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Title: Border Tart
Categories: Uk Pie
Yield: 1 Pie
| ** British Measurements ** | ||
| THE PASTRY | ||
| 6 | oz | Flour |
| 3 | oz | Butter or margarine |
| 1 | oz | Caster sugar |
| 1 | Egg yolk | |
| THE CUSTARD | ||
| 1 | tb | Cornflour |
| 1/2 | oz | Butter |
| 5 | oz | Milk |
| 1 | Egg yolk | |
| 1 | oz | Caster sugar |
| 2 | dr | Vanilla essence |
| THE FILLING | ||
| 4 | oz | Marzipan |
| 1 | oz | Almonds; flaked |
| 1 | oz | Mixed peel; chopped |
The original recipe for this rich tart called for a yeasty pastry into which was folded butter. As with the Selkirk Bannock the dough for this would have been a portion from the weekly bread making. Nowadays a rich shortcrust pastry is used.
To make the pastry: Rub the butter into the flour, stir in the sugar and bind the mixture to make a firm dough. Line an 8-inch flan ring and reserve the extra dough for decoration.
To make the custard: Blend the cornflour with a little milk and stir in the remaining milk and sugar. Heat gently until it boils and simmer for a couple of moments before removing from the heat. Stir in the butter and let the custard cool a little before stirring in the egg yolk and vanilla essence. Leave it to cool.
To make the filling: Roll the marzipan to fit the base of the pastry. Sprinkle over the almonds and peel. Spread the cooled custard over this. Using the left over rolled pastry, cut circles of about 1-inch in diameter and arrange these in a pattern on top of the custard.
Cover with a circle of greaseproof paper to prevent burning the custard and bake for 20 minutes at 400øF / 200øC / gas mark 6 and then for a further 20 minutes in a slower oven, 350øF / 180øC / gas mark 4.
Decorate by combining 1 ounce icing sugar with a little warm water and spreading over the pastry circles. Serve either hot and cold.
This is a very rich tart and I find the iced pastry circles detract from the otherwise subtle splendour of this treat. Even a latticed decoration seems to heavy for modern tastes. Try a very light shake of nutmeg or cinnamon or decorate with a few flaked almonds instead. ** Scottish Home Baking ** by Judy Paterson Lindsay Publications, Glasgow 1993 ISBN = 1-898169-00-4 Scanned and formatted for you by The WEE Scot -- pol mac Griogair
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