Treacle Tart
A traditional British dessert featuring a shortcrust pastry filled with a rich treacle mixture, breadcrumbs, and lemon zest, baked until crisp and golden.
Steps
- 1
Make the shortcrust pastry by rubbing the flour into the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs; add about three tablespoons of cold water and mix to a firm dough. Wrap and chill for about 20 minutes.
- 2
Preheat the oven to 200C (390F) / 400F / Gas 6 and place a heavy baking tray in the oven to heat up. Grease a deep 18cm (7in) loose-bottomed flan tin with butter.
- 3
Remove about 150g of pastry from the main dough and set aside for the lattice top. Roll the remaining pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface and line the tin. Prick the base with a fork.
- 4
Roll out the reserved pastry on cling film and egg wash; set aside to chill in the fridge. Do not cut into strips at this stage.
- 5
To make the filling, heat the syrup gently in a large pan without boiling. Add breadcrumbs, lemon juice and zest; if you prefer less citrus, reduce the zest. If the mixture seems runny, add a few more breadcrumbs.
- 6
Pour the syrup mixture into the lined tin and level the surface.
- 7
Cut the reserved pastry into long strips (about 1 cm wide) longer than the tin edges. Egg wash the edge of the pastry in the tin, then weave the lattice over the filling, leaving strips hanging over the edge.
- 8
Bake on the preheated tray in the hot oven for about 10 minutes until the pastry begins to colour, then reduce the oven temperature to 180C (350F) / Gas 4. If the lattice browns too quickly, cover the tart with foil.
- 9
Bake for a further 25–30 minutes until the pastry is golden-brown and the filling is set. Remove the tart and cool in the tin; serve warm or cold.
