northsider columnist and TV foodie fave Will Stewart shares his recipe for this deliciously different afternoon tea treat
The Yorkshire Tea Proper Strong was the perfect brew to use to bring flavour to the sweet, sticky filling and really make you feel like you’re having breakfast for dessert. There is a lot of sweetness in the tart and the robust and full-bodied nature of the Proper Strong brew really stands up to this and ensures the delicious flavour of the tea comes through in the tart.
I made this to try and recreate the taste of a proper brew and buttery toast that I used to have with my porridge in the mornings back in England.
This makes a delicious treat for afternoon tea or can even be served as a dessert with some fresh cream, ice cream or creme fraiche.
Yorkshire Tea and Toast Tart
Makes: 12 for afternoon tea or 8 people for dessert
Takes: 90 minutes plus cooling time
Ingredients:
Toast Crust:
125g plain flour
2 slices of well toasted bread crusts, cooled and blitzed into fine crumbs
75g rolled oats
1 egg
100g butter, chilled and cubed
Sea salt flakes
Cold water – if required
Tart Filling:
4 Yorkshire Tea Proper Strong tea bags
250g caster sugar
200g brown sugar
200g butter
180ml of single cream
1tbsp milk powder
1tsp of vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks
Icing sugar for garnish
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
To make the pastry, in a large bowl add the flour, oats, toast crumbs and a pinch of salt. Add the cubed, cooled butter and using your fingertips, gently work the mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Crack in the egg and mix together to form a dough. Add a little bit of cold water to bring the mixture together if required. Press into a disc, wrap in glad wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Grease your loose bottom tart tin with butter or oil. Remove the dough disc from the fridge and between 2 sheets of baking paper, roll the mixture out to the size of your tart tin. Press the pastry into the tin and use excess dough to fix up any holes. Prick the bottom of the tart shell with a fork, line the shell with one of the sheets of baking paper used for rolling out and then fill with baking beads and blind bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the tart shell from the oven and remove the paper and baking beads and return the tart shell to the oven for 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 170ºC.
To make the filling, melt the butter in a saucepan with the cream and vanilla extract. Bring it to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Add the Yorkshire Tea Proper Strong teabags and allow them to brew for 3 minutes. Remove the teabags and allow the mixture to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, white sugar, and milk powder until combined. Add in the egg yolks and whisk until combined then pour in the tea, cream, vanilla and butter mixture and whisk until combined.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tart shell and bake in the oven for 40–45 minutes or until the edges start to firm up. The filling will bubble a little. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely and set.
Once cooled, dust the tart with icing sugar and serve with a proper brew of Yorkshire Tea.