Craving a classic British dessert that’s both simple and delicious? Look no further than treacle tart! James Rix, the award-winning chef and owner of The Fox and Hound Hunsdon, a Michelin-Guide featured restaurant, is sharing his expert recipe for this beloved treat.
This treacle tart is described as “sweet and tangy,” perfect for serving with hot custard, clotted cream, ice cream, or a combination of all three. Best of all, it’s incredibly easy to follow, even for novice bakers. James suggests swapping ’00’ flour for plain white flour if you’re short on time and only resting the pastry in the fridge for an hour instead of overnight. The recipe yields a generous 12 servings, making it perfect for sharing with friends and family on a weekend baking adventure.
Traditional Treacle Tart Recipe
Ingredients:
For the Pastry:
* 300g soft unsalted butter
* 100g ground almonds
* 150g caster sugar
* Three egg yolks
* 325g ’00’ flour (or plain white flour)
* Cold water to bind
For the Filling:
* 500g golden syrup
* One tbsp dark treacle
* Juice & grated zest of one lemon
* One tsp ground ginger
* 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
* 250g Brioche/Croissant breadcrumbs
* Three eggs
* 100ml double cream
Method:
1.
Make the Pastry:
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gently beat the egg yolks and add them to the mixture gradually to prevent curdling. Stir in the ground almonds, sift in the flour, and mix until just combined. Use a small amount of ice-cold water to bring everything together.2.
Rest the Pastry:
The pastry will be soft, so wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for at least one hour, preferably overnight.3.
Prepare the Tart Shell:
Remove the pastry from the fridge and let it soften at room temperature. Cut it in half and roll out one piece on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick. Place it in a 30cm loose-bottomed tart tin and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours.4.
Blind Bake:
Fill the tart shell with baking beans and bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and cling film and continue baking until the pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool.5.
Make the Filling:
Warm the golden syrup and dark treacle in a saucepan. Add the lemon juice and zest, ginger, nutmeg, and breadcrumbs. Stir well, remove from heat, and let cool for about 10 minutes.6.
Combine Filling Ingredients:
Whisk together the eggs and double cream. Add to the cooled syrup mixture.7.
Fill and Bake:
Pour the filling into the cooled pastry shell. Bake at 160°C for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 140°C and bake for another 20 minutes.8.
Cool and Serve:
Allow the tart to cool and set completely. Slice and serve with your favorite toppings: clotted cream, whipped cream, or ice cream.Enjoy this delicious and easy-to-make treacle tart that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
