Here’s a classic dish that I’ve just “tweeked” a little. It’s great hot, as a pudding, with ice cream, crème fraiche, yogurt or – of course – custard. Or, just cut a slice and enjoy it cold.

Makes: 12 – 15 slices

Level: Easy

Time: Pastry – 15 minutes + chilling; filling – 15 minutes; Making the base – 30 minutes; Final bake – 30 – 36 minutes. Some of these “overlap” so around 80 minutes total

Need: A loose bottomed flan/tart tin either 23cm or 25cm

Pastry ingredients

250g/9oz plain white flour (or use half white, half brown/wholemeal flour)
50g/2oz icing sugar
125g/5oz cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
1 large egg

Filling ingredients

600g/18oz golden syrup*
225g/8oz fine breadcrumbs,
75g/3oz porridge oats or oatmeal/oat bran
1 large egg,
1 lemon (zest and juice)
125g/5oz lemon curd or jam of choice (optional)
1 Tbsp Icing sugar for dusting

*NB If Golden Syrup is not available in USA a possible replacement may be Corn Syrup, but having never used this myself I can only suggest it as a “possibility”. I’d be very pleased to hear if I’m right or wrong on this.

Method

1. To make the pastry, mix flour(s) and icing sugar, then rub in the cold butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the egg and a splash of milk to form a dough, then chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180°C / fan 160°C / 350°F / gas 4 and put in a flat baking tray to heat up. (A baking tray isn’t essential, but a hot surface in the oven gives immediate heat when the tart tin is added.)

3. Roll out the pastry and line your tart tin. Prick the base, line with parchment paper or cling film and add baking beans or dry rice, then blind bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Lift out the beans and return pastry to the oven then bake for a further 5 minutes.

4. For the filling, gently warm the golden syrup in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, oats/oatmeal/oat bran, lemon juice, and zest.

5a. Once the syrup mixture has cooled slightly, stir in the beaten egg. Pour the mixture into the pre-baked pastry shell. (If using lemon curd or jam, spread it over the pastry base first).

5b. If you haven’t stretched your pastry then you can trim the edges now, using a sharp knife, otherwise trim them after baking.

6. Bake at 170°C / fan 150°C / 325°F / gas 3 for 30–36 minutes – until the filling is set and golden brown. Leave in the tin until cool then release, dust with icing sugar, cut and enjoy.

A FEW TIPS:

Getting the pastry into the tin successfully can be a challenge.

If you roll the pastry between two sheets of baking parchment or cling film there’s less chance of it sticking to your rolling pin.
If it’s on baking paper or cling film you can use that to lift and invert the pastry onto your tin.
Another method is to take out the circular loose bottom from the tin. Place it centrally on your rolled out pastry then invert it, dust with flour and gently fold in all the edges. Next pop this into the tart tin ring and unfold all the edges to fit your tin.
Use a spare piece of pastry dough dabbed in flour to press the dough into the inside of your tart tin.

I hope you enjoy this lovely tart. If you want to see more similar recipes click here. Or have a look at my site for lots of other recipes, sweet and savoury. Here are a few that you might like to try:

Apple and White Chocolate Tart