These easy mini treacle tarts have a lovely buttery flavor with a hint of citrus and a texture similar to pecan pie. Harry Potter loved these delightful British dessert tarts, and so will you!
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Why this recipe works
- This easy treacle tart has a flavor that is sweet and citrusy, with lovely golden undertones
- Use a homemade shortcrust pastry or a store-bought pie dough
- Mini treacle tarts are great for portion control, or you can double the recipe for a full-sized tart
I'm in the doldrums of Droughtlander (that is, the time between the last and next season of Outlander, the STARZ TV show based on the book series by Diana Gabaldon that started me on this journey).
My friends, Mary & Blake, are also on a hiatus from their OutlanderCast podcast, but have filled the gap with The Potterverse, a podcast that has reignited my passion for Harry Potter. Really, all Harry Potter fans of the books and/or movies should listen to this humorous and thoughtful chapter by chapter discussion of the HP universe.
Anyway, it won't surprise you to hear that my rediscovered interest in Harry Potter would inevitably turn to food and drink.
But when you're talking sweet treats, what better place to start than Harry's favorite dessert, Treacle Tarts! They are a traditional British dessert, first mentioned in the late 19th Century cookbooks of Mary Jewry, and they've gained a huge following since.
Treacle tarts remind me of Brown Sugar Pie although less caramelly and more buttery from the golden syrup. There's also a lovely citrus note underneath that keeps the sweetness from being too cloying.
In other words, treacle tarts are yummy! No wonder they were Harry Potter's favorite dessert at Hogwarts.
Served with lightly sweetened whipped cream (or clotted cream, or even vanilla ice cream), a treacle tart will surprise and delight you. And the mini size is perfect for sharing with a special someone (or maybe not...I won't judge!).
And if you want something a little more grown up to serve with them, Boozy Butterbeer is a fun cocktail, with variations for frozen, hot, and even a Butterbeer mocktail.
I bet Harry would approve!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this mini treacle tart recipe:
Ingredient Notes
There are many treacle tart recipes available with a thick filling of treacle, breadcrumbs, and lemon juice or zest encased in a shortcrust pastry. The differences between the recipes center on (1) whether or not heavy cream, butter, and egg is included in the filling, and (2) whether the tart is topped with a lattice crust.
The filling is less dense when heavy cream, butter, and egg are included, and the texture is like pecan pie or brown sugar pie. That sounds good!
Treacle: In the UK, there's light treacle and black treacle (here's a fuller explanation of the two). Here we're using light treacle, aka golden syrup. If that's not available, you can use honey instead.
Pastry: Tarts need a sturdy base, something that will hold it's shape with it's out of the pan. My shortcrust pastry fits the bill perfectly - enriched with egg, it makes a buttery and flaky tart crust that holds up well. If making a homemade shortcrust isn't your thing, use a store-bought pie dough.
Egg: Since you need to make a half recipe for the shortcrust, measure 1 egg into a small bowl. Use half for making the pastry and the other half to make the tart filling.
Bread crumbs: Use fresh bread crumbs made from white or egg bread. Avoid using wheat bread as it can impart a bitter taste to the filling.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
What is treacle?
Treacle isn't too common in the US, so a definition is in order.
Treacle is a British staple, and comes in two forms, light treacle (aka golden syrup), and black treacle (or what we in the US would call molasses). The word treacle can indicate either the light or dark varieties. Many grocery chains have golden syrup in the British section of their international foods aisle.
Many recipes for treacle tarts state "treacle" in the ingredients list without defining which one to use. Or worse, saying you could use either one. However, there are major differences in flavor between the two, so it's important to choose wisely.
What else can you make with that golden syrup? Make Sticky Toffee Pudding, another delicious traditional British dessert. Want another example of a classic British tart? Try my mini British Bakewell tarts.
I encourage you to try these British desserts, especially those from the world of Harry Potter.
How to make treacle tarts
Instead of one large Treacle Tart in a 9-inch tart pan, I'm making four small, sharable-for-two tarts in 4-inch mini tart pans. It's all about portion control, people. Besides, they're really cute!
Step 1: Make the tart shells
Roll out the shortcrust pastry dough to a large circle 13-inches in diameter. Cut out four rounds using a 6-inch round cookie cutter (the same one I used for my Checkerboard Cake) to cut out pastry dough to line the tart pans (photo 1). If that's not handy, tracing a 6-inch plate will work as well.
Step 2: Blind bake the tart shells
Transfer the dough to four 4-inch mini tart pans with removable bottoms. Trim the excess dough. Trim the excess dough, then freeze the tart shells for 20 minutes.
To blind bake crust (that is, bake it before filling it), the pie or tart pan is usually lined with parchment paper and filled with beans or rice. These help to hold the shell's shape.
Instead, freeze the tart shells for 20 minutes, then prick the bottom of each with a fork. Wrap each pan tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil, pressing snugly up against the sides of the pan (photo 2). This is the same method used for making Butterscotch Pie that keeps the dough from slumping and shrinking when it's baked.
Place the tart pans on a half sheet baking pan lined with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper (to catch drips later). Bake the tart shells at 375˚F until the crust is just set, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the shells are light brown, about 5 minutes more (photo 3).
Step 3: Make the filling
While the tart shells are in the oven, you can make the filling. While the tart shells are baking, heat the golden syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until it's warm and loose. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs, heavy cream, egg, butter, zest, and salt (photo 4).
Super simple!
Step 4: Bake the tarts
Remove the tart shells from the oven. Pour the filling into each tart shells about ¾ full. Bake until the filling is just set, about 15 to 20 minutes (photo 5). Cover the tarts with foil if the crusts are getting too brown.
Remove the pan from oven, and transfer tarts to wire rack to cool.
Storage and make-ahead instructions
Storage instructions: Cooled treacle tarts can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a few days. They can also be frozen, wrapped with plastic wrap and sealed in an airtight bag for longer storage. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.
Make-ahead instructions: The shortcrust pastry can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator, well wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen and stored in an airtight bag for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
Light treacle is a golden syrup, similar to honey in texture, though it has a more buttery caramel flavor because it's made from cane sugar. Dark treacle is most similar to molasses.
Treacle is a syrupy by-product of refining cane sugar. We in the US don't have an equivalent for light treacle (golden syrup), so there aren't many recipes for that here. We do frequently use molasses in treats like gingerbread, molasses cookies, and Shoofly Pie.
If you'd rather make one full-sized tart, just double the recipe and use a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Increase the shortcrust blind baking to a total of 30 minutes, and bake the filling for 30 minutes or until set.
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I hope you like this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions, and don't forget to leave a comment and rating. Thanks!
Slainté! L'chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
More scaled down recipes to try
Recipe
Mini Treacle Tarts
Equipment
Ingredients
For the tart shells
- ½ recipe shortcrust pastry, see Recipe Notes
For the filling
- ½ cup golden syrup
- 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, fresh, see Recipe Notes
- 1½ tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ large egg, beaten, see Recipe Notes
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- whipped cream, lightly sweetened, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F.
- Prepare the tart shells: Roll the shortcrust pastry dough into a large circle about 13-inches in diameter. Cut out four rounds with a 6-inch round cookie cutter (or trace the bottom of a small plate). Transfer the dough to four 4-inch mini tart pans with removable bottoms. Trim the excess dough, then freeze the tart shells for 20 minutes.
- Remove the tart shells from the freezer and prick the bottom of each with a fork. Wrap each pan tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil, pressing snugly up against the sides of the pan.
- Place the tart pans on a half sheet baking pan lined with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper (to catch drips later on). Blind bake the tart shells until the crust is just set, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the shells are light brown, about 5 minutes more.
- Make the filling: While the tart shells are baking, heat ½ cup golden syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until it's warm and loose. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, 1½ tablespoons heavy cream, ½ large egg (beaten), 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Remove the tart shells from the oven. Pour the filling into each tart shells about ¾ full.
- Bake until the filling is just set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover the tarts with foil if the crusts are getting too brown.
- Remove the pan from oven, and transfer tarts to wire rack to cool.
- Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream. One 4-inch tart can serve 1 to 2 people.
- Storage instructions: Cooled treacle tarts can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a few days. They can also be frozen, wrapped with plastic wrap and sealed in an airtight bag for longer storage. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Make-ahead instructions: The shortcrust pastry can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator, well wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen and stored in an airtight bag for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
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