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Treacle Tart

Introduction & method

Treacle tart is a quintessential British dessert - packed with stodge and sweetness, it's delicious and very easy to make.

 Treacle Tart Recipe

Make the Pastry


We need a standard shortcrust pastry for this tart, so cut your butter into small cubes and rub it into the flour with your fingertips. It should look like breadcrumbs when it's done. Now mix in the water, a bit at a time, and stop when you've added enough to bring it all together. Wrap the dough in plastic film and pop it in the fridge to rest for half an hour.

Blind-Bake the Pastry Case


Preheat your oven to 140°C (284°F) if it's fan oven, 160°C (320°F) if not. Prepare a 20cm (8 inch) flan tin by rubbing the inside with flour. Roll out your pastry into a disc and put it in the tin, pressing the edges down carefully. You can leave excess pastry overhanging. Prick the base all over with a fork, then scrunch up a sheet of greaseproof paper and spread it out over the pastry. Then add dried beans or rice to weigh down the pastry while it is baking. Bake for 15 minutes then remove it from the oven. Remove your beans or rice, then paint the inside of the pastry case with egg wash (beaten egg with a little milk added). Put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Make the Filling


While you are blind-baking the case, make the filling. Melt the butter in a small saucepan on medium heat. Stir in the golden syrup and black treacle and cook gently until warm and runny. Stir in the cream, cook for a minute or two, then remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and salt, and beat up your eggs a little and add those.

Assemble and Bake the Tart


Trim the excess pastry from the case, and paint the rim with egg wash. Add the breadcrumbs to the treacle mix, stir well, and pour it into the case. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the heat down to 120°C (248°F) for a fan oven, 140°C (284°F) for a conventional one, and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes. When it is done, the filling should have a slight wobble to it.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool down for 5-10 minutes, then serve hot with custard, or cold with a cup of tea. Nostalgia on a plate!


The video above is from the Keef Cooks YouTube channel. Click here to see the video recipe of Treacle Tart on YouTube.

 
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Ingredients & Info


PASTRY
 200 grams plain (all-purpose) flour
 100 grams butter
 100 ml water
  FILLING
 140 grams white breadcrumbs
 450 grams golden syrup (or light corn syrup)
 2 tbsp black treacle (or molasses)
 1 whole egg
 1 egg yolk
 60 grams butter
 2 tbsp double (heavy) cream
 1 tbsp lemon juice
 pinch of salt

PLUS

Beaten egg and milk to glaze pastry


UNITS:
Metric
US Customary/Imperial

Serves 8 
Prep time: 15 minutes.
resting time: 30 minutes.
Cooking time: 40 minutes.
Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes.