Yorkshire Curd Tart is the tops

Next to Yorkshire Puddings, homemade Yorkshire Curd Tart is prized above the rest in God’s own Country. Originally baked for Whitsuntide, when there were feasts and fair days across Yorkshire villages to use the leftover curds from cheese making, the filling is made from curd cheese and flavoured with currants, allspice and rosewater. These ingredients are for a 10 inch/25 cms pie dish or 12 small curd tartlets.

Yorkshire Curd Tart

6oz/175g shortcrust pastry

10z/25g butter

3oz/75g caster sugar

8oz/250g curd cheese

2oz/50g currants

2 eggs, beaten

¼ to ½ tsp ground allspice or nutmeg

1 tsp rosewater (optional)

Line a dish or pie plate (or individual tartlets if preferred) with the pastry. Allow to rest while making the filling. Mix the curds, currants, lemon zest and allspice (or nutmeg) together. Beat the eggs and add to the mixture, Melt the butter and add with the sugar. Pour the mixture into the pastry shell and bake in a moderate oven 180C (fan 160C)/Mark 4/350F for 20-25 minutes until set. Allow to cool before serving.

Meryl says :  You can find curd cheese at most large supermarkets and online grocery shopping.  

I posted this recipe for George on the occasion his retirement. I wish him a long and happy one and hope he'll have lots of fun baking! He writes

 'Yorkshire Curd Tart ... gives me such fond memories of my childhood in North Yorkshire. My mother made this and my Auntie Ellen Codling who ran the tea rooms at Shepherds Hall Lealholm near Whitby, assisted by my grandmother. What memories ... tastes and smell remind of us of such wonderful things in our lives.'

Marcel Proust had the same idea about Madeleines. Have you got a memory linked to cake?

Try more Yorkshire Recipes from Grandma’s collection 

Doncaster Butterscotch Cake

Yorkshire Drop

Fat Rascals

Lemon (Tour De France/Yorkshire) Cake

Rhubarb Crumble

Rhubarb Tart/Rhubarb Lattice Flan

YorkshireParkin

Yorkshire Pudding