Recipes

Treacle Tart Recipe

Ingredients:

Pastry

  • 295g (10½oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 165g (5½oz) chilled unsalted butter, cubed pinch salt
  • 4½ tbsp cold water

Filling

  • 450g (1lb) Golden Syrup
  • 25g (1oz) unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tbsp double cream
  • 2 lemons, zested
  • 30g (1¼oz) fresh brown or white breadcrumbs
  • Crème fraîche, for serving

 

Instructions:

  • Pulse the flour, butter and salt in a blender until the mixture resembles large crumbs. Add the water and briefly blend until it comes together in a ball – then wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes.
  • Cut off one-third of the pastry and set aside for the lattice top. Roll the rest of pastry out on a lightly floured surface to about 4cm (1½”) bigger than a loose-bottomed tart tin, 22cm (9”) x 3.5cm (1½”) deep. Line the tin with parchment paper, trim the excess and lightly prick with a fork, then chill for 30 minutes. Add the excess to the pastry set aside for the lattice top.
  • Preheat the oven to 190°C/170° Fan, 375°F, Gas 5 while you pop the parchment paper on the pastry, cover with a layer of baking beans and pre-bake for 15 minutes on the middle shelf. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 8-10 minutes to dry the pastry out. Remove the tart and put it on a baking tray. Reduce the oven temperature down to 180°C/160°Fan, 350°F, Gas 4, ready for later.
  • Roll the extra lattice top pastry out thinly and set aside on a tray to chill in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes – this makes it easier to handle.
  • Gently warm the Golden Syrup in a pan over a low heat, remove, then add the butter and stir until melted. Leave to cool a little. Beat the egg and cream together and then quickly beat this into the syrup mixture along with the lemon zest and crumbs. Pour into the pastry case.
  • Remove the pastry from the fridge and cut into 1cm (½”) wide strips, longer than the edges of the tart tin. Arrange the strips at intervals across the tart, then place a second set across the first – so it looks like a basket over the mixture – leaving the strips hanging over the edge of the tin. Once the lattice is in place, trim the edges of the strips for a neat finish to fit just inside the tart.
  • Bake on the middle shelf for 45-50 minutes until richly brown and set. (The filling will still be a bit wobbly but it will firm up on cooling.) Remove, leave to cool until warm, then remove from the tin, slide onto a plate and serve.