Treacle Tart

Ingredients

• 250 gall-purpose flour, for shortcrust pastry
• 135 gbutter, cold, cubed; for shortcrust pastry
• 3 tbspcold water, for shortcrust pastry
• 400 ggolden syrup, for filling
• 150 gbreadcrumbs, fresh or dried; for filling
• 2lemons, zest and juice
• 1egg, beaten; for egg wash on pastry

Method

1. 1

   Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add about 3 tbsp cold water and mix to a firm dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / Gas 6 and place a heavy baking tray inside to heat. Grease an 18cm deep loose-bottomed fluted flan tin.

3. 3

   Set aside about 150g of pastry for the lattice. Roll the remaining pastry thinly and line the prepared tin. Prick the base all over with a fork.

4. 4

   Place the reserved lattice pastry on cling film, roll out thinly and egg wash it. Chill in the fridge — do not cut into strips yet.

5. 5

   Gently heat the golden syrup in a large pan — do not boil. Stir in the breadcrumbs, lemon juice and lemon zest. If the mixture looks runny, add a few more breadcrumbs.

6. 6

   Pour the syrup filling into the pastry-lined tin and level the surface.

7. 7

   Remove the chilled pastry from the fridge and cut into 1cm-wide strips, all longer than the tart. Egg wash the edge of the pastry in the tin, then weave the strips in a lattice pattern over the filling, letting them overhang.

8. 8

   Press the overhanging strips against the tin edge to trim neatly. Bake on the preheated tray for 10 minutes until the pastry starts to colour, then reduce to 180C / 350F / Gas 4.

9. 9

   Continue baking for a further 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is set. If the lattice darkens too quickly, cover loosely with foil.

10. 10

    Remove from the oven and leave to firm up in the tin. Serve warm or cold.