Description
Traditional Treacle Tart is a classic British dessert featuring a perfectly flaky shortcrust pastry filled with a rich and tangy golden syrup and lemon breadcrumb filling. This easy-to-make tart is baked to golden perfection and served warm with clotted cream, custard, or ice cream for a comforting treat.
Ingredients
For the Shortcrust Pastry:
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
- 5 tablespoons lard, chilled
- 1/3 cup ice cold water
For the Treacle Filling:
- 1 1/4 cups golden syrup
- grated zest and juice of one lemon
- 1 1/4 cups fresh white breadcrumbs (made from fresh bread)
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Prepare Shortcrust Pastry: Place the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the cold butter and lard, then pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice cold water, pulsing until the dough holds together when pressed, but do not over-mix. Form dough into a ball, flatten into a disk about 1 inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Blind Bake the Pastry: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out the chilled pastry on plastic wrap with a little excess for the edges. Fit the pastry into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom, prick the base with a fork. Line with parchment and fill with dried beans or baking weights. Bake for 10-15 minutes, then remove weights and parchment and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until lightly golden.
- Prepare Treacle Filling: While pastry bakes, heat golden syrup, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan until hot and runny. Stir in fresh breadcrumbs, turn off heat, and let sit for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg and cream together, then stir quickly into the treacle mixture.
- Fill and Bake Tart: Pour the warm treacle filling into the par-baked pastry crust. Return to the oven and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20-25 minutes, or until the filling is set and the pastry is golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Remove tart from oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm with clotted cream, whipped cream, custard, or ice cream for a traditional finish.
Notes
- Use fresh white bread for the breadcrumbs for the best texture; avoid store-bought dried breadcrumbs.
- Chilling the dough ensures a flaky, tender shortcrust pastry.
- Blind baking prevents the crust from becoming soggy when the filling is added.
- Lemon zest and juice add a fresh, tangy contrast to the sweet treacle.
- Treacle tart is best served warm but can also be enjoyed at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of tart)
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
