Ecclefechan Tart
A rich Scottish Borders tart packed with plump dried fruit, crunchy walnuts, and a sticky, sharp brown sugar filling encased in crisp pastry.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 360 kcal
Equipment
- •20 cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin
- •Rolling pin
- •Mixing bowl
- •Whisk
- •Baking beans
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 46 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 360 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rub the chilled butter into the flour and a pinch of salt until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- 2
Add cold water gradually and bring the mixture together into a smooth dough ball.
- 3
Wrap the dough and rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- 4
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and line a 20 cm fluted tart tin.
- 5
Prick the base with a fork, line with greaseproof paper and baking beans, then bake at 190°C for 12 minutes.
- 6
Remove the paper and beans, then bake for another 5 minutes until the pastry is pale golden.
- 7
Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, beaten eggs, cider vinegar, and mixed spice in a bowl until smooth.
- 8
Fold the mixed dried fruit and chopped walnuts into the spiced butter mixture.
- 9
Pour the filling into the pre-baked tart case and smooth the top evenly.
- 10
Bake at 180°C for 25 to 30 minutes until the filling is set and gently bubbling.
- 11
Cool completely in the tin before cutting into slender wedges.
Chef's tips
Dark brown sugar gives the characteristic deep toffee flavour, while the vinegar is essential to cut through the heavy richness of the butter and fruit. Let the tart cool fully before slicing so the sticky filling sets neatly.
Ingredient substitutions
- cider vinegar → malt vinegar or red wine vinegar
- walnuts → flaked almonds or chopped pecans
Storage
Keep in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Reheating
Reheat individual wedges on a baking tray at 160°C for 5 minutes until gently warmed.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Omitting the vinegar, which results in a cloying and overly sweet tart.
- •Slicing the tart while piping hot, causing the butter filling to run out instead of holding its shape.
- •Overbaking the tart until the sugar filling turns brittle and hard.
Serving suggestions
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