Golden syrup soaks into white breadcrumbs in Hairy Bikers treacle tart, and a whole 454g can goes in. So the Perfect Pies version serves eight at around 495 calories, and it is done in about an hour and a half.
They are blunt about the name in Perfect Pies, writing that “it’s always called treacle tart, but you use syrup, not treacle.” And the bread matters as much as the syrup, since thick sliced white from a day-old loaf is what they specify.
The filling has to sit while you make the pastry, because that is the only chance the breadcrumbs get to drink the syrup. And skip that rest, because the crumbs stay dry in the middle and the tart bakes with a wet layer under a set top.
Hairy Bikers Treacle Tart Recipe
Description
A lattice-topped tart with no blind baking, where the strips are twisted three or four times before they go on. And it is good warm or cold, though it needs half an hour out of the oven before you cut it.
Ingredients
For the Filling:
For the Shortcrust Pastry:
Instructions
- Soak the crumbs: Beat the eggs in a large bowl and stir in the syrup, then add the lemon zest and the breadcrumbs. Mix really well with a wooden spoon, then set it aside while you make the pastry. And that rest is what gives the crumbs time to soften and drink the syrup.
- Make the pastry: Blitz the flour and butter in a food processor until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Then set aside a tablespoon of the beaten egg for glazing later, since you need it twice. Add the rest with the motor running and stop as soon as it comes together in a ball.
- Weigh out the lattice: Weigh the dough and set aside exactly 150g for the lattice top, because guessing leaves you short halfway across. Then roll the rest to the thickness of a coin and line a 23cm tart tin. And trim the edges, prick the base and chill it for 30 minutes.
- Fill the case: Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6, then stir the syrup mixture again and pour it into the chilled pastry case. And brush the pastry edge with the reserved egg, so the lattice has something to grip onto.
- Twist the lattice: Roll the remaining pastry into a rectangle and cut it into long strips about 1.5cm wide. Then twist each strip three or four times so it spirals, which gives the lattice its rope look. And lay them across in a criss-cross pattern, pressing them onto the edge without stretching them.
- Bake and rest: Brush the top with more egg to glaze and bake for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling has set. Then leave it at least 30 minutes before cutting, because the filling firms up as it cools.
FAQs
What is treacle tart made of?
Golden syrup, white breadcrumbs, two beaten eggs and a little lemon zest, and that is the whole list. The crumbs are what turn a tin of syrup into something you can slice, since they swell and hold it as it bakes.
The lemon zest does more work than a teaspoon suggests, because syrup and bread alone are cloying. So that small amount of sharpness is what keeps a slice from being too much.
What breadcrumbs should I use for treacle tart?
White bread, and it wants to be a day old rather than fresh from the bag. Fresh crumbs are still damp enough to clump when they meet syrup, instead of drinking it evenly.
I would avoid brown bread here, since it makes the filling heavier and muddies the colour. And panko is the wrong shape entirely, because those shards stay crisp rather than dissolving. And the rest of that loaf has a home too, since their bread and butter pudding takes plain white slices just as happily.
Can you freeze treacle tart and how do you store it?
It freezes better than most tarts, since there is no cream, custard or meringue in it to split. So wrap it whole or in slices and it keeps about three months, then thaw at room temperature.
Day to day it does not need refrigerating at all. And a tin at room temperature keeps it four or five days, while the pastry stays crisper than it would in the fridge.
And that is the opposite of their lemon meringue pie, where the meringue collapses in the freezer and has to go on fresh. But their key lime pie goes the other way, since its gelatine glaze weeps once it thaws.
Do you eat treacle tart hot or cold?
Both, and the book says so directly: it is good alone or with custard, cream or ice cream. But the 30 minutes of cooling is not optional, since the filling is molten straight from the oven. And a slice cut before then simply collapses onto the plate.
If you want it hot once it has cooled, a few minutes in a moderate oven brings it back. And that beats a microwave, which softens the pastry and turns it greasy. And their apricot tarte tatin is the same story, since the caramel needs warmth to loosen before you cut into it.
How do you know when it is set, and do you need to blind bake?
No blind baking here, which surprises people used to wet fillings. The raw case is filled and goes straight into the oven, so the pastry cooks with the filling. And that works because the crumbs have already thickened the syrup into something closer to a paste.
It is done when the pastry is golden brown and the filling no longer moves in a wave. So a slight wobble in the centre is fine, since the last of the setting happens while it rests. And their apple pie fights the same battle from the other side, dusting semolina over the base to catch the juice.
