
Years ago, when watching Martha Stewart making risotto, I remember screaming “No, Martha, No!” to the TV, when I saw her using olive oil. For an Italian, and a Northern Italian specifically, using olive oil instead of butter when making risotto is a sacrilege. I cannot even begin to tell you how her risotto came out, so soupy and not at all the creamy dish that we Italians enjoy and perfected.
So, every time I decide to bake a classic from another country, including an American one, I picture all these people screaming at the computer, “No, Simona, No!” It might be the case, today, for my version of this British classic, the Bakewell Tart. There are a few different recipes out there, all including a shortcrust pastry, a fruit filling, and a frangipane topping. Here is my gluten-free version. The shortcrust pastry came out beautifully, almost silky, and so easy to work with. I ended up using much more raspberry jam than indicated in all the recipes I saw – I hope that my British friends will forgive me for that. I also used a ready raspberry jam, instead of making the filling – mostly out of convenience, because I already had the jam at home, and not enough raspberries. And I opted for the classic finish, with confectioners’ sugar, instead of Mary Berry’s delicate pattern.
ENJOY!