Treacle Tart

Ingredients

• 320 g shortcrust pastry
• 450 g golden syrup
• 1 tbsp black treacle
• 150 g fresh white breadcrumbs
• zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 60 ml double cream
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Method

1. Line and chill

   Line a 23 cm tin, leaving the pastry overhanging, and chill 30 minutes. Chilling is what stops the sides sliding down the tin during the blind bake.

   30 min

2. Blind bake fully

   Bake at 190°C for 20 minutes with paper and beans, then 10 without, until the base is sandy and dry. The filling is essentially liquid sugar, and it will soak into any pastry that is not already cooked.

   30 min

3. Warm the syrup

   Warm the golden syrup with the treacle until runny, then stir in the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and juice, and the ginger. Fresh breadcrumbs, not dried — dried ones stay gritty and never soften into the set. The spoonful of black treacle is what stops it being one-dimensionally sweet.

   5 min

4. Rest the mixture

   Beat in the cream and egg and leave it 10 minutes so the crumbs swell. Poured straight in, they float to the top and bake into a crust.

   10 min

5. Bake low

   Pour into the case and bake at 160°C until set with only a slight wobble in the middle, about 35 minutes. Too hot and the sugar catches at the edges before the centre firms up.

   35 min

6. Cool before cutting

   Cool at least an hour and trim the overhanging pastry level. It slices cleanly only once fully cool, and it is best served just warm with cream.

   1 h