Easy Toffee Cream Tart

Is my version of an old school butterscotch tart. Made with a light and buttery shortbread pastry and a rich toffee cream filling, it’s absolutely delicious.

The difference between toffee and butterscotch is simply that toffee uses white sugar and butterscotch ses brown sugar. But it’s essentially the same flavour.

This lovely tart is perfect for desserts and special occasions. I’ve decorated with a simple scattering of chopped nuts, but grated chocolate or a caramel drizzle would look lovely too.

Notes on ingredients

• Pastry: In this recipe I’ve used my favourite shortbread pastry, but you could use shortcrust pastry instead if you prefer. The shortbread version works really well as it has a softer texture and buttery flavour. A cheesecake-type biscuit base would also work well. Crush 200g of biscuits or cookies and mix with 75g of melted butter or margarine then press the crumbs into the lined tin and place in a fridge to set.
• Milk: The recipe calls for milk as well as cream, and I like using coconut milk or full fat milk. If you prefer, you can substitute all or half the milk for more cream to make this tart extra luxurious.

Recipe tips and variations

1. Vegan: It’s easy to make this recipe plant-based by substituting the butter and cream for non-dairy versions. The shortbread pastry is already a vegan recipe as it is.
2. Store-bought pastry: If you’re using store-bought pastry, simply roll it out and lay it over the lined flan tin, gently easing it in. Trim off any excess pastry using a sharp knife and bake the pastry case at 200C for 15 minutes. Set it aside to cool, then follow the directions in the recipe.

Storing leftovers

Cover any leftover tart and store it in a fridge for up to 3 days.

Serving suggestions

I like serving this tart with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a squirt of whipped cream. The tart has a rich and luxurious flavour, so the vanilla ice cream works well as it’s not overpoweringly sweet.

If you have a very sweet tooth, try serving with a butterscotch sauce.

INGREDIENTS

SHORTBREAD PASTRY (IF USING):

• 150 g (⅔ cups) softened butter plant-based or dairy
• 65 g (⅓ cups) caster sugar
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 230 g (1 ¾ cups) plain (all purpose) flour
• Alternatively, use a shortcrust pastry case or a cheesecake-style biscuit base (see notes below).

TOFFEE CREAM FILLING:

• 120 g (½ cups) butter plant-based or dairy
• 45 g (¼ cups) brown sugar
• 60 ml (4 tbsp) golden syrup or use more brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 90 ml (6 tbsp) milk preferably full fat or coconut milk, or replace with more cream
• 4 tablespoons plain flour
• 150 ml (½ cups) cream plant-based or dairy

INSTRUCTIONS

MAKE THE SHORTBREAD PASTRY (IF USING):

• Preheat the oven to 160C (320F) and line a loose-bottomed 23cm (9-inch) flan tin.
• Cream together the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.
• Add the flour and salt and mix with a large knife until everything comes together to form a soft dough. This will take a few moments but stick with it – don’t add any liquid to the flour mixture or the final pastry will be too wet. When the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, bring it together with your hands.
• Wrap your dough ball in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry to fit your prepared tin. It should be rolled to a thickness or 5-6mm. If you find the pastry difficult to roll, you can also press it straight into the tin using your hands, moulding it to fit the flan tin. This pastry is very forgiving – you can simply press odd bits of pastry into any gaps.
• Bake the pastry case for 15 minutes then remove the tin from the oven and set aside to cool while you make the toffee cream filling.

MAKE THE TOFFEE CREAM FILLING:

• Place the butter, sugar, golden syrup and vanilla extract into a small saucepan and heat, stirring, until the butter and sugar are melted.
• In a small bowl, add the flour to the milk and stir well to combine.
• Pour the flour and milk mixture and the cream into the saucepan with the sugar and butter mixture and stir well.
• Bring to the boil, stirring constantly as the mixture thickens.
• Remove the pan from the heat and whisk well to ensure everything is fully combined.
• Set aside for about 10 minutes to cool a little, then whisk again.
• Pour into your pastry case and shake gently to level the top.
• Set aside to cool further before placing in the refrigerator to finish setting.
• Decorate the tart with a dusting of icing sugar, chopped nuts or a drizzle of caramel sauce.
• Serve as it is or with a generous helping of cream or custard.

NOTES

1. Store leftovers, covered, in a fridge for up to 3 days.
2. I like shortbread pastry for this tart, but you can also use shortcrust pastry (homemade or store-bought), or for an easy no-bake alternative, use a cheesecake-type biscuit base. Crush 200g of biscuits or cookies and mix with 75g of melted butter or margarine then press the crumbs into the lined tin and place in a fridge to set. Pour in the filling and proceed as above.
3. If you’re using store-bought pastry, simply roll it out and lay it over the lined flan tin, gently easing it in. Trim off any excess pastry using a sharp knife and bake the pastry case at 200C for 15 minutes. Set it aside to cool, then follow the directions in the recipe.

NUTRITION

• Calories: 275kcal
• Carbohydrates: 31g
• Protein: 3g
• Fat: 15g
• Saturated Fat: 5g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 6g
• Cholesterol: 19mg
• Sodium: 138mg
• Potassium: 67mg
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 14g
• Vitamin A: 660IU
• Vitamin C: 1mg
• Calcium: 38mg
• Iron: 1mg

This delicious toffee cream tart recipe is rich and luxurious. It’s perfect for desserts and special occasions, and is simple to make.