Manchester tart
Serves: 10
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Toby Scott
Manchester tart
A staple on school dinner menus until the mid-1980s, Manchester tart is a variation on an earlier recipe by the Victorian cookery writer Mrs Beeton. If you prefer, you can use a 500g block of dessert shortcrust pastry
Serves: 10
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
551Kcal
Fat
30gr
Saturates
18gr
Carbs
61gr
Sugars
26gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
8gr
Salt
0.3gr
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, in her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, in her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
Ingredients
- 300g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 75g cold butter, diced
- 75g solid white vegetable fat, eg Trex
- 25g icing sugar
- 200g seedless raspberry jam
- 100g desiccated coconut
- 1 glace cherry, optional
For the custard
- 450ml whole milk
- 3 large egg yolks
- 60g caster sugar
- 30g plain flour
- 1½ -2 tsp vanilla extract
Step by step
- Start several hours ahead to allow for setting time. For the pastry, whiz or rub together the flour, diced butter, white fat and icing sugar until breadcrumb-like.
- Mix in 3-4 tablespoons of cold water, then bring together as a ball. Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Use the pastry to line a deep 23cm tart tin, prick the base and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5. Line the tart case with baking paper and baking beans, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for 5-10 minutes or until the pastry is dry and crisp. Spread the jam in the base of the tart and scatter with half the coconut.
- For the custard, heat the milk to just below boiling point. Mix the egg yolks, sugar and flour until smooth in a bowl, then pour in the hot milk, stirring.
- Rinse out the pan and pour in the custard mixture. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until thickened, around 2 minutes (taste to check there is no raw flour flavour; cook for a little longer if necessary.) Add vanilla to taste, then strain through a sieve into a bowl. Stir for a couple of minutes to cool it slightly, then pour into the tart. Sprinkle with the rest of the coconut and leave to cool. Cover and chill for 4 hours or until set. Add a glace cherry in the centre for a truly retro feel and cut into slices to serve.
