Treacle Tart

Method16 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Rub all the measured flour (250 g) and butter (135 g) together in a large bowl until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, or use a food processor. Add about three tablespoons cold water and mix to a firm dough. Wrap the complete dough and chill in the refrigerator for about twenty minutes.

   Chill complete shortcrust dough · 20 minUses 250 g plain flour for pastry · 135 g butter for pastry · About 3 tbsp cold water for pastry dough

2. 2

   Step 2: Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, gas 6 and put a heavy baking tray inside to heat. Grease a deep 18 cm, 7-inch loose-bottomed fluted flan tin with the separate greasing butter.

   Uses Butter to grease the tart tin, as needed

3. 3

   Step 3: Remove about 150 g pastry from the chilled dough and hold it separately for the lattice top. Keep all the remaining pastry for lining the tin.

   Uses The chilled dough

4. 4

   Step 4: Lightly flour the work surface with the separate rolling flour. Roll out all the lining pastry thinly and use it to line the prepared flan tin.

   Uses The remaining lining pastry · Plain flour to lightly dust the work surface, as needed

5. 5

   Step 5: Prick the pastry base with a fork to help keep it from rising during baking.

   Uses The pastry-lined tin

6. 6

   Step 6: Beat the single glazing egg and keep it for both egg-washing stages. Roll the reserved lattice pastry thinly on cling film. Brush part of the beaten egg over this whole pastry sheet and place it in the refrigerator; keep the remaining beaten egg for the tart edge.

   Uses The reserved lattice pastry · The single egg, beaten and used in two unmeasured glaze shares

7. 7

   Step 7: Keep the glazed lattice sheet chilled and uncut while preparing the filling. Brush no additional egg over the strips after they are placed on the tart, as it would drip into the filling.

   Uses The uncut chilling lattice sheet

8. 8

   Step 8: Gently heat all the golden syrup (400 g) in a large pan until fluid. Do not let it boil.

   Uses 400 g golden syrup for filling

9. 9

   Step 9: Add all the measured breadcrumbs (150 g) to the warmed syrup. Add the zest and juice from the same two lemons, using less if a milder citrus flavour is preferred, and mix well. If the filling looks runny, add a few separate extra breadcrumbs.

   Uses All the warmed syrup · 150 g breadcrumbs for filling · Zest and juice from the same two lemons, using less for a milder filling · A few additional breadcrumbs only if filling looks runny

10. 10

    Step 10: Pour all the prepared filling into the docked pastry base and level its surface.

    Uses The prepared tart base · All the prepared filling

11. 11

    Step 11: Take the reserved glazed pastry sheet from the refrigerator. Cut it into long strips about 1 cm wide, making each strip longer than the width of the tart tin.

    Uses The chilled lattice sheet

12. 12

    Step 12: Brush the remaining beaten egg over the edge of the pastry base. Weave the pre-glazed strips into a lattice over the filling, leaving their ends hanging over the tin edge. Discard any unused egg wash.

    Uses The filled tart · All the prepared strips · The remaining beaten egg for glazing the tart edge

13. 13

    Step 13: Press down against the tin edge to trim off the overhanging lattice strips and make a neat pastry edge.

    Uses The lattice-topped tart

14. 14

    Step 14: Put the assembled tart on the preheated baking tray and bake at 200°C, 400°F, gas 6 for about ten minutes until the pastry starts to colour. Reduce the oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas 4. If the lattice is getting too dark, loosely cover the tart with foil.

    Start tart bake at 200 C then reduce oven · 10 minUses The complete ready-to-bake tart

15. 15

    Step 15: Continue baking the same tart at 180°C for another twenty-five to thirty minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is set.

    Finish tart bake at 180 C until golden and set · 30 minUses The same partly baked tart

16. 16

    Step 16: Remove the cooked tart from the oven and leave it in its tin until the filling has firmed enough to cut. Carefully release the loose base and serve the tart warm or cold.

    Uses The fully baked tart