Treacle Tart

When we were reading the Harry Potter series, I never took the time to look up what exactly treacle tart was. It sounded a little...weird. Right up there with mincemeat pie and Eton Mess. (I think the Great British Baking Show is giving me a real appreciation...and education...about these things.)

*this post is sponsored by Imperial Sugar

Well, do you want to know why treacle tart is Harry Potter's favorite dessert? It's basically sugar syrup baked in a tart crust. OK...it's a little more than sugar, or golden, syrup - sugar syrup with fresh breadcrumbs and lemon. I am really sad I didn't make this while Jack and I were reading the books. Don't be like me.

Note: you'll need one of two specific brands of golden syrup. Lyle's Golden Syrup is the classic from the UK. There's also Steen's Pure Cane Syrup from Louisiana. It's a little easier to find here (my grocery store carries it) and what I used here.

In the recipe, you'll see that I blind-baked the tart shell using a new method I learned from Stella Parks - using granulated sugar instead of beans or pie weights. You can read all about it on Serious Eats; it's pretty brilliant.

I use an egg in my recipe for the filling. I tried it without during recipe testing, but like the way the egg helps the syrup set.

Because the tart is so sweet, it's nice topped with something a little tart like creme fraiche or yogurt. (Psst...It's just as delicious without a topping.)