold) and Enjoy!

Once your Bakewell Pudding has cooled you can serve it right away or you can store it for later. It can be stored at room temperature in a cool dark place, but I'd recommend keeping it in the fridge if storing for a longer period of time.

It can be served chilled, at room temperature or lightly warmed. It's delicious on its own or served with either cream or custard, probably go well with a scoop of ice-cream too.

I hope you liked the Instructable, if you have any questions or comments I endeavour to respond to every one. If you ever get the chance to visit the Peak District in Derbyshire, I recommend you pay a visit to the town of Bakewell, you won't be disappointed.