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 the Apple Tart recipe.
In the center of a pie dish, place an inverted cup or a funnel 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, brush lightly with cold water, and sprinkle with caster sugar.
Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for about 1½ 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 main fruit flavour and juice, and their natural tartness gives the filling its character.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness that balances the damsons' tartness and helps the fruit darken as it cooks.
- Short crust pastry
- Forms a crisp, sturdy case that holds the juicy filling in place.
The step that matters
Placing the inverted cup or funnel in the centre. A central vent lets steam escape from the fruit as it cooks and keeps the juice from pooling and soaking the pastry, so the base stays crisper.
“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.
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.