Damson Tart
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Prepare the short-crust pastry as directed in Apple Tart.
Place an inverted cup or funnel in the center of a pie dish to retain the juice.
Fill and bake
Half fill the dish with damsons, add the brown sugar, then add the remaining damsons.
Cover with pastry and brush lightly with cold water.
Sprinkle liberally with caster sugar and bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for about 1.5 hours.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Damsons
- Provide the tart's fruit filling, with their tartness balanced by sugar.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps balance the sharp flavour of the damsons.
- Short-crust pastry
- Forms the crisp, sturdy case that encloses the juicy fruit filling.
The step that matters
Placing the inverted cup or funnel. The cup keeps the fruit's juice from pooling and boiling over the pastry, which would make the crust soggy and sticky. Its position in the centre of the dish keeps the juice channelled away from the lid.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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