Ecclefechan Tart: The Dumfriesshire Answer to Mince Pies

Ecclefechan tart is a dried fruit and walnut filling bound with butter, brown sugar, egg and a spoonful of vinegar, baked in a shortcrust case. It is named for the Dumfriesshire village of Ecclefechan, it appears in quantity every Christmas, and it is the closest thing Scotland has to a mince pie that is not a mince pie.

It is also considerably easier than a mince pie, because there is no mincemeat to make or buy and no lids to cut.

What it tastes like

Rich, chewy and sweet, with the fruit softened into a set butterscotch-ish filling and the walnuts giving it structure and a slight bitterness. The texture is closer to a pecan pie or a Canadian butter tart than to a British fruit tart — the filling sets rather than staying loose, and it slices into clean wedges once cold.

The lemon zest and the vinegar are what stop it being cloying. Without them it is very sweet indeed.

The vinegar, explained

A tablespoon of vinegar in a sweet tart reads like a typo. It is not, and it is in the traditional recipe for a reason: acidity cuts through a filling that is otherwise butter, sugar and dried fruit. It is the same job lemon juice does in a treacle tart or in tablet — it stops the sweetness sitting flat on the palate.

You will not taste vinegar in the finished tart. You will taste its absence if you leave it out.

White wine vinegar is the usual choice. Cider vinegar works and adds a faint apple note that suits the dried fruit. Malt vinegar does not — it is too assertive and it will announce itself.

Method

1. Blind-bake the case properly. This is a wet filling and a soggy bottom is the standard failure. Line, fill with beans, bake until the edges are set, remove the beans and give it another few minutes until the base is dry and sandy.
2. Melt the butter and let it cool a little before it meets the eggs, or you will scramble them.
3. Whisk butter, sugar, eggs and vinegar to a smooth batter, then fold in the fruit, walnuts and zest.
4. Bake at a moderate heat, 160°C fan, for 35–40 minutes. It should be set at the edges with a slight wobble in the middle — it firms considerably as it cools, and a tart baked until completely solid in the oven will be dry.
5. Cool completely in the tin. Cutting it warm gives you a delicious mess.

The pastry

A plain sweet shortcrust is right — the filling is doing all the work and a rich, heavily sugared pastry makes the whole thing one-note. If you are making your own, keep the sugar in the pastry modest and add the lemon zest to the filling rather than the case.

Two things worth knowing for a wet filling like this one:

• Chill the lined case before blind-baking. Twenty minutes in the fridge stops the sides slumping down the tin, which is what leaves you with a shallow case and filling over the rim.
• Seal the base. A thin brush of beaten egg white over the hot blind-baked case, returned to the oven for two minutes, forms a barrier that keeps the base crisp under a filling this liquid. It is the single most effective trick against a soggy bottom and it takes no time.

Bought shortcrust is entirely acceptable and is what most Scottish kitchens use for this. Blind-bake it exactly as you would your own.

Ecclefechan tart vs treacle tart vs mince pies

• Ecclefechan tart — dried fruit and walnuts set in butter, brown sugar and egg. Chewy, dark, no syrup.
• Treacle tart — golden syrup thickened with breadcrumbs, lemon-sharpened. No dried fruit, no nuts, much softer set.
• Mince pies — spiced mincemeat (dried fruit, suet, spirits) in individual cases with lids. Spiced; the Ecclefechan is not, particularly.

The Ecclefechan is the least spiced of the three and the most texturally interesting, because of the walnuts.

Individual tarts

The filling works perfectly in a bun tin as small tarts, which is how it is most often sold in Scottish bakeries and supermarkets at Christmas. Blind-bake the cases, fill them two-thirds full — the filling rises a little and then settles — and drop the bake to about 20 minutes.

Made this way they keep well in a tin for the best part of a week and are a straightforward thing to give away, which is why they turn up in Scottish hampers alongside shortbread and tablet.

Keeping and serving

Cold, in wedges, with nothing on it. Warm, with cream or custard, if it is standing in as the pudding. It keeps three or four days in a tin and does not need refrigerating — chilling makes the filling hard and mutes it.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Ecclefechan tart?

A Scottish tart from the Dumfriesshire village of Ecclefechan, filled with dried fruit and walnuts set in melted butter, brown sugar and egg, with a spoonful of vinegar and lemon zest to balance the sweetness. It is baked in a shortcrust case and served cold in wedges.

Why is there vinegar in Ecclefechan tart?

To cut a filling that is otherwise butter, sugar and dried fruit. It performs the same balancing job as lemon juice in a treacle tart, and it is not detectable as vinegar in the finished tart. White wine or cider vinegar; not malt.

What is the difference between Ecclefechan tart and treacle tart?

Ecclefechan tart is dried fruit and walnuts set in butter, brown sugar and egg — chewy and dark. Treacle tart is golden syrup thickened with breadcrumbs and sharpened with lemon, with no dried fruit or nuts and a much softer set.

Can you make Ecclefechan tarts as individual tarts?

Yes — the same filling works in a bun tin. Blind-bake the cases, fill them two-thirds full and bake for about 20 minutes. This is how they are usually sold in Scottish bakeries.

How long does Ecclefechan tart keep?

Three or four days in an airtight tin at room temperature. Do not refrigerate it: chilling hardens the set filling and dulls the flavour.