Gypsy Tart: A Sweet Slice of Kent’s Culinary Heritage
Gypsy Tart is a classic British dessert that hails from the county of Kent, specifically the Isle of Sheppey. This sweet treat is renowned for its unique combination of simplicity and decadence, making it a favorite in households across the region. With a crisp, shortcrust pastry base and a filling made from evaporated milk and dark muscavado sugar, Gypsy Tart delivers a distinctively rich, caramel-like flavour while remaining light and airy.
History of Gypsy Tart
While the dessert has humble beginnings, it has since evolved into a recipe embraced by home cooks and chefs alike. The use of muscavado sugar gives the tart its deep, molasses-like flavour, which contrasts beautifully with the light and fluffy texture of the filling. Today, it’s seen as a quintessentially British dessert that continues to enchant those with a sweet tooth.
Making Gypsy Tart at Home
Although Gypsy Tart’s origins may be simple, achieving the perfect texture can be a rewarding challenge for home cooks. The key is to whip the evaporated milk and sugar together until light and airy before baking it in the pre-cooked pastry shell. After baking, the filling should have a mousse-like consistency. Be careful not to over bake, as this can cause the filling to harden.
PrintGypsy Tart
Ingredients
- Tart Pastry:
- 216g unsalted butter – cubed and soft
- 30g white caster sugar
- 1 whole egg, beaten
- 1/2tsp whole milk
- 300g T55 flour
- Caramelised Custard:
- 1100g double cream
- 270g egg yolks
- 100g white caster sugar
- 50g muscovado
- 250g white caster sugar
- 12.5g maldon salt
- Equipment:
- Tart Mould
- Rolling Pin
- Extra flour for dusting
- Parchment Paper
Instructions
Method:
To make the pastry:
- Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with a paddle, and begin to work on a low speed until soft then add the sugar and milk and continue mixing until combined.
- Scrape down the sides and gradually add the egg, making sure it is incorporated with each addition.
- Continuing on a slow speed, add the flour, a little at a time, until combined.
- Remove from the mixing bowl and shape into a disc and wrap tightly. Store in the fridge for an hour or two to rest.
- Remove the pastry from the fridge to temper at room temperature. On a sheet of parchment paper, roll to 0.5cm thick. Making sure that the sheets are large enough to cover a tart mould with an overhang.
To blind bake the tarts:
- Lightly grease the inside of a tart mould with the spray oil, then place a small square of parchment paper on the base.
- Line the tart moulds pressing the pastry into the grooves.
- Layer cling film onto the tart, place a rejected napkin on top, fill the covered line tart with baking rice and press down on the edges of filled tart with your fingers. Add a few metal cups to add a little extra weight.
- Bake at 150C / 100% Humidity / fan4 / 50 mins, you are looking for a light golden colouring all over.
- Remove the rice, patch with tart trim (if necessary) and continue baking at 150C/ 0% humidity/ fan3/ 10 – 15mins until cooked (especially the centre.
- While warm, egg wash with egg yolk and bake 90C/ 0% humidity / fan2/ 10mins
Caramelised Custard:
- Pour the cream into a large pan and heat gently
- In a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, 100g caster sugar and muscavado.
- Make a caramel: place 100ml of water while Ito a small pan, and while on a medium heat, rain in the 250g caster sugar, stirring to dissolve. Then turn up the heat and boil to create a dark caramel
- Once the desired colour is achieved, carefully pour in the warmed cream a little at a time. It will boil up and spatter so take care and stand back. Stir to make a smooth caramel sauce.
- Remove the caramel sauce from the heat and pour over the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Add the salt into sugar, stir to fully combine.
- Pour into the pre-baked pastry whilst the case is in the oven (this is to ensure there is no spillage of the filling and allows you to fill it to the top of the pastry).
- Bake in the oven for 95°C for 2 hours and then check the wobble and add on more time if needed (look for a soft set but with no ripple).
- Leave at room temp to cool for an hour, then store in the fridge for min 2 hours before slicing.
- Cut carefully with a sharp knife and serve, sprinkled with a little Maldon salt and with a blob of crème fraîche on the side.
