By Keighley’s Mike Armstrong, an award-winning master baker with a big passion for baking...

GYPSY tart is a dessert from the Isle of Sheppey in East Kent.

It comprises a shortcrust pastry base, with a whipped evaporated milk and dark muscovado sugar filling baked in the oven, that can be served warm or cold.

Legend has it that a woman on the Isle of Sheppey took pity on some malnourished-looking gypsy children and invented a tart using whatever basic ingredients she could find in her home, food rationing having been introduced because of the war, with which to feed them.

Whether or not this tale is true, gypsy tart was always a staple pudding from the 1960s to 1980s in most primary schools around our region.

At school it was always disgusting, with pastry a foot thick and not enough filling, but it was unbelievably sweet and after eating a huge slice I'd run around the playground on a sugar rush until the bell went.

I have always been intrigued by this retro recipe when I make one, and just can't get my head around the fact that the filling only includes two ingredients.

I just didn't think it was possible that the tart would set, as there were no eggs or thickening agents such as cornflour or even plain flour to help it along. As far as I was concerned it couldn't possibly work! But, it does! The only thing I can put this down to is the fact the muscovado sugar and evaporated milk has to be beaten together for a considerable time before being poured into the pastry case to be baked. I presume some manner of chemical reaction takes place after all that beating, which results in a stabilisation of the two ingredients allowing it to 'set' when baked in the oven. But if you are going to make this gypsy tart, it's really important to ensure that you use dark brown muscovado sugar as no substitutes will create that same effect when baked.

This dessert is very sweet, as I mentioned, and I do recommend serving it in thin enough slivers – and do be tempted to pour over some cream. It will give you a sugar rush and have you digging out your skateboard! This explosive mixture of sugars will come as close to atheroma as you can get and should be served with a health warning, but I'm sure this gypsy tart will also appeal to any 'fussy' eaters with its hidden healthy twist of bananas on the base!

RECIPE

GYPSY TART

Serves 8

Ingredients:

300g shortcrust pastry, homemade or ready-made

230ml large tin of Carnation condensed milk, cold from the fridge

170ml small tin of Carnation evaporated milk

175g/6oz soft, light brown muscovado sugar

1 large banana sliced, optional

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/160C fan/Gas Mark 5, then line a 20cm/8-inch pastry case or similar container, prick the base and blind bake for 20 minutes.

2. When the pastry case has cooled, slice over the banana.

3. Pour the condensed milk, evaporated milk and brown sugar into a large mixing bowl.

4. Using an electric handheld whisk or stand mixer, whisk until you have a light coloured, aerated, mousse-like mixture; it will take around 10 minutes to achieve this consistency.

5. Pour the mousse-like mixture into the prepared pastry case – if you have a little over, don’t be tempted to overfill the flan.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for around 20-25 minutes until golden coloured and just set, but a bit wobbly in the middle.