Harrogate Tart is a very old Yorkshire recipe and is traditional served cold in a pre-cooked pastry case. The filling, however, can be served as a dessert in individual serving glasses, with cream and ratafia biscuits or macaroons. Either way, it’s delicious!
Ingredients
- shortcrust pastry, enough to fill a 8-9 inch flan case
Filling
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon cold milk
- I pint (20 fl oz) of hot milk
- 1 oz (28g) butter
- 1 whole egg, beaten
- 3 oz (85g) plain flour
- 3 oz (85g) caster sugar
- 4 oz (113g) ground almonds
Method
- Roll out the pastry to fit the flan case, prick the bottom lightly and bake at 200C/4ooF/gas mark 6 for about 25 minutes or until golden.
- Mix the flour to a smooth paste with the cold milk, then stir in the egg yolks.
- Mix in the whole beaten egg and sugar, stirring continually.
- Melt the butter in the hot milk then stir this into the egg mixture – but do this gradually; don’t rush it
- Put this mixture into a thick-sided (double) saucepan and cook very slowly, stirring all the time, until it thickens and resembles smooth cream – do not let this boil
- Remove from the heat and beat in the ground almonds
- Pour this into the pre-baked pastry case and let it set. Dust with icing sugar and serve it cold.
Source: Catherine Rothwell (1997) Traditional Yorkshire Recipes. Aurora Publishing.
