Apple and treacle birthday tart

So not the traditional birthday cake but I thought the time had come in my life when I should make my own pastry and one of my favourite puddings is treacle tart. Still working through the Bake Off book, I came across this apple and treacle tart. 

The pastry seemed to be trouble free as it didn't need proving (though my skills might) but it was very flaky after it had been cooked. The recipe also used quite a lot of breadcrumbs so the result was quite, well, bready. It did have a lovely treacle sweet taste with bursts of lemon and due to the pastry, was all very light. Not bad for a first try. Next time I think I would rather a richer version with more treacle but for a lighter and healthy (there was less golden syrup and half wholewheat flour) one, this was not bad. It wasn't quite dense enough for all my birthday candles (hehe) but it did the trick. 

Ingredients: 

100g Plain flour

100g Plain wholewheat flour

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

150g unsalted butter, chilled and diced

2-3 tbsp cold water

150g golden syrup

1 medium bramley apple

65g breadcrumbs (from bread, not rolls I discovered)

wax and juice of 1 lemon

Method: 

1. To make the pastry; using an electric mixer (I gave in his time) mix the flours, salt and baking powder. Add the chinks of butter to make a breadcrumb texture then add the water while the being mixed. When it forms a dough ball, wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for 20minutes.

2. Roll out the dough 20 so it is bigger than the pie dish and lift it in by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Prick with a fork all over and keep in the fridge until ready.

3. Heat the oven to 180C. Warm the syrup in a saucepan until runny then put in grated (peeled) apple, breadcrumbs, lemon zest and juice. 

4. Spoon into the pastry case and trim the overhanging pastry. I made leaves with it on top. Being a birthday, maybe I should have made '30' out of it...

5. Bake for 30minutes until golden.

6. Serve warm....with custard (a must!).

T took me out for a delicious birthday dinner (smoked haddock, mashed potato, poached egg and mustard sauce) and a very lovely pudding (sticky toffee pudding - classic, rich and filling. Another of my favourites). A lovely way to see my thirties in...