The Sweet Plot Twist to Burns Night

We’re excited to be welcoming The Great British Bake-Off’s Nicky Laceby to this year’s 30^th Edition of the Ludlow Food Festival (13^th, 14^th & 15^th September), along with fellow GBBO contestant Saku, who also captured the hearts of viewers during Season 14.

With Nicky’s Scottish heritage, she knows a thing or two about the best ingredients for a Burns Night feast – so we took the opportunity and asked to open up her recipe book for us!

While the centrepiece of Burns Night is undoubtedly the recitation of Burns' poems and the feasting on haggis, neeps, and tatties, the sweet side of this celebration is equally deserving of attention. One such treat that steals the spotlight is the Ecclefechan Tart – a luscious, buttery pastry that hails from the heart of Scotland.

“The reason I love to make an Ecclefechan Tart for Burns Night is because it takes me way back to time when I worked in the Highlands many years ago. I have never experienced a celebration of Burns Night quite like it again. The meal was finished off with an Ecclefechan Tart served for dessert and then it was time to hit the dance floor for an epic Scottish Ceilidh. Every time I make an Ecclefechan Tart it transports me straight back to that moment.”

 

INGREDIENTS

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry:

• 230g plain flour
• 125g unsalted butter (chilled & cut into small cubes)
• 50g icing sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons of whole milk
  
  

Filling:

• 115g unsalted butter
• 115g soft dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon syrup
• 2 tablespoons whisky
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 dessert spoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon/ginger/nutmeg combo
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 18g of fine breadcrumbs
• 270g of raisins and sultanas
• 100g pecan nuts (roughly chopped)
  
  

To serve:

• Crème Fraîche
• A few splashes of whisky
• Zest of 1/2 orange

METHOD

1. Pre Heat oven to 180°c Make the sweet shortcrust pastry by rubbing together with your fingers the butter and flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, add the icing sugar, mix through. Then mix together the egg yolk and milk, pour into the bowl. Use your fingers to combine and form a dough. Turn out of bowl onto a slightly floured surface, form a ball, wrap in cling fill and chill in the fridge for 1hr.
   
   
2. Prepare a shallow 23" flan tin (with removal base) grease all the ridges with butter then dust with flour. Roll out the pastry to over the size of the flan tin and line it with the pastry. Trim around the tin leave a little excess over the edges. Blind bake in the oven for 20 mins on 180 °C. Bring out of the oven, remove baking paper and baking beans. Using a fork prick the base and return to the oven for 5 mins. After the pastry case has cooled, trim around the edges to make a neat finish.
   
   
3. Make the filling. Melt the butter, syrup and brown sugar together in a pan on the hob. Once the sugar has dissolved take off heat and allow to cool until just warm. Then add the whisky, lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs and the spices combo.
   
   
4. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the pastry base followed by the raisins, sultanas and pecans. Pour over the liquid mixture, shake the flan around slightly so the mixture covers all the base. Put in the oven for 25 mins at 180° C.
   
   
5. Once out of the oven and cooled for 10 mins, remove the flan tin.
   
   
6. Add a few splashes of whiskey to the crème fraîche along with some orange zest, mix together. Dust the top of the tart with icing sugar.
   
   
7. Serve a slice of warm Ecclefechan Tart with a spoon full of the Crème Fraîche and a little dram of your favourite single malt Whiskey.

Thank you Nicky, for sharing this delicious recipe, we can’t wait to try it for ourselves and hope you have a bonny Burns Night!

Tickets for the Ludlow Food Festival (13^th, 14^th & 15^th September at Ludlow Castle) are out now – buy them here.