Treacle Tarts
In 1883, muggle businessman Abram Lyle needed investment capital to expand his company. He ran a sugar refinery in London, and wanted to sell the by-product of his refining process--a thick, gloopy syrup--as an alternative sweetener that he called Golden Syrup. He went from bank to bank with a bowl of the sappy by-product asking bankers for a loan, but was turned down by all. Desperate to make this new venture a success, he determined to approach a peculiar old man who lived nearby, named Alder Marjoribanks. It was rumored that Marjoribanks had an abundance of gold. Lyle was hesitant to approach him, however, because it was also rumored that Marjoribanks practiced the magic arts. Lyle’s desperation got the best of him, and he fetched a bowl of his golden syrup to Marjoribanks’ home. When Lyle showed the old man his product, Marjoribanks exclaimed that it looked like treacle. Lyle queried, “What is treacle,” Marjoribanks told him that his father, Beaumont Marjoribanks, a pioneer in the field of herbology--indeed, the discoverer of gillyweed--had identified a cobra antivenom in India, which he dubbed “Treakle.” It looked just like this golden syrup. Out of nostalgia for his beloved father, Marjoribanks gave Lyle the loan he needed for his business venture, and Lyle’s Golden Syrup was born with the nickname Treakle. As you might have guessed, golden syrup--or treacle--is the primary ingredient for treacle tarts, which was a popular dessert among the poor people, because its simple and affordable ingredients did not require expensive spices or fruits.
Sources: Britishfoodhistory.com, Oxforddictionaries.com, http://harrypotter.wikia.com, http://harry-potter-compendium.wikia.com, Hp-lexicon.org, Pottermore.fandom.com, Web.archive.org, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Ingredients for the pastry:
1 ½ cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
Ingredients for the filling:
1 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup
1/4 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons cream
1 egg lightly beaten
1 lemon zest
Note:
In America, it is difficult to find Lyle's Golden Syrup. It is available on Amazon.com, but is quite spendy and takes time to ship. Some substitutes are molasses, corn syrup, or simple syrup (boiling one cup sugar with 1/3 up water until sugar is dissolved.) Be warned, though, that nothing has the same flavor of Lyle's Golden Syrup. It's worth the expense and the wait, even if it is only a one-time thing.
This dessert can also be made in a pie plate and eaten in slices.
STEP 1: We will first start making the pastry by combining 1 1/2 cups flour and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl then adding in 1/2 cup shortening.
STEP 2: Cut the shortening into the flour/salt mixture. Since transfiguration spells are difficult and more science than magic, it may be easier to use a pastry cutter or a fork.
STEP 3: If you don't have an anti-sticking charm, spread plastic wrap on your counter or sprinkle flour.
STEP 4: Form a ball of dough and set it on top of the plastic wrap...or floured surface.
STEP 5: Flatten the ball out with your hands.
STEP 6: Roll the dough out using a rolling pin. Like the plastic wrap, you can use waxed paper, if you don't have a good anti-sticking charm to keep the dough from adhering to the rolling pin.
STEP 7: Using a biscuit cutter or the end of a large glass, cut individual crusts like this.
STEP 8: It's best to use a spatula to take up the pastries.
STEP 9: Press pastries into a muffin tin and poke holes in the bottom of each. Bake in the oven at 375° for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Set them aside while you make the filling.
STEP 10: In a saucepan, boil 1 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 3 tablespoons cream, 1 egg lightly beaten, and the zest of 1 lemon. Bring to a boil then let cool for about 5 minutes.
STEP 11: Fill the pastries with the filling, and bake in the oven at 375 until filling is set -- about 15 minutes.
When you pull them out, they will look like this.
STEP 12: Dust with powdered sugar and eat, eat, eat!.