Description
Wartime Syrup Tart, also known as Treacle Tart, is a classic British dessert that originated during the 1940s wartime era. This simple yet nostalgic tart features a crisp plain pastry base filled with golden syrup and topped with soft white breadcrumbs, creating a delightful contrast of textures. Traditionally served warm, it pairs beautifully with custard, embodying the resourceful and comforting flavors of vintage British baking.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 225g (1/2 lb) plain pastry
Filling
- Golden syrup (enough to fill the tart base)
- Soft white breadcrumbs (enough to sprinkle thickly)
Instructions
- Prepare the pastry: Make your plain pastry using your preferred method and ingredients, ensuring you have about 225g (1/2 lb) for this recipe.
- Line the plates: Roll out the pastry to a good 1/4 inch thickness and use it to line tart plates, leaving some pastry aside for decorative purposes.
- Add the filling: Pour enough golden syrup into the center of each pastry base to fill it generously.
- Sprinkle breadcrumbs: Thickly sprinkle soft white breadcrumbs over the golden syrup to cover the surface.
- Decorate: Use the reserved pastry to create twisted decorative strips and place them atop the tart.
- Bake: Bake the tart in a preheated oven until the pastry is a pale golden brown, approximately 20 minutes.
Notes
- This recipe comes from a wartime cookbook and cleverly uses stale bread turned into breadcrumbs, highlighting resourceful cooking during rationing.
- The golden syrup, though a luxury at the time, is used sparingly to fit wartime rationing.
- Enjoy the tart warm or reheated later, especially delicious served with custard.
- The recipe is a traditional British dessert popular for afternoon tea and special occasions.
- Additional help with quantities can be found in an old Be-Ro recipe, useful if scaling the tart size.
- This recipe is featured in a VE Day 80 Ration Book and celebrates vintage wartime cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 79
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 68mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
