Rachel Roddy shares a recipe for a medieval-inspired almond and lemon spiced treacle tart, reminiscent of a dessert she encountered at La Torricella in Rome's Testaccio district. The torta medievale, as owner Augusto calls it, features a spiced almond and dried fruit filling that Roddy compares to a classic treacle tart.
The recipe combines golden syrup or honey with ground almonds, sultanas, pine nuts, and spices, including ground cloves and lemon zest. Roddy emphasises the importance of lemon juice and zest to balance the sweetness, and suggests using a mix of golden syrup and honey for depth of flavour.
The pastry is made with butter, flour, salt, and a small amount of caster sugar, blind-baked until golden. The filling is warmed in a pan before being poured into the tart case and baked until firm. Roddy recommends serving the tart dusted with icing sugar and accompanied by cold mascarpone or cream, though she notes her father prefers vanilla ice cream.
Roddy also recounts the history of golden syrup, from its origins as a byproduct of sugar refining by Abram Lyle in 1881 to its iconic green tin with the lion and bees, inspired by the biblical story of Samson.
