Recipes/Individual gooseberry and almond pies

Individual gooseberry and almond pies

Gooseberries require a little patience. Firm, pale and stubbornly sour, they don’t offer the easy sweetness of other berries, but give them something warm and soft to lean against, and watch them shine. Almond cream feels a natural companion: gently sweet and tender, cushioning the sharpness without dulling it. Baked in muffin tins, these small pies feel informal yet generous, plus all the components can be made up to three days ahead and assembled just before baking

Prep

15 min

Cook

90 min

Total

225 min

Makes

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A traditional Bakewell tart consists of a pastry shell filled with jam and almond cream filling, finished with a layer of icing and a cherry on top. My version here replaces the jam layer with fresh plums for brightness and acidity. A little raising agent in the rich nutty filling lightens the crumb, while the layer of white icing has been replaced by a light dusting of icing sugar. Cut into bars, this is a hand-held, portable cake to take with you on a long drive, to a picnic or to pack into a lunchbox, but it’s equally good plated for dessert and served with cream.