There are several things I miss about Yorkshire, one of the main things being Yorkshire Curd Tart. It is delicious mid afternoon with a nice pot of coffee [I dont drink tea!]
Ingredients:
2 pints fresh full cream milk
2 tablespoons rennet * see notes
4 oz butter, softened
2 oz caster sugar
2 medium eggs, well beaten
Pinch of sea salt
¼ teaspoon of ground allspice
Freshly grated nutmeg – a little to taste
1 rounded tablespoon fresh white breadcrumbs
4oz good quality seedless raisins ***
Pastry case:
4oz self raising flour ****
Pinch of salt
2½ oz cold butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon of cold water
Method:
** Curds:
Put the milk into a saucepan and bring it just up to blood temperature – approximately 37 degrees Celsius. Pour it into a bowl, stir in the rennet and set aside to cool and set – preferably not the refrigerator. When the curd has set, break up the mixture a little and tip into a large, muslin-lined sieve set over a bowl. Cover and leave somewhere cool to drain for overnight – again, not in the refrigerator.
Pastry Case:
Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, add the chilled butter and rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Using a round bladed knife to mix, stir in the water until the dough comes together, then turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and lightly and briefly knead until smooth. Cover with cling film and refrigerate.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and line a 1½†deep, loose-bottomed flan tin, prick the base with a fork and chill for about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius or Gas Mark 6.
Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and add a thin layer of baking beans or rice. Put into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans/rice and return to the oven for 5 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Filling:
Remove the muslin and curds from the sieve and tip the curds back into the sieve, press through into a clean bowl with a wooden spoon.
In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then gradually beat in the curds, eggs, salt, spices and breadcrumbs. Stir in the raisins and pour the mixture into the pastry case.
Place on the middle shelf of an oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the filling is set and lightly golden (check after 20 minutes).
Leave to cool in the tin.
Notes:
* Rennet is an extract from the stomach of cows or sheep whish is used to curdle milk for cheese making. There is a vegetarian alternative available used in making vegetarian Cheeses.
** You may be able to purchase ready-made curds.
*** I like to soak the raisins overnight in a little brandy (stir until coated), cover and store overnight in the refrigerator. The following day, tip into a sieve and return the raisins to the bowl ready to use in the recipe.
**** If you like pastry made with plain flour, do so, but I like the pastry my mother made, so I follow her example. You can also substitute half the butter for lard, but I dislike using lard in baking and avoid when I can.