This delicious recipe for an old fashioned Manchester Tart with Banana is easy to follow with step-by-step instructions. A classic school dinner dessert said to originate in Manchester, hence the name. The shortcrust pastry case has a layer of jam, desiccated coconut, banana and custard, with a topping of more coconut and a single (optional) cherry in the centre.
Allow yourself plenty of time to make the pastry case. You can make the pastry dough ahead of time and bake it the next day. Or bake the whole pastry case and leave it covered in the fridge so that you can make the custard and fill it the next day.
This Shortcrust Pastry eBook - Getting Back to Basics, covers in depth how to line a tart tin, blind bake and more and contains sweet and savoury recipes to add to your recipe collection.
If you have lots of overripe bananas, try making this Easy Hazelnut Banana Bread Recipe or this Banana Sponge Pudding.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used to make this Manchester Tart Recipe, with possible alternatives and why I may have used them.
- Egg Yolks. These give the custard filling a rich flavour.
- Milk - I used whole milk, which also gives the custard a rich taste.
- Banana - Thinly sliced banana is ideal. You could also use slices of dried banana. Or leave them out if you don't like them.
- Fats - A mix of butter and vegetable shortening gives a crisp texture to the pastry. You could use all butter if you wish.
- Flour - I love using Spelt white flour. Plain flour is fine.
- Jam - Strawberry Jam or Raspberry Jam is fine. Or use your favourite jam. See what you have leftover in the fridge.
- Coconut - Desiccated is normally used.
- Sugar - Caster sugar is finer than granulated, but if that is all you have, that's fine. Icing sugar is fine, too.
- Corn Flour/Corn Starch - This helps to thicken the custard. Plain white flour is fine as an alternative.
- Vanilla Extract - Use the best that you can. Try making your own, too.
- Glace Cherry - This is an optional decoration.
You will find a full list of ingredients and quantities on the recipe card below. Or click the 'Jump To Recipe' button at the top of this post.
Instructions for Making a Manchester Tart
I have added plenty of step-by-step instructions on how to make Manchester Tart with Banana. If it's your first time making shortcrust pastry or making your own homemade custard please read through the recipe before you begin.
I won't judge you if you want to use ready-made pastry and ready-made custard. Whatever you decide to do, I am sure it will taste great.
Grease a 23cm/9inch fluted loose-bottomed tart tin approx 1.25 inch/3.5 cm deep. Or similar-sized container.
Step 1: Place the flour, butter and vegetable shortening into a food processor.
Step 2: Blitz until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency. You can also use the rub-in method using your fingertips. But this will take a little longer. These Pastry Making FAQs may be helpful to you.
Step 3: Gradually add enough of the water and start to bring all the mixture together until you have a ball of smooth, firm dough. TIP: You may not need all of the water, so don’t add it all at once.
Step 4: Flatten the pastry a little and wrap it in cling film or baking parchment. Place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest and firm up. Tip: You can leave it overnight in the fridge if you want to bake the next day.
Step 5: Roll the pastry out between two sheets of baking parchment to about 3 mm thick and large enough to line your tin. Cover the tin and press the dough firmly into the sides and corners, leaving the remaining dough overlapping the sides.
Remove surplus pastry by moving your rolling pin over the top of the tin, cutting through the pastry. Tip: Freeze any offcuts to make a quick pie topping another time.
Neaten the edges and sides using your fingertips, allowing the pastry to lift slightly proud of the top edges. This allows for a small amount of shrinkage during baking.
Prick the pastry base at intervals with a fork.
Step 6: Cover the pastry dough with a sheet of crunched-up baking parchment with overlap on the sides. Return the dough to the fridge and leave for a further 30 minutes to rest and firm up.
Step 7: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200c deg fan oven. Remove the pastry from the fridge, add enough dried baking beans to cover the baking parchment, and support the sides of the pastry. Bake for 20 minutes in the centre of the oven until the pastry feels dry to the touch.
Step 8: Remove the baking parchment and baking beans and return the pastry to the oven for two more minutes to dry a little more. When baked, remove from the oven and allow the pastry to cool completely before adding the filling.
Make the Custard for the Manchester Tart Filling.
Step 9: Beat together the egg yolks with the sugar until it reaches a pale colour. Add the cornflour and mix until well combined.
Step 10: Heat the milk to just below boiling point, then gradually pour it into the egg mixture, stirring continuously.
Step 11: Pour the custard mixture into a clean pan and bring it slowly to a boil, stirring continuously until it begins to thicken. This should only take a couple of minutes. TIP: The custard mix may appear lumpy at first, but this will become smooth if you keep stirring.
Step 12: Take off the heat and allow the custard to cool a little before adding the vanilla extract and mixing well.
Step 13: Spread the jam evenly onto the base of the cold pastry case, scatter with half of the coconut, then layer slices of banana on top. Spread the cooled custard over the top.
Step 15: Sprinkle with the remaining coconut. Add a cherry in the centre (optional). Cover and chill in the fridge until set. This could take a couple of hours.
Equipment
Food Processor - I always make pastry dough in a food processor. I find it quicker and easier to achieve the breadcrumb consistency needed to make a good pastry. You can still achieve this using the rubbing-in method, but it takes longer.
Tart Tin - I love fluted tart tins, they create a lovely decorative edging on the tart. For this recipe, I used a 23cm/9inch fluted loose-bottomed tart tin approx 1.25 inch/3.5 cm deep. With a loose bottom, it makes it easier to remove the tart once it is baked and set. You can use a smaller tin, but you will not need as much filling. You can make a few jam tarts with the leftover pastry and jam or small Manchester Tarts using a bun or muffin tin.
Storage
- Fridge - This Manchester Tart with Banana will stay fresh in the fridge for a couple of days. If you use slices of fresh banana, it may start to turn brown a little.
- Freezer - I doubt this is suitable for freezing. The custard may crack, and the bananas will go mushy when thawed.
Tips and FAQs
- Tip 1 - Use a loose bottom container, as this will make it easier to remove the tart when baked and set.
- Tip 2 - You may not need all of the water when making the pastry, so don’t add it all at once.
- Tip 3 - The custard mixture may appear lumpy at first as you bring it up to the boil, but this will become smooth if you keep stirring.
- Tip 4 - Freeze any offcuts of shortcrust pastry to make a quick pie topping another time.
The Manchester Tart is an old-fashioned school dinner dessert, popular in the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's. And often includes slices of banana.
A shortcrust pastry shell with a layer of jam, desiccated coconut, custard and more coconut. With a decoration of a single cherry in the centre. You can often find a layer of slices of banana under the layer of custard.
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Recipe
Manchester Tart with Banana
Equipment
- Tart Tin 23cm/9inch fluted loose-bottomed tart tin approx 1.25 inch/3.5 cm deep. Or similar-sized container.
- Baking Parchment
Ingredients
For the Basic Shortcrust Pastry
- 200 g white spelt flour or plain white flour
- 50 g butter fridge cold, cut into cubes
- 50 g Vegetable shortening such as Trex. Fridge cold
- 50 g cold water. You may not need it all
For the Custard
- 3 medium egg yolks
- 60 g caster sugar
- 30 g corn flour or plain flour
- 450 ml whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Or to taste.
For the Filling and Topping
- Strawberry Jam
- 100 g desiccated coconut
- 1 banana
- 1 glace cherry optional
Instructions
- Grease a 23cm/9inch fluted loose-bottomed tart tin approx 1.25 inch/3.5 cm deep. Or similar-sized container.
- Place the flour, butter and vegetable shortening into a food processor. Blitz until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency. You can also use the rub-in method using your fingertips. But this will take a little longer.200 g white spelt flour or plain white flour, 50 g butter, 50 g Vegetable shortening such as Trex.
- Gradually add enough of the water and bring all the mixture together until you have a ball of smooth, firm dough. TIP: You may not need all the water, so don’t add it all at once.50 g cold water.
- Flatten the pastry a little and wrap it in cling film or baking parchment. Place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to rest and firm up. Tip: Leave it overnight in the fridge if you want to bake the next day.
- Roll the pastry out between two sheets of baking parchment to about 3 mm thick and large enough to line your tin. Cover the tin and press the dough firmly into the sides and corners, leaving the remaining dough overlapping the sides.
- Remove surplus pastry by moving your rolling pin over the top of the tin, cutting through the pastry. Tip: Freeze any offcuts to make a quick pie topping another time.
- Neaten the edges and sides using your fingertips, allowing the pastry to lift slightly proud of the top edges. This allows for a small amount of shrinkage during baking.
- Prick the pastry base at intervals with a fork. Cover the pastry dough with a sheet of crunched-up baking parchment with overlap on the sides. Return the dough to the fridge and leave for 30 minutes to rest and firm up.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200c deg fan oven. Remove the pastry from the fridge, add enough dried baking beans to cover the baking parchment, and support the sides of the pastry. Bake for 20 minutes in the centre of the oven until the pastry feels dry to the touch.
- Remove the baking parchment and baking beans and return the pastry to the oven for two more minutes to dry a little more. When baked, remove from the oven and allow the pastry to cool completely before adding the filling.
Make The Custard
- Beat together the egg yolks with the sugar until it reaches a pale colour. Add the cornflour and mix until well combined.3 medium egg yolks, 60 g caster sugar, 30 g corn flour or plain flour
- Heat the milk to just below boiling point, then gradually pour it into the egg mixture, stirring continuously.450 ml whole milk
- Pour the custard mixture into a clean pan and bring it slowly to a boil, stirring continuously until it begins to thicken. This should only take a couple of minutes. TIP: The custard mix may appear lumpy at first, but this will become smooth if you keep stirring.
- Allow the custard to cool a little before adding the vanilla extract and mixing well.2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Or to taste.
- Spread the jam evenly onto the base of the cold pastry case, scatter with half of the coconut, then layer slices of banana on top. Spread the cooled custard over the top.1 banana, Strawberry Jam, 100 g desiccated coconut, 1 glace cherry
- Sprinkle with the remaining coconut. Add a cherry in the centre (optional). Cover and chill in the fridge until set. This could take a couple of hours.
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Notes
Nutrition
Note: Recipes are tested using Metric only. The provided nutrition information is an estimate for the entire recipe, the calorie accuracy nutritional facts, unit and portion conversion are calculated by a third party app. and are not guaranteed.
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