Tarts

Tempting Treacle Tart

Published April 5, 2016 | By Christine Szalay-Kudra

This fantastic British tart is made with a buttery shortbread crust and a thick, sweet golden syrup filling. Golden syrup is another name for light treacle. We are also adding lemon zest and breadcrumbs to the filling. Some recipes for treacle tart use ground almonds rather than fresh breadcrumbs. This tart is delicious hot or chilled. It goes well with clotted cream or, if you cannot get it where you are, whipped cream instead. Vanilla ice cream would be good instead. This is quite a simple recipe. The crust is prepared first because it needs chilling time. The crust is baked blind, the filling is added, and then the tart is baked again.

Treacle tart is popular with kids and with the the grownups too. Have you read the Harry Potter books? Treacle tart is actually Harry’s favourite tart and it is popular at all of the Hogwarts parties and feasts. The child-catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tries to lure the children out of the basement by offering this dessert too. A slice of this makes an excellent dessert, or you could enjoy it as a sweet snack with a beverage of choice.

Treacle tart dates back to 1883, when golden syrup (the main ingredient) was invented. Treacle stayed the generic name for syrupy by-products of the sugar refining process, although it used to only come in the thick, dark brown variety. Medieval gingerbread recipes called for sugar and breadcrumbs to make similar desserts, although honey would have been used as the sweetener back then in place of syrup or treacle. Continue reading →

Posted in Tarts, United Kingdom | Tagged british desserts, sweet and sticky treacle tart, tart recipe, tempting treacle tart, treacle tart | Leave a comment

Derbyshire Bakewell Tart

Published March 27, 2016 | By Christine Szalay-Kudra

This dessert comes from Bakewell, a town in Derbyshire, England, home of the beautiful Peak District. It dates back to the 1860s. Bakewell tart, or Bakewell pudding as it is sometimes known locally, is an almond shortcrust pastry crust filled with frangipane or custard. Go back 150 years and these fillings were interchangeable, but these days the frangipani filling is more common. Sometimes this dessert is made with puff pastry and other times with shortcrust pastry. You can use shop-bought pastry for this tart. If you are making your own, add 1/3 cup (55g) almond flour (ground almonds) to the pastry mixture.

Sometimes Bakewell tart is topped with royal icing but some people prefer not to do this because it makes it very sweet. As is the case with many desserts dating back a long time, there are various ways to prepare this classic dish when you make it yourself instead of buying it. Try a slice of this with a cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon, as a tasty and satisfying sweet snack between lunch and dinner.

We are using a shop-bought shortcrust pastry crust here just to save time, but you can make your own if you prefer. Puff pastry is better for the old-fashioned custard fillings but shortcrust pastry is stronger so it encases the frangipane better. Next the tart has a layer of ham, and finally the filling. You can choose between lemon and clementine zest in this recipe, and you will also need jam, butter, sugar, egg, flour, almonds, and baking powder. Continue reading →

Posted in England, Tarts | Tagged bakewell tart, bakewell tart recipe, british recipes, derbyshire, derbyshire bakewell tart, how to make a bakewell tart | Leave a comment

Authentic Ecclefechan Tart

Published March 23, 2016 | By Christine Szalay-Kudra

This delicious Scottish fruit and whisky tart is known locally as Ecclefechan tart. Ecclefechan is a small town in the Scottish Borders and it is where this tasty recipe originated. Enjoy it with ice cream, whipped cream or custard, for the perfect dessert. It is rich so you will only need a small slice. Although this tart is not that well known outside of Scotland, it is well worth making for a special occasion because it offers such a unique flavour. You will need sweet shortcrust pastry for this tart, which you can buy or make yourself. Mix some lemon zest into it before rolling it out to make the crust for your tart.

The filling is a rich combination of butter, sugar, dried fruit, syrup, eggs, nuts, Scotch whisky and lemon. The filling is spooned into the crust and then the tart is baked in the oven until your whole kitchen smells incredible and the filling is set but slightly jiggly in the middle. Let it cool down and then enjoy it as a special treat after your meal. This is a recipe for those with a real sweet tooth, who love all things wonderfully sticky and sweet.

Making this tart is very easy, and most of it is simply a question of combining the ingredients. It is of course best to use Scotch whisky to make it, rather than another type, to keep it authentic. This hearty, rib-sticking dessert is perfect for Christmas or a special occasion. Continue reading →

Posted in Scotland, Tarts | Tagged authentic ecclefechan tart, ecclefechan tart, scottish fruit and whisky tart, whisky tart | Leave a comment

Patriotic Union Jack Flag Tart

Published December 31, 2015 | By Christine Szalay-Kudra

This delicious Union Jack tart looks amazing and it is also a lot of fun to prepare. We are making a homemade pastry crust and filling it with a creamy sweet mixture, before adding the final touches – blueberries and raspberries – on top. There are various ways you could make this. If you prefer a cake to a tart, prepare any kind of cake, cooking it in an oblong tin, then you can use the berries on top. If you prefer strawberries to raspberries, either whole or halved, feel free to use those instead. A slice of this makes a patriotic sweet snack or dessert and everyone is sure to admire your creativity when you present this.

There is nothing difficult about making this British flag tart. The pastry is largely just a case of combining the ingredients and then rolling it out, while for the filling you need to combine mascarpone, crème fraiche (or sour cream if you prefer), vanilla and icing sugar. We like to add a layer of jelly between the pie crust and the creamy filling, but you can omit that step if you prefer.

The pie crust is baked but that is all the cooking you need to do because the tart filling is not cooked at all. Make this ahead if you like, then keep it in the fridge until you are ready to serve it. Whether you are making this for a Jubilee party, St Andrew’s Day or another patriotic occasion, everything is sure to love the sweet flavours in there. The creamy filling, fresh berries and crispy pastry combine perfectly. Continue reading →

Posted in England, Tarts | Tagged patriotic, patriotic union jack flag tart, tart, tart recipe, union jack flag, union jack flag tart | Leave a comment

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