Manchester tart is a traditional British dessert made with shortcrust pastry, raspberry jam, custard, and coconut. It is often served in English schools and can be customized with different jam flavors or fresh fruit.
A Manchester tart is a dessert consisting of a pastry crust topped with a layer of raspberry jam, spread with custard and garnished with sprinkled coconut. It is a traditional dessert of British cuisine, which historically tends to consist of simple dishes with few ingredients. The tart is thought to have originated in the late 1800s in Manchester, England and is often served to children in English schools as part of their lunchtime meals.
The base of a traditional Manchester tart is generally a shortcrust pastry. Shortbread has a thicker, more crumbly texture and richer flavor than other types of shortbread crust due to the high amount of butter compared to flour. It also does not contain a high amount of sugar compared to other types of pastry. The shortbread crust for the tart is traditionally made in-house, but more modern recipes often allow for a store-bought shortbread dough. Once the dough is prepared, it is placed in the bottom of a cake pan, a flat pan similar to a cake pan but deeper and with straight sides rather than the slanted slides of a cake pan.
The process of making a Manchester tart usually begins with baking the shortbread crust for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned to allow it to become firm enough to withstand the additional filling ingredients without becoming soggy. The raspberry jam is then spread over the crust after it cools, then topped with chilled custard, a mixture of eggs, milk, vanilla and sugar that are cooked together until thickened. The dessert is usually garnished with toasted and shredded coconut, which can also be added to the layers of jam and cream for additional flavor and texture.
Other than baking the pastry crust, a Manchester tart requires no baking time. It can be served immediately or chilled after being assembled to allow the cream to firm up. Refrigeration also gives time for the flavors of the other ingredients to meld. Exact chilling time can vary, but a commonly recommended time in many recipes is about an hour.
Although the traditional Manchester tart consists of shortcrust pastry, raspberry jam, custard and coconut, there are variations on the recipe as well. Instead of raspberry, different jam flavors can be used, such as strawberry or apricot. Pieces of fresh fruit can also be incorporated into the custard and jam layers to add more texture and flavor. Some tart recipes also call for finishing the dessert by topping it with whipped cream.
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