Tipsy Tart

Click to enlarge

This is a classic South African dessert, sticky with dates and walnuts

Ingredients:

For the tart

• 100 g dates, chopped
• 200 ml boiling water
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 125 g butter, softened
• 200 g sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 150 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 25 g walnuts, chopped
• cream, to serve 

For the syrup

• 100 g sugar
• 50 ml water
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 25 ml brandy

Method

 For the tart:

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4 and grease a 20cm pie dish. Soak the dates in the boiling water, stir in the bicarbonate of soda, then leave to cool.

When the dates have nearly cooled, cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg a little at a time until it is all incorporated. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together, then fold into the butter mixture. Carefully fold the dates (along with their soaking liquid) and the walnuts into the batter.

Spoon the mixture into the pie dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
 For the syrup:

Whilst the tart is baking, dissolve the sugar and water together in a small saucepan over a gentle heat, stirring regularly.

Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and boil the mixture vigorously for 5 minutes, until the syrup has thickened slightly.

Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla and brandy.

Once the tart is baked, pour the hot syrup over it whilst it’s still warm, leave to cool slightly then cut into slices and serve with cream.