Treacle tart was a favourite Sunday treat of my childhood, the unapologetically plain pastry shell of far less interest to me than the sticky filling, which was so jammily sweet that it rendered thick yellow custard a completely unnecessary, yet still non-negotiable accompaniment. These days, I enjoy the crumbly, buttery shortcrust almost as much as the syrupy filling, but I still serve it with custard. And not the fancy kind, either.
Prep 25 min, plus chilling
Cook 55 min
Serves 8-10
For the pastry (or use 300g ready-made plain shortcrust)
200g plain flour, plus extra to dust
Fine salt
100g cold butter, plus extra to grease
3-4 tbsp ice-cold water
1 egg, beaten with a little water
For the filling
60g butter
400g golden syrup
35g treacle
2 tbsp double cream
1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 tbsp lemon juice
140g fresh breadcrumbs, preferably brown
1 Start on the pastry
If you’re making your own pastry, which I would recommend, start with that, because it will need time to chill. Put the flour in a large bowl with a pinch of salt. Grate in the butter – lightly flour its surface occasionally to make the job easier – then rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles damp sand.
2 Form and rest the dough
Gradually add just enough cold water to bring the mix together into a smooth dough – don’t overdo it, or the pastry will shrink in the oven. Form into a ball, then flatten to make a disc. Wrap well to keep it airtight, then chill for at least 30 minutes; if you make it a few hours ahead, and it feels very hard, get it out of the fridge half an hour before you want to use it.
3 Roll out the pastry
Heat the oven and a baking sheet to 190C (180C fan)/390F/gas 5, and grease a deep, loose-bottomed 23cm tart tin with butter. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it’s about 5mm thick, then lift it into the tin to line it. Lightly prick the base in several places with a fork.
4 Blind bake and start on the filling
Put a piece of foil on top of the pastry case, weigh it down with baking beans, rice or dried pulses, and blind bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 60g butter in a medium pan, add the syrup and treacle, and heat until warm. Stir in the cream and take off the heat.
5 Finish the filling and egg wash the pastry case
Beat in the egg, egg yolk, lemon juice and a quarter- or half-teaspoon of salt to taste, then set aside. After the pastry case has been baking for 15 minutes, remove the foil and beans, and brush the egg wash all over the pastry. Return to the oven and bake for another five minutes, until golden.
6 Fill the tart and bake
Take the shell out of the oven and turn down the temperature to 170C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Tip in the breadcrumbs and spread them out evenly. Pour the syrup mixture over the top, making sure there are no dry patches, then return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
7 Bake until just set
Turn the heat down to 150C (140C fan)/320F/gas 2½ and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown, and the filling set on top, but with a little bit of wobble left in the centre (check it regularly during this last period of baking, and cover with foil if the pastry is browning too quickly).
8 Leave to cool
Remove the tart from the oven and leave to cool to just warm before serving – if you try to tuck in while it’s still hot, it will be hard to cut, though still extremely delicious. And if you make it in advance, you can warm it through gently before serving. Serve with custard, cream, ice-cream, or all three if you’re feeling particularly decadent.
9 Variations
If you must mess around with a classic, Nigel Slater’s idea of stirring a little ground ginger into the filling is a nice warming one, or you could go down the James Martin route and decorate it with thin slices of stem ginger. Grated lemon zest or ground cardamom would also work in the filling. Or serve it, as Slater suggests, with a scoop or two of sorbet instead.
