Simnel slice tart
Makes: 11 slices
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Kris Kirkham
Simnel slice tart
This simnel tart puts a fun twist on the classic Easter cake. It's packed with dried fruit and full of almond and citrus flavours
Makes: 11 slices
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
471Kcal
Fat
25gr
Saturates
12gr
Carbs
54gr
Sugars
36gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
0.1gr
Emily Jonzen
Emily Jonzen is a London-based food stylist and recipe writer with almost ten years of experience working on books, magazines, packaging, advertising and television projects.
See more of Emily Jonzen’s recipes
Emily Jonzen
Emily Jonzen is a London-based food stylist and recipe writer with almost ten years of experience working on books, magazines, packaging, advertising and television projects.
See more of Emily Jonzen’s recipes
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 250g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 125g cold unsalted butter, diced
- 75g icing sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 large egg yolk
For the filling
- 125g golden marzipan
- 100g soft unsalted butter
- 100g caster sugar
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- zest and juice of 1 orange
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 100g ground almonds
- 4 tbsp apricot jam
- 75g dried apricots, roughly chopped
- 50g raisins
- 30g icing sugar, sifted
Step by step
Get ahead
The tart can be baked the day before. Leftovers keep for 3 days in an airtight container.
- To make the pastry, pulse the flour, diced butter and a pinch of salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the icing sugar and lemon zest and pulse to combine.
- Beat the egg yolk with 3 tablespoons of ice-cold water then add 3 tablespoons of this to the processor and pulse again until clumps start to form. Add a little more egg mixture if needed. Tip out and roughly shape into a rectangle or disc, depending on the shape of your tart tin; wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin and use to line a 35cm x 12cm rectangular tart tin or a shallow 23cm round tart tin. Trim the edges of the pastry but allow for a slight overhang. Prick the pastry base and chill for 30 minutes, until firm. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4.
- Line the pastry case with crumpled baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are set and the base feels sandy. Remove the baking beans and paper and bake for a further 5-7 minutes, or until the base is cooked. Set aside.
- Chop 50g of the marzipan into pea-size pieces. Roll the remainder into 11 equal-size balls and cover. Cream the butter and sugar using an electric mixer, until pale and fluffy. Add the cinnamon and orange zest, then gradually whisk in the egg. Fold in the almonds.
- Trim the pastry so that it is flush with the edge of the tin. Brush any crumbs from the base and spread with the apricot jam. Scatter in the diced marzipan, apricots and raisins and spread the frangipane over in an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes for the rectangular tin, or 35-40 minutes for the round, until golden brown and just set. Leave to cool on a wire rack, still in the tin.
- Once the tart is cool, mix just enough orange juice into the icing sugar to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle over the tart and top with the marzipan balls, spaced evenly apart. If you like, finish the tart by briefly blow-torching the marzipan balls before cutting it into slices to serve.
