Treacle Tart: Harry Potter

Anyone who has read the Harry Potter series as much as I have (and that's a lot) knows that Harry's got quite a soft spot for treacle tart. It seems like at every feast Harry is always tucking into a slice. As an American kid, this treacle business seemed very foreign to me, along with steak and kidney pies and pumpkin juice. Apparently treacle is a very popular ingredient in the UK, similar to molasses or honey. Now while it's not very common in the US, you can still make a pretty similar version of this dessert. So for my first HP recipe (and there will definitely be more), I figured I'd try Harry's favorite. I know house elves can make it way better than I ever will, but I gave it a shot!

Makes 1 Pie
Total Time: 2 1/2 hours
Bake Time: 1 hour


1 1/2 cups flour
8 ounces butter, chilled and diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup golden syrup or molasses
6 tablespoons bread crumbs
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup salt
1 lemon, zest



1. Make the crust; mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Combine 6 ounces of butter until the mixture has the consistency of sand, either with pastry cutters or a food processor. Slowly add the cold water, until it just comes together. Knead gently for a few seconds. Form a disk, wrap with cling wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

2. Heat the syrup or molasses in a sauce pan over medium heat until it's warm and loosened. Stir in the rest of the butter, bread crumbs, cream, salt, and zest. Set aside.

3. When the dough has chilled, roll into an 11'' disk on parchment paper, and fit into a 9 inch tart pan. Prick the bottom with a fork and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Blind bake the crust for 20 minutes. Remove weights and bake for another 10 minutes, until golden-brown.

5. Pour the filling into the pie crust, and bake for another 30 minutes, until the filling has set. Enjoy!

I'm sorry to say, I really didn't like it. I wanted to, but sorry Harry, it was just not for me.

The texture was correct, but the taste was way too sweet; almost like a cross between raisins and ginger bread. I wasn't able to find golden syrup, so I used molasses, and I think it would have a totally different experience with the syrup. But whether you like what you make or not, it's always cool to try new recipes and see what happens. I would try it again, maybe maybe with real treacle, but in the mean time I think I'm going to leave this one to the Brits. 

Happy baking!


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