February recipe: Treacle tart
Treacle tart is simple to make and delicious to eat, especially on a cold day. Comfort food for the fag-end of winter. It’s made with golden syrup (not black treacle), breadcrumbs and lemon.
Treacle Tart
Serves 4-6
Pastry
3 oz (approx 75 g) plain flour
3/4 oz (approx 20 g) butter
3/4 oz (approx 20 g) lard
Filling
4 oz (approx 100 g) golden syrup
1 oz (approx 25 g) breadcrumbs
Juice and rind of half a lemon
Grease a flan dish about 7 in (approx 18 cm) diameter.
Rub the butter and lard into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Mix with a small amount of water until it forms a soft dough. If too sticky, add a little more flour. If too dry and flaky, add a little more water.
(Or you can use ready-made shortcrust pastry if you prefer).
Roll out on a floured board, and line the flan dish with the pastry. Keep the pastry trimmings to make decorations.
In a small saucepan, mix the golden syrup, breadcrumbs, lemon rind and lemon juice. The easiest way to weigh out the golden syrup is to stand the pan on the scales and spoon syrup directly into the pan to the required weight. Two large tablespoons (15 ml spoons) of golden syrup is about right.
Warm the syrup mixture gently over a low heat until the syrup is liquid, and mix well.
Pour the syrup mixture into the pastry case. Roll out the spare pastry and use to make leaves or other decorative shapes, and arrange these on top of the tart.
Bake in a hot oven at about 200 C for 25-30 minutes until the filling is set and the pastry is golden.
Serve hot or cold, with cream, custard or ice cream.
If there is any left over, the tart will keep for three or four days at room temperature.
Treacle Tart
Serves 4-6
Pastry
3 oz (approx 75 g) plain flour
3/4 oz (approx 20 g) butter
3/4 oz (approx 20 g) lard
Filling
4 oz (approx 100 g) golden syrup
1 oz (approx 25 g) breadcrumbs
Juice and rind of half a lemon
Grease a flan dish about 7 in (approx 18 cm) diameter.
Rub the butter and lard into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Mix with a small amount of water until it forms a soft dough. If too sticky, add a little more flour. If too dry and flaky, add a little more water.
(Or you can use ready-made shortcrust pastry if you prefer).
Roll out on a floured board, and line the flan dish with the pastry. Keep the pastry trimmings to make decorations.
In a small saucepan, mix the golden syrup, breadcrumbs, lemon rind and lemon juice. The easiest way to weigh out the golden syrup is to stand the pan on the scales and spoon syrup directly into the pan to the required weight. Two large tablespoons (15 ml spoons) of golden syrup is about right.
Warm the syrup mixture gently over a low heat until the syrup is liquid, and mix well.
Pour the syrup mixture into the pastry case. Roll out the spare pastry and use to make leaves or other decorative shapes, and arrange these on top of the tart.
Bake in a hot oven at about 200 C for 25-30 minutes until the filling is set and the pastry is golden.
Serve hot or cold, with cream, custard or ice cream.
If there is any left over, the tart will keep for three or four days at room temperature.
