Blackcurrant and Almond Paste Tart is a traditional British recipe for a classic, if rather unusual, tart from the 1920s that uses a blackcurrant filling thickened with arrowroot in an almond paste shell that's baked before serving. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Blackcurrant and Almond Paste Tart.

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Blackcurrant and Almond Paste Tart

Ingredients:

For the Almond Paste:

1 egg, beaten
180g (1 cup, less 2 tbsp) caster sugar
1 dessert spoon lemon juice
225g (1/2 lb) ground almonds
180g (1 cup, less 2 tbsp) icing (confectioner's) sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Filling:

450g (1 lb) blackcurrants
2 tsp arrowroot
sugar, to sweeten

Method:

Begin with the almond paste. Sift the caster sugar and icing sugar into a bowl. Mix in the ground almonds then add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Flavour with the vanilla extract then turn onto a cold work surface and knead to form a smooth paste, adding just enough of the beaten egg to bind the paste together.

Roll the resultant paste out until large enough to cover the base and sides of a deep flan case. In the meantime, stew the blackcurrants with a little sugar and water until the fruit bursts and forms a compote. Stir in the arrowroot to bind the fruit mixture then set aside to cool slightly before turning into the almond paste shell.

Place the pie in an oven pre-heated to 180ºC (350ºF) and bake for 8 minutes, or until just golden. Allow to cool and eat with sponge fingers.