Treacle Tart

Brrr February has started with a seriously cold snap so it’s definitely time to move away from those worthy new year resolutions and fresh beginnings and move to proper rib sticking comfort food – the kind that will warm the cockles and get us through these cold days.

Treacle tart – what could be more comforting than a crisp pastry shell filled with gooey sweet goodness? A classic British staple found on any school lunch menu, this traditional pud won’t disappoint. It may be called treacle tart but the filling is a mixture of lots (and I mean LOTS!) of golden syrup (corn syrup in the US), fresh white breadcrumbs to give body and lemon zest for zing, and well… nothing else! No one could deny that this is a sweet dessert, a really sweet dessert. But just sometimes a sugar overload is just what you need. I’m certainly not advocating you eat this kind of pud daily, but a little slice served with some cooling dairy-free ice cream or cream goes down down a treat now and then.

Treacle Tart (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

• Shortcrust pastry (ready made or home made)
• 400g golden syrup (yes really!!)
• 100g fresh soft white breadcrumbs
• Lemon zest (I use zest of a whole lemon but this is quite lemony so you may prefer zest of 1/2 a lemon for just a hint)

– line a flan tin and blind bake
– mix together the syrup, breadcrumbs and lemon zest
– pour into the pastry case and level off
– Bake for 30 minutes at 190 degrees centigrade/gas mark 5 until golden
– Cool slightly before serving (the filling will be burning hot when it first ones out of the oven) but it is best served warm