I know, shouldn’t be doing the sugar thing but if you’re having a weekend firework night, this recipe is best made the day before, so collect your ingredients ready for a Friday bake.
And it’s probably wise to serve the sugary stuff early in the evening or nobody will get any sleep!
I found this recipe in a Gordon Ramsay recipe book ‘Great British Pub Food’ – I feel like I should mention that I’ve never come across treacle tart in a pub before but hey, I very rarely visit pubs so who am I to judge!
Intro to Treacle Tart
This is the treacle tart to die for. It tastes even better a day after baking, when the breadcrumbs have had time to absorb the wonderfully moist filling. Serve individual slices with dollops of whipped cream or creme fraiche to tone down the sweetness of the filling.
Ingredients (serves 8)
300g. sweet flan pastry (recipe below)
450g. golden syrup
85g. white breadcrumbs
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Half a teaspoon of ground ginger
60g. butter, melted
3 large egg yolks
70mls double cream
Half a teaspoon of black treacle
To serve:
whipped cream or creme fraiche
Method
1. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a large round, the thickness of a £1 coin. Use this to line a 23-24cm round shallow tart tin with removable base, leaving some excess pastry overhanging the rim.
2. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 190C, Gas mark 5
3. Line the pastry case with baking paper and dried or ceramic baking beans and bake ‘blind’ for 15-20 minutes until the sides are set and lightly golden.
4. Remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for another 5 minutes or until the base is cooked through. While still warm, cut off the excess pastry to level with the rim of the tin
5. Lower the oven temperature to 140C, Gas mark 1.
6. For the filling, gently heat the golden syrup by immersing the bottle or tin in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes.
7. Mix the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and ground ginger together in a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
8. Pour in the warm golden syrup and add the melted butter, egg yolks, cream, treacle and lemon juice. Stir well to mix.
9. Pour the filling into the pastry case. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top has just set, but the centre is slightly wobbly when you shake the tin gently. It should fell slightly soft in the centre.
10. Let the tart cool completely before slicing and serving with cream or creme fraiche.
Sweet Flan Pastry Recipe
This recipe assumes you have a food processor, but I imagine you could combine the ingredients successfully without one? Makes about 500g.
Ingredients
125g. unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
90g. caster sugar
1 large egg
250g. plain flour
1 tablespoon ice-cold water if needed.
Method
1. Place the butter and sugar in a food processor and whiz until just combined.
2. Add the egg and whiz for 30 seconds
3.Tip in the flour and process for a few seconds until the dough just comes together Do NOT over-process or it will become tough.
4. Add a little cold water if the dough seems too dry.
5. Knead the dough lightly on a floured surface and shape into a flat disc. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes before rolling out.
Happy Baking!
Linda x
P.S. The book I found these recipes in is still on Amazon, although it’s ten years old now…
“Gordon has gathered his favourite British recipes into one sumptuous collection so you can invite your friends round, serve some good, English ale and cook the best in traditional pub food classics in your own home.”
healthylivingbooks.org 