Mini Treacle Tarts

Mini Treacle Tarts are a little bite-sized version of traditional British dessert, a pastry case filled with breadcrumbs and sweet golden treacle, ground almonds, cream, and egg.  They are so sweet and delicious, ideal for afternoon tea and make the perfect alternative to Christmas mince pies. 

This recipe comes from a delightful book called The British Larder, A Cookbook for all Seasons, written by Madalene Bonvini-Hamel

When this weighty tome thumped through my letterbox (actually, it wouldn’t go through my letterbox, the postie delivered it right into my hands) I was somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer size and weight of the book, but I was soon engrossed in the excellent writing and sensational recipes. 

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The Mini Treacle Tarts can be served warm with cream as dessert or cold and dusted with icing sugar for an afternoon tea treat. 

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Mini Treacle Tarts

These bite-sized Mini Tarts are ideal for afternoon tea or as an alternative to Christmas mince pies recipe adapted from “My Famous Treacle Tart” from The British Larder 

Course: Baking, Dessert

Cuisine: British

Keyword: pastry, tart, treacle

Servings: 12

Calories: 211 kcal

Author: Madalene Bonvini-Hamel

Ingredients

For the Shortcrust Pastry

• 90 g unsalted butter softened
• 30 g caster sugar
• 1/2 vanilla pod split in half length ways and seeds scraped out (optional)
• 1 pinch of table salt
• 1 eggs beaten
• 150 g plain flour

For the filling

• 50 g day-old sourdough bread crusts removed (weight given is for crustless bread)
• 1/2 egg
• 60 ml double cream
• 150 g golden syrup
• 40 g clear honey
• 1/2 lemon finely grated zest and juice
• 30 g ground almonds

Instructions

For the Shortcrust pastry

1. Put the butter, sugar, vanilla seeds, if using, and the salt into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat together until fluffy and pale in colour. Slowly add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour over the creamed mixture, then slowly mix in the flour until the pastry comes together, being careful not to over mix. (If you prefer, the pastry can be made by hand without a mixer, using a wooden spoon to beat and combine the ingredients, as directed.)
2. Turn the pastry on to a lightly floured work surface, but do not knead the pastry, just push it together. This recipe makes about 600g pastry and you can either use it all or freeze some to use at a later date. It's unwise to make this recipe in a smaller quantity and you can easily freeze half of it (or as much as you have leftover) to use another time
3. Wrap the pastry in cling film (either wrap it as one piece or divide it into two pieces and wrap each piece separately) and then leave it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling out. (I like to shape the pastry into flat even square (s) so that they fit comfortably into my fridge or freezer.) Freeze the pastry you are not using an use within 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before use.

For the Filling

1. The breadcrumb mixture is prepared then chilled overnight in the fridge, so you will need to start this recipe a day in advance (See Cook's Notes)

2. Whizz the sourdough bread in a food processor to make fine breadcrumbs. Set aside. Whisk the egg and cream together in a small saucepan, just enough to make them runnier and easier to mix. Remove from the heat. Whisk the warmed golden syrup and honey and lemon zest and juice into the egg mixture, then stir in the ground almonds and breadcrumbs. Cover and leave the mixture to rest in the fridge overnight.

3. The following day, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to about 2mm thickness and use it to line a (loose-bottomed, if you like) 35 x 10 x 2.5cm fluted oblong flan tin (leaving a slight overhang of pastry). Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 160C/Gas Mark 3.
5. Whisk the chilled breadcrumb mixture and pour it into the chilled pastry case. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until lightly set and golden - the tart will still have a gentle wobble in the centre but his will firm up once cooled.
6. Remove from the oven to a wire rack and leave the tart to cool completely in the tin. Once cold, trim the overhanging pastry from the top edges of the tart with a small serrated knife, then carefully remove the tart from the tin and cut it into slices. Serve with whipped Chantilly cream, creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

Recipe Notes

Use fresh bread that is a day old, cut the crusts off and the inside of the loaf only. You can use regular white bread for the recipe, but I prefer sourdough as it gives the tart that extra special taste. Do not use dried breadcrumbs.

Be patient when making this tart and follow the recipe - leave the breadcrumb mixture to rest overnight in the fridge, do not overcook the tarts, and leave it to cool completely before cutting and eating.

 

Nutrition Facts

Mini Treacle Tarts

Amount Per Serving

Calories 211 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 10g 15%

Saturated Fat 5g 25%

Cholesterol 43mg 14%

Sodium 35mg 1%

Potassium 35mg 1%

Total Carbohydrates 27g 9%

Sugars 15g

Protein 3g 6%

Vitamin A 5.8%

Vitamin C 2.9%

Calcium 2.2%

Iron 5.2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe Review

Lots of people I meet don’t like dried fruit, so I made these as an alternative to mince pies and they loved them! .  I was a little disappointed with the vanilla seeds in the pastry as I didn’t feel that there was a real hit of vanilla, so would boost it with vanilla sugar. Great idea though.  The pastry is very soft even after a night in the fridge and not particularly easy to work with, I think I prefer my standard recipe but might try adding vanilla.  The Treacle Tart mixture is a real triumph, easy to make and tastes very good indeed.