Posted by Michael Read on March 05, 1998 at 02:09:40:
Treacle tart
You will need to use a 28cm - 30cm (11-12in loose bottomed tart tin.
Sweet Lemon Pastry
300g (11 0z) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into 1-2cm (1/2 inch) cubes
500g (18 oz) plain flour
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
200g (7oz) icing sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
50 ml (1 3/4 fl oz) cold milk
Filling
4 eggs
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
550 ml (19 fl oz) treacle
450 ml (15 fl oz) double cream
150g (5 oz) brioche crumbs (or bread or croissant crumbs)
Method: Pulse butter and flour in a food processor for 1 minute, then add the lemon zest and icing sugar and pulse for 10 seconds. Add the egg and half the milk and pulse until it forms a ball. It is important not to overwork the pastry as it will toughen - if it is too dry add a little more milk. Remove the pastry and knead it gently for a few seconds, then wrap it in clingfilm and leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Take the base from the tart tin and press the pastry onto this, spreading it with the back of your hand. Dust the worktop and pastry with flour and roll the pastry out into a circle until it is 3-5mm (1/10 1/5) thick; the circlee should be large enough to cover the sides of the tin. Carefully lift the pastry gently into the tin, trim off any excess and put the case in the fridge or freezer for at least an hour. Then line the pastry with baking parchment, fill with cooking beans and bake for 15 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Remove the beans and the paper and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the case is an even golden colour.
For the filling, set the oven at 160C/320F/Gas 3. Whisk the eggs, lemon juice and zest for half a minute, then add the treacle and cream and whisk until the mixture emulsifies. Finally, add the crumbs and mix well. Pour the mixture immediately into the precooked tart case, place on a baking tray and put in the oven. Check after 35 minutes. The tart is cokked when the filling has gone golden and slightly puffy. Rock the tart on its tray: it should wobble but show no sign of uncooked filling. If it does, return to the oven until done.
There may be extra mixture that doesn't need to be used, so don't fill the tart shell too full as it will overflow and stick the tart to the tin. It will be impossible to remove without ruining the crust so take care.
This is a wonderful dessert to have a pastry chef's 'arsenal' so please use it. Could I please have some feedback on this tart please. I beg of you to try it, if you do send me an e-mail to let me know what you think of it.