Manchester tart recipe | Sainsbury`s Magazine (2024)

A staple on school dinner menus until the mid-1980s, Manchester tart is a variation on an earlier recipe by the Victorian cookery writer Mrs Beeton. If you prefer, you can use a 500g block of dessert shortcrust pastry

Tamsin Burnett-Hall

Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking

See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes

Rate this recipe

Print

Ingredients

Share:

Step by step

1. Start several hours ahead to allow for setting time. For the pastry, whiz or rub together the flour, diced butter, white fat and icing sugar until breadcrumb-like.
2. Mix in 3-4 tablespoons of cold water, then bring together as a ball. Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
3. Use the pastry to line a deep 23cm tart tin, prick the base and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5. Line the tart case with baking paper and baking beans, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for 5-10 minutes or until the pastry is dry and crisp. Spread the jam in the base of the tart and scatter with half the coconut.
5. For the custard, heat the milk to just below boiling point. Mix the egg yolks, sugar and flour until smooth in a bowl, then pour in the hot milk, stirring.
6. Rinse out the pan and pour in the custard mixture. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until thickened, around 2 minutes (taste to check there is no raw flour flavour; cook for a little longer if necessary.) Add vanilla to taste, then strain through a sieve into a bowl. Stir for a couple of minutes to cool it slightly, then pour into the tart. Sprinkle with the rest of the coconut and leave to cool. Cover and chill for 4 hours or until set. Add a glace cherry in the centre for a truly retro feel and cut into slices to serve.