Mary Berry Treacle Sponge Food

MARY BERRY'S TREACLE TART

Steps:

• First make the shortcrust pastry: measure the flour into a large bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (alternatively, this can be done in a food processor). Add about three tablespoons of cold water and mix to a firm dough, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and put a heavy baking tray in the oven to heat up. Grease a deep 18cm/7in loose-bottomed fluted flan tin with butter.
• Remove about 150g/5½oz of pastry from the main ball and set aside for the lattice top.
• Roll the rest of the pastry out thinly on a lightly floured work surface and line the prepared flan tin with the pastry.
• Prick the base with a fork, to stop the base rising up during baking.
• Place the reserved pastry for the lattice top on cling film and roll out thinly. Egg wash the pastry and set aside to chill in the fridge (the cling film makes it easier to move about). Do not cut into strips at this stage. Do not egg wash the strips once they are on the tart as it will drip into the treacle mixture.
• To make the filling, heat the syrup gently in a large pan but do not boil.
• Once melted, add the breadcrumbs, lemon juice and zest to the syrup. (You can add less lemon if you would prefer less citrus taste.) If the mixture looks runny, add a few more breadcrumbs. Pour the syrup mixture into the lined tin and level the surface.
• Remove the reserved pastry from the fridge and cut into long strips, 1cm/½in wide. Make sure they are all longer than the edges of the tart tin.
• Egg wash the edge of the pastry in the tin, and start to make the woven laying lattice pattern over the mixture, leave the strips hanging over the edge of the tin.
• Once the lattice is in place, use the tin edge to cut off the strips by pressing down with your hands, creating a neat finish.
• Bake on the pre-heated baking tray in the hot oven for about 10 minutes until the pastry has started to colour, and then reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4. If at this stage the lattice seems to be getting too dark brown, cover the tart with tin foil.
• Bake for a further 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden-brown and the filling set. Remove the tart from the oven and leave to firm up in the tin. Serve warm or cold.

MARY BERRY'S TREACLE PUDDING RECIPE

Steps:

• Measure the golden syrup into the bottom of a greased 1.1 litre pudding basin.
• Mix the flour, sugar and suet together in a mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and enough milk to bind to a soft dough. Pour into the basin on top of the syrup. Cover with greaseproof paper and seal the top with a foil lid.
• Put the basin in a stainless steel saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Fill with enough water to come halfway up the basin and cook on the hob for about 3½ hours, occasionally checking on the level of the water in the pan, topping up when needed with more boiling water.
• OR to cook with an Aga, bring to the boil on the boiling plate for about 8 minutes. Transfer the pan, water and basin to the floor of the simmering oven and cook for about 3½ hours until the pudding is nicely risen and firm to the touch.
• Turn the pudding upside down on to a plate so that all the syrup runs down the sides. Serve warm with custard and more warm golden syrup, if liked.

SCHOOLDAYS TREACLE SPONGE

Steps:

• Use a small knob of butter to heavily grease a 1-litre pudding basin. In a small bowl, mix the golden syrup with the breadcrumbs and brandy, if using, then tip into the pudding basin.
• Beat butter with sugar and zest until light and fluffy, then add eggs gradually. Fold in the flour, then finally add the milk.
• Spoon the mix into the pudding basin. Cover with a double layer of buttered foil and baking paper, making a pleat in the centre to allow the pudding to rise. Tie the foil securely with string, then place in a steamer or large pan containing enough gently simmering water to come halfway up the sides of the basin. Steam for 1½ hrs. Turn out onto a serving dish. Serve with lashings of clotted cream and a little extra golden syrup drizzled over if you wish.

MARY BERRY'S GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• This mix makes enough to fill 2 x standard 7inch Victoria sandwitch tins or 1 x 10inch diameter tin. Grease and base line your tin(s) with baking paper; preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3.
• Gently heat the margarine, sugar and treacle together in a pan, stirring until smooth. Allow to cool a little.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and ground spices. Pour in the treacle mix and stir thoroughly to combine. Mince the stem ginger finely and stir with the eggs into the mix.
• Warm the milk gently in a saucepan, stirring gently to avoid it burning at the base of the pan. Add the bicarb of soda and let it foam a little. Stir into the gingerbread mixture until well blended.
• Pour into the prepared tin(s).
• Baking time: for 2x 7 inch cakes is 25-30mins (bake both together). For 1x 10inch cake bake for approx 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• This cake keeps really well in an airtight tin, and actually improves over the first 2-3 days. Enjoy!

TREACLE TART

Steps:

• Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub together with your fingers to a fine breadcrumb-like texture (you can also do this part in a food processor). Stir though the icing sugar, then quickly add the egg yolks and 2 tbsp water, mixing swiftly with a cutlery knife to combine. Form into a ball (add another tbsp water if you need to), wrap and chill for 30 mins. Roll out to the thickness of a pound coin, and line a 22cm fluted tart tin with the pastry, leaving an overhang. Return to the fridge for 30 mins.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put a baking sheet into the oven to heat up. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and baking beans, then put in the oven on the baking sheet, and bake for 15 mins. Remove the parchment and bake for a further 10 mins or until the pastry is golden brown. Leave the pastry to cool before trimming off the overhanging edges with a small serrated knife.
• Lower the oven temperature to 160C/140C fan/gas 4. Combine the golden syrup, ginger, ginger syrup, lemon, eggs and breadcrumbs in a bowl, briefly whisking everything together until combined. Carefully pour the filling into the pastry case put in the lower part of the oven to bake for 35-40 mins or until the filling is just set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool down for 20 mins before serving with ice cream or thick clotted cream.