Treacle Tart
A traditional British Treacle Tart made with sweet, buttery shortcrust pastry, golden syrup, breadcrumbs, and a hint of lemon. This simple old-fashioned pudding is sweet, sticky, and best served warm with custard or ice cream.
Servings: 8
Equipment
- 20cm Loose Bottom Tart Tin 8-inch
Ingredients
For the Pastry:
- 175 g Butter or Block Margarine
- 65 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- 250 g Plain Flour (All-purpose Flour)
For the Filling:
- 500 g
Golden Syrup (Substitutions) - 125 g Breadcumbs fresh
- 1 Lemon zested
- 3 tbsp Double Cream (Heavy Cream)
- Sea Salt small pinch
- 1 Free-range Egg
Instructions
For the Pastry:
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter/margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift in the flour and mix to create a soft dough, using your hands to bring it together when necessary. Gently knead the dough on a clean surface to ensure it is thoroughly combined, before wrapping the dough in cling film and placing in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up a little.
- Lightly grease a 20 cm (8-inch) loose-bottom fluted tart tin with a little excess butter/margarine, before lightly dusting with flour. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 180°c (160°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 4 or 350°F). Roll the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 28cm circle (about 5mm thick). Transfer the pastry to the prepared tart tin, pressing into the edges and leaving a slight overhang at the top.
- Trim the edges neatly with a sharp knife. Prick the base with a fork before lining with greaseproof paper and filling with baking beans. Blind bake the pastry base in the pre-heate oven for 15 minutes. Remove the baking beans and continue to bake for a further 5 minutes. Whilst the pastry base is baking, prepare the filling.
For the Filling:
- In a large pan, warm the golden syrup over a low heat until it is a little thinner in consistency and easier to stir. Remove from the heat and add the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, double cream and salt. Mix together before adding the egg, then mix thoroughly until combined.
- Pour the filling mixture into the blind-baked pastry base. Reduce your oven temperature to 160°c (140°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 3 or 325°F). Bake the tart for 35-40 minutes, until golden and the filling has begun to set.
- Allow the tart to cool a little before serving in slices.
Notes
- Storage: Once cooled, Treacle Tart can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Gently reheat slices in the oven or microwave before serving, if you like them warm.
- Freezing: Treacle Tart freezes well. Wrap it tightly in cling film and tin foil (whole or in slices) and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and warm through in the oven for best results.
- Substitutions:
- Golden Syrup is essential for that classic Treacle Tart flavour. Substitutes like corn syrup or honey won’t give the same taste or texture. For the best results, see if you can source some authentic golden syrup for this recipe.
- Fresh breadcrumbs are best, but you can blitz up day-old bread if needed.
- You can use shop-bought pastry to save time, although homemade does give the best results.
