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Treacle tart

Golden syrup and breadcrumb tart with lemon

Treacle tart is an old English nursery pudding, a favourite of Victorian kitchens and still served with clotted cream or custard in pubs and school canteens. Despite the name it's made with golden syrup thickened with fresh breadcrumbs, sharpened with lemon zest and juice, baked until chewy at the edges and soft in the middle. Chef's tip: warm the syrup before mixing so the breadcrumbs soak it up evenly.
Total time
60 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
8
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Ingredients

Serves8

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Fresh ingredients (4)

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Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Roll the 10 ½ oz shortcrust pastry to line a 23 cm tart tin, keeping the trimmings, and chill for 15 minutes.

    20 min
  2. Step 2: Blind-bake with paper and beans for 12 minutes, then uncovered for 5 minutes until dry. Turn the oven down to 350°F (325°F fan).

    17 min
  3. Step 3: Warm the 14 oz golden syrup gently in a pan until runny, then stir in the 4 oz fresh white breadcrumbs, 1 lemon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, 1 egg and 2 tbsp double cream.

    5 min
  4. Step 4: Pour into the pastry case. Cut the trimmings into thin strips and lay a lattice over the top if you like.

    5 min
  5. Step 5: Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and just set; it should wobble slightly in the middle. A common mistake is overbaking, which turns the filling hard as toffee.

    28 min
  6. Step 6: Cool for at least 20 minutes and serve warm with cream or custard.

    20 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
400 kcal
Protein
4 g
Carbs
66 g
Fat
14 g
Fibre
1 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does treacle tart take?
About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
What can I use instead of fresh white breadcrumbs?
Crushed crackers or cornflakes, same amount.
What can I use instead of lemon?
Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).

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