Treacle Tart w/ Cinnamon Glazed Apple

As a pastry chef, the old world recipes are always fascinating and fun to try. It's interesting to see what was being done in the world of food as society progressed, better still, we can actually replicate these dishes and experience a little of our own ancestry first hand.

One such dessert is, as the title suggests, a treacle tart. A simple short crust with a tooth-achingly sweet filling, the tart is a great way to use up stale bread (and it isn't bread pudding). This recipe is a twist on the classic, I've removed the lemon from the filling to let the treacle shine through and decided to go with a cinnamon apple as a contrast instead.

1 8" Baking tin lined with short crust
1 jar Lyle's golden syrup or treacle (must be treacle)
1 1/2 cups Plain breadcrumb
1/4 cup Cream
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Egg

2 apples (peeled, halved, cored)
1/4 cup Water
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Cinnamon stick

Combine treacle, bread crumb, eggs, vanilla, and cream. Pour into short crust lined tin (ensuring crust is high enough for filling not to overflow).

In a small saucepan bring sugar, water and cinnamon to a boil, continue to boil for 5 minutes. Add the apple halves and poach for 3 minutes. Remove apples from the liquid, once cool enough to handle slice the halves thinly and arrange them on top of the tart. With a pastry brush, coat the top of the tart with the poaching liquid.

Place in a 350 degree f oven for 30-40 minutes. Crust should be golden and the filling firm but not dry.

Slice and serve with hot custard or ice cream. Then sit back and enjoy the praise you will receive for serving this easy to prepare dessert.