Treacle tart
Treacle tart is a simple but much-loved British dessert with a filling of golden syrup mixed with breadcrumbs and lemon zest. As it bakes, the filling turns thick and chewy like soft toffee inside, with a slightly crisp caramel top. The fresh lemon balances the sweetness, especially when you eat it warm with a spoonful of cold cream.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Rising or chilling
- 1 hr 45 min
- Total time
- 3 hr 15 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
For the tart crust
For the golden syrup filling
Instructions
Step 1
Put 200 g all-purpose flour, 20 g powdered sugar, a pinch salt and 100 g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes, in a food processor and pulse in short bursts, then add 18 g egg yolks and 25 g ice water and pulse a few more times. Short pulses break the butter into small pieces without the blade warming and melting it. Stop the machine as soon as the dough forms large clumps that stick together when squeezed.
Step 2
Tip the dough onto the counter, gently gather it into a ball, flatten it, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 45 minutes. Chilled dough is less sticky to roll and holds its shape better in the oven. It's ready when it feels firm and cold all the way through.
Step 3
Roll the dough into a round about three millimeters thick, ease it into a tart pan, press it firmly into the fluted sides, trim the edge and freeze for about 15 minutes, and meanwhile heat the oven to 190°C. A shell that's frozen before baking won't melt or slump down the sides. It's ready when it's firm and the flutes of the pan are sharply imprinted.
Step 4
Cover the shell with parchment paper, fill it with rice or pie weights and bake for about 12 minutes, then remove the paper and bake a few minutes more for a total of 18 to 22 minutes at 190°C, then lower the oven to 170°C. The golden syrup filling is fairly runny, so the shell needs to be baked crisp first so it doesn't get soggy. The shell is ready when the bottom is dry and a pale cookie-gold color.
Step 5
Pour 450 g golden syrup into a saucepan and warm it over low heat for about two minutes, just to loosen it without boiling. Warm syrup mixes more evenly with the breadcrumbs and eggs than cold, thick syrup does. The syrup is ready when it flows as easily as honey and the side of the pan feels only slightly warm.
Step 6
Turn off the heat and stir 140 g breadcrumbs, 5 g lemon zest, 30 g lemon juice and a pinch ground ginger into the syrup, then beat 50 g eggs with 50 g heavy cream and mix it in. The eggs and cream help the filling set soft and smooth instead of overly sticky. The filling is ready when the breadcrumbs have evenly soaked up the syrup, the mixture is thick and there are no streaks of egg.
Step 7
Pour the filling into the tart shell, spread it evenly and bake at 170°C for about 30 to 35 minutes. The lower temperature cooks the filling slowly without burning the sugar. The tart is done when the filling is amber, the edges have puffed slightly and the center only wobbles a tiny bit when you shake the pan.
Step 8
Let the tart cool in the pan for about 45 minutes before removing and slicing it. The golden syrup filling keeps setting as it cools, and if you slice it too soon it will run. It's ready when it's just warm and a knife cuts through a chewy filling that holds its shape.
Equipment
- Oven
- Tart pan
- Rolling pin
- Mixing bowl
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
- Food processor
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- Kitchen scale
- Refrigerator
Tips
- Homemade breadcrumbs from day-old white bread give the filling a softer, finer texture than store-bought dried crumbs.
- If you can't find golden syrup, you can use maltose with a little honey mixed in, but the filling will be thicker and less fragrant.
- You can cut the leftover pastry into strips and weave a lattice over the tart before baking for a pretty finish.
Storage
The tart keeps for four days in an airtight container at room temperature, or a week in the fridge. Warm individual slices in a 160°C oven for about ten minutes so the filling turns soft and chewy again.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The filling is too hard and sticks to your teeth like candy.
- The tart was baked too long or the oven was too hot, cooking the sugar down. Take the tart out while the center still wobbles slightly, and use an oven thermometer to check the temperature.
- The filling is runny and didn't set after cooling.
- The tart wasn't baked long enough or there weren't enough breadcrumbs. Weigh out the full amount of breadcrumbs and bake about five minutes longer, until the top of the filling turns amber.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
