Gordon Ramsay\'s Great British Pub Food

SERVES 8

300g sweet flan pastry

(see page 248)

450g golden syrup

85g white breadcrumbs

finely grated zest and

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

60g butter, melted

3 large egg yolks

70ml double cream

1/2 tsp black treacle

TO SERVE

whipped cream or creme

fraiche

218 PUDDINGS

Treacle tart

This is the treacle tart to die for. It tastes even better a day

after baking, when the breadcrumbs have had time to

absorb the wonderfully moist filling. Serve individual

slices with dollops of whipped cream or creme fraTche to

tone down the sweetness of the filling.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a large round, the

thickness of a £1 coin. Use to line a 23-24cm round s hallow tart tin,

with removable base, leaving some excess pastry overhanging the

rim. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the

oven to 19o°c/Gas 5.

Line the pastry case with baking paper and d rie d or ceramic baking

beans and bake 'blind' for 15-20 minutes until t he sides are set and

lightly golden. Remove the paper and beans and ret ,., to the oven

for another 5 minutes or until the base is cooked through. While still

warm, cut off the excess pastry to level with the rim of the tin. Lower

the oven setting to 140°C/Gas 1.

For the filling, gently heat the golden syrup by immersing the bottle

or tin in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. Mix the breadcrumbs,

lemon zest and groond ginger together in a large bowl and make a

well in the middle. Pour in the warm golden sy rup and add t he butter,

egg yolks, cream, treacle and lemon juice. Stir well to mix.

Pour the filling into the pastry case. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the

top has just set, but the centre is slightly wobbly when you shake the

tin gently. It should still feel slightly soft in the centre. Let t he tart cool

completely before slicing and serving, with cream o r creme fraiche.