Author Notes
My mum always makes a treacle tart on Christmas Eve. This was an attempt to do something with a similar crunch and squidge, but with almost Ukrainian or Turkish flavours. —Thom Eagle
Ingredients
- PASTRY
-
250 grams
plain flour
-
50 grams
soft brown sugar
-
125 grams
cold, cubed butter
-
1
egg
-
pinch
salt
-
1 tablespoon
vodka
- FILLING
-
120 grams
caster sugar
-
90 grams
softened butter + 1 knob
-
1
egg + 1 yolk
-
170 grams
walnuts
-
1 tablespoon
flour
-
100 grams
dried sour cherries
-
1 teaspoon
caraway seed
-
1/2 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
Directions
- PASTRY
-
Put the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and whizz to fine crumbs. (Or cut or rub by hand).
-
Add the egg, salt and vodka and mix briefly. Squish together into a ball, then stick in the freezer while you make the filling.
- FILLING
-
Heat the oven to 200C.
-
Cream the butter and 90g the sugar together until really fluffy and almost white. An electric mixer is best for this.
-
Add the egg and then the yolk, beating really well after each addition. Finely blitz 90g of the walnuts with the flour and then fold this in.
-
Roll out your pastry to fit a buttered tart tin, press it in and trim. Spread the walnut filling inside, then sprinkle the cherries evenly over the top.
-
Bake for about 1 hour, until the filling is set and the edges of the pastry nice and brown.
-
Meanwhile, make the topping. Put the remaining walnuts and sugar with a splash of water and the spices in a small pan over a low heat and cook, swirling occasionally, until the sugar melts.
-
Raise the heat and cook the mix to a brown caramel, then toss in the butter. Tip the lot onto a sheet of baking paper to cool, then smash up.
-
When the tart is ready, scatter the topping over it. Serve still warm with fresh, thick cream.
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