Name: Sticky toffee tarts
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: Makes 6
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 200g butter chopped into cubes; 225g plain flour plus extra for dusting; 100g light muscovado sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 large egg yolk; 200g light muscovado sugar; 50g butter; 250ml double cream; 250g date roughly chopped; 200ml milk; 50g butter softened; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 100g plain flour; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 50g ground almond; 2 large eggs; 100g light muscovado sugar; 2 tbsp treacle; vanilla ice cream to serve

For the pastry

200g butter
chopped into cubes
225g plain flour
plus extra for dusting
100g light muscovado sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk

For the sauce

For the filling

250g date
roughly chopped
200ml milk
50g butter
softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g ground almond
2 large eggs
100g light muscovado sugar
2 tbsp treacle
vanilla ice cream
to serve

Method

step 1
For the filling, put the chopped dates and milk in a pan. Bring to the boil, then set aside for 30 mins.
step 2
To make the pastry, put the butter and flour in a food processor and whizz to fine crumbs. Pulse in the sugar. Mix the vanilla and egg yolk with 1 tbsp water, then dribble in while whizzing, to bring the pastry together. If it doesn’t come together, whizz in a trickle more water.
step 3
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to line 6 individual deep tart tins with an overhang. Prick the bottoms and chill for 20 mins.
step 4
To make the sauce, melt all the ingredients together, then bubble for 2-5 mins until saucy. Cool.
step 5
Heat oven to 200C/180C/fan 6. Line each tart case with crumpled baking parchment, add some baking beans and blind-bake for 15 mins. Remove paper and beans, and bake for 5 mins more until biscuity. Trim the pastry edges.
step 6
Spoon 1 tbsp of the sauce into each tart case. Mash the reserved date mixture with a potato masher, then tip into a bowl with the softened butter, vanilla, flour, bicarb, almonds, eggs, sugar and treacle. Whisk together with an electric whisk until just combined, then divide between tart cases.
step 7
Reduce oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and bake for 15 mins. Cool a little before turning out. Serve tarts warm topped with scoops of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with sticky toffee sauce.