Cumnock Tart

 


The Cumnock Tart is believed to have been introduced firstly by Stoddart the Baker in the 1920s. It is an individual tart made from a savoury lard pastry filled with apples or rhubarb and double coated with sugar syrup. It can be eaten cold with a cup of tea or warm with custard. The baking tin I used was 5” long,  4” wide and 1 1/4 “ deep and well greased. The traditional tart was oval. There isn’t a steadfast recipe for the tart. Different bakers have their own methods. Here is mine.

Firstly make the sugar syrup. 
Ingredients
Equal amounts of sugar to water
I used 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of water. Any unused syrup can be stored in a jar with a lid and kept for a few weeks.

Method
Add sugar and water to a saucepan and over a medium heat bring the mixture to a simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved. Leave to cool.

Switch on the oven to heat to 180 degrees fan (200 degrees regular)

Now make the pastry.
Ingredients
4oz (110g) plain flour plus a little extra for rolling the pastry
1oz (25g) lard 
1oz (25g) butter
A little cold water
A pinch of salt

Method
Sift flour and salt into a baking bowl. Add the butter and lard to the flour and cut up into small pieces using a knife then, using your fingertips, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 1 tablespoon of cold water.  Using the knife then your fingertips bring the pastry together until it comes clean from the bowl. Wrap in cling film and place in the refrigerator for about twenty minutes.

Prepare the filling.
Chop up a small amount of apples or rhubarb (enough to fill the tart) and lay to the side.

Grease the baking tin well not forgetting the rim.

Putting the tart together.
Method
Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Lightly dust the rolling pin. 
Knead the pastry a few times and roll out . Line the tin with the pastry slightly overlapping the rim. Add the finely chopped fruit and sprinkle with about two tablespoons of sugar. Make a double crust by putting a thin strip of pastry around the rim slightly dampening it with cold water to make it stick. Make a lid and place it on top having again dampened the rim with water to make it stick. Using a fork gently press the edges of the lid all around to seal it. Coat the lid with some sugar syrup and make a small hole on top.  Bake at 180 degrees fan or 200 degrees regular for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and coat with sugar syrup again. Bake for another 10 minutes and again coat with sugar syrup. Bake for a further 15 minutes or until pastry is darkish brown.





 

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