This ooey gooey treacle tart is the perfect indulgent treat for these dark and cosy winter evenings. Serve at a dinner party or snuggle up in front of a film, this decadent dessert is best served hot with ice cold vanilla ice cream.
Makes: 4 – 6
Preparation time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
What You’ll Need:
For the sweet pastry
- 140g caster sugar
- 150g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 medium sized free range eggs, beaten
- 300g plain flour
For the dark treacle filling
- 350g golden syrup
- 100g black treacle
- 85g toasted brown breadcrumbs
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 60g unsalted butter
- 3 large free range eggs
- 70ml double cream
For the toasted breadcrumbs
- 3 ½ slices wholemeal brown bread
To serve:
- 150ml pouring cream
- 500ml good quality vanilla ice cream
What To Do:
For the sweet pastry
- In a bowl or food processor, gently mix butter and sugar together until combined.
- Slowly add eggs until thoroughly mixed.
- Sieve in the flour and slowly mix until a smooth dough is formed.
- Wrap in Clingfilm and store in the fridge until required.
- The pastry must be rested for at least 2 hours before use.
- If you have any left over, freeze for another time.
For the toasted breadcrumbs
- Toast the bread until golden brown.
- Break into smallish pieces and whizz in a clean coffee grinder or food processor until they take on a fine consistency.
To make the tart:
- Preheat the oven to 180 ºC / gas mark 4.
- On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to about ½ cm thickness.
- Grease a 23cm (9”) non-stick flan case with a little butter and carefully lay the rolled pastry over it, ensuring you press the sides well and there are no air pockets or holes in the pastry.
- Cover the pastry base with a ring of baking paper, place baking beans (or rice) on top and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. The pastry should feel slightly dry to the touch and be golden brown in colour. Cool for 20 minutes.
- Whilst the pastry is cooking, melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the syrup, treacle and breadcrumbs and stir on a low heat until melted – approximately 5 minutes. Take off the heat, and, in a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Add them, the lemon zest and ginger to the syrup mixture and stir well.
- Turn the oven down to 150 ºC / gas mark 2.
- Pour the filling into the cooled pastry case and bake for 12 minutes. Serve hot or cold with vanilla ice cream and pouring cream.