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: 
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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, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
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, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
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.
