Traditional in Yorkshire, curd tart is a fantastic teatime treat. A crisp pastry case is filled with sweetened milk curds and currants and the tart is flavoured with nutmeg and lemon. It has a cheesecake vibe and is an absolute favourite in our house. Curds aren’t widely available, but cottage cheese makes an excellent substitute so that’s what I used in this recipe.  

Serves:  8               Preparation:  1.5 hours (plus chilling)

Ingredients
200g        Plain flour
100g        Butter (cold)
89-90ml  Very cold water
100g        Honey
75g          Butter (soft)
3               Eggs, medium
250g        Cottage cheese
1               Lemon, zested
75g          Currants
¼-½          Nutmeg, grated

Tip:   Save time by swapping shortcrust for layers of buttered filo pastry

Method

1.    Make shortcrust pastry in a food processor or by hand, mixing/rubbing the flour and cold butter together before mixing in 80–90ml of very cold water until the dough is formed. Press the dough together and form a flattened disc. Place this in an airtight container and chill for at least 45 minutes. 

2.    Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to fit a shallow 20cm (8 inch) diameter tart tin. Blind bake the case, weighing the pastry down with a layer of parchment paper and baking beans or uncooked rice. Cook for 15–20 minutes with the weights before carefully removing the parchment paper and baking for a further five minutes until the base is cooked through. 

3.    Make the filling by adding the soft butter and honey into a large bowl and beating well before briefly beating in 3 eggs. Add the cottage cheese (strained of any liquid if necessary), currants, lemon zest and grate in ¼ to ½ of a nutmeg (approx. ½ tsp ground nutmeg). Fold everything together carefully and add the mixture to the pastry case, spreading evenly.

4.    Place in the preheated oven, dropping the temperature to 180°C (160°C fan) and bake for 30–35 minutes until cooked through and the tart has a rich mottled brown surface.

5.    Allow the tart to cool for at least 30 minutes, giving the filling time to completely set. Serve warm or at room temperature.