Raspberry Treacle Tart

Here’s a recipe I experimented with last week – a raspberry treacle tart. if you’re British, you’ve most likely come across treacle tarts, but I don’t know how well they’re known in the USA. Unlike the name suggests, there is no black treacle in the recipe – the filling consists of breadcrumbs, lemon juice and golden syrup. If you want to try this recipe out but can’t get hold of golden syrup, you could try another sticky sweetener like honey or agave syrup – the flavour won’t quite be the same but it will still be a luscious sweet treat.

To add an extra flavour dimension to the tart, I added some raspberry jam on to the base, and whole raspberries were added to the tart partway into cooking. Other berries would work amazingly as well. Also, see my tip regarding lemons if you’re not a lemon lover.

Makes 1 20cm tart

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

• 250g (1 cup) plain flour
• 120g (1/2 cup) butter, softened
• Pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 400g (about 1 cup) golden syrup (or equivalent sticky sweetener)
• 150g (2 1/2 cups) breadcrumbs (white or wholemeal, your preference)
• 2 lemons, zest and juice*
• 100g (1/3 cup) seedless raspberry jam
• 100g (1 cup) whole raspberries

* if you’re not a huge lemon fan, you can cut down on the lemon juice or add a different citrus element – lime would be fantastic.

Method:

1. Make the pastry. Cut the butter into small cubes (1-2cm wide), and add to a bowl containing the plain flour and salt.

2. Rub the butter into the flour. By rubbing, I mean pressing the butter cubes and flour between your first two fingers and thumb, to evenly disperse the butter through the flour.

3. Once no more lumps of butter are visible, add water one tablespoon at a time (it should only need 2-3 tablespoons). Work the dough together with your hands – as soon as it comes together in a ball stop working it or it will end up tough!

4. Wrap the dough in clingfilm, and refrigerate for 20 – 30 minutes.

5. Preheat your oven to 200c/400f/gas mark 6. Grease the base of a 20cm  fluted loose-bottomed tart tin (a cake tin will also work, the sides just won’t look as pretty).

6. Roll out the dough between two sheets of clingfilm, until it is about 1/2cm thick, and if you place the base of the tart tin on the dough, there is at least 3cm extra dough still visible around it.

7. Carefully transfer the dough to the tart tin –  trim off any excess dough. If you get any cracks, fill them in with the spare dough. Prick the base of the tart with a fork – this prevents the dough from rising whilst baking.

8. Spread on the raspberry jam over the base of the tart.

9. Make the filling. In a saucepan heat together the golden syrup, breadcrumbs, lemon* juice and zest. Once the golden syrup has melted and the breadcrumbs are evenly mixed through, pour onto the tart base.

10. Bake the tart for 10 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 180c/350F/gas mark 4. 

11. Bake for another 10 minutes.

12. Scatter the raspberries across the top of the tart and return the tart to the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the filling looks set and the pasty looks to be browning.

13. Remove the tart from the oven and leave to one side for the filling to fully set. The tart is delicious served warm or cold.

14. Enjoy!