Spiced Autumn Walnut and Golden Syrup Tart-Pie

This sticky and lightly spiced walnut tart is absolutely perfect for any autumn gathering, especially Thanksgiving, Halloween or Bonfire Night. It combines walnuts together with warm spices and a hint of orange, which are all bound together in a buttery syrup filling.......if you cannot get hold of golden syrup, you can use honey instead. Serve this pie with a dollop of cream, crème fraiche or yoghurt.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 Walnut and Syrup Tart/Pie

Ingredients

• PASTRY

• 150  g plain flour
• 1  pinch salt
• 75  g butter

• PIE FILLING

• 3  medium eggs
• 1  tablespoon milk
• 50  g demerara sugar
• 150  ml golden syrup or 150  ml  organic honey
• 50  g butter, softened
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1  orange, rind of, finely grated
• 150  g  shelled walnut halves

Directions

1. PASTRY.
2. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl then rub the butter in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Then stir in enough water to give a soft but not sticky dough. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface then use to line a 30cm x 10cm / 12in x 4in rectangular fluted flan tin. Trim off any excess pastry then line with baking paper and beans and bake blind in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and cook for a further 5 minutes until lightly browned.
4. Meanwhile beat the eggs and milk together. Boil the Demerara sugar and syrup together in a saucepan for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the butter, cinnamon, vanilla and orange rind and cool slightly. Slowly pour the syrup mixture onto the beaten eggs and milk mixture.
5. Scatter the walnuts over the pastry case and then spoon the syrup mixture over and smooth over the surface with the back of a spoon.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C/425°F/Gas 7 for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3 and cook for a further 40-50 minutes or until the filling is set.
7. Serve either hot or cold with a dollop of cream, creme fraiche or yoghurt.