Celebrate Yorkshire Day with the county's best recipes: curd tarts, fat rascals, liquorice and ginger beer  (2024)

Yorkshire Day is celebrated eachyear on August 1, and this year the official festivities will be hosted inRipon with a parade, live musicand picnicking - as well as a civic service at Ripon Cathedral.

But what better way to celebrate than by rediscovering andreimagining the classicrecipes and the finest produce of the UK's largest county?

Wensleydale cheese from Hawes, Yorkshire puddings andYorkshire forced rhubarb from the famousRhubarb Triangle spring to mind - but have you ever tried a traditional Yorkshire curd tart, or a fat rascal (historically known as a turf cake)?

Here, we select some of our favourite Yorkshire-inspired recipes to mark the occasion.

Yorkshire curd tarts

Recipe courtesy of Bettys Cookery School

Traditionally baked at Whitsuntide, lightly spiced and sometimes also flavoured with rosewater,this baked treat is Yorkshire's answer to cheesecake.

INGREDIENTS

For the sweet pastry

• 250g plain flour
• 100g chilled butter, diced
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 2-3 tbsp cold water

For the filling

• 170g Yorkshire curd
• 10g plain flour
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 100g butter, softened
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 medium egg,beaten
• 50g currants
• 50g lemon curd

Equipment

15cm baking ring

METHOD

1. To make the pastry case, place the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles crumbs.Stir in the sugar.
2. Beat the egg yolks with 2 tablespoons of cold water and add to the dry ingredients. Quickly mix together using a cutlery knife and then with your hands bring the pastry together to form a smooth dough. If the pastry feels dry add another 1-2 tablespoons of water (do this before bringing the pastry together). Try not to make the pastry too wet or else it will shrink on baking and it will also make the pastry tough. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.
3. Preheat the oven to 195C/ Gas 5. Roll out the pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Place your ring onto a baking sheet with baking parchment and line the ring with the pastry. Chill the pastry in the fridge until firm.
4. Tomake the filling,rain the excess moisture from the Yorkshire curd by placing it in a sieve and squeeze out the excess moisture using the back of a spoon. Place the Yorkshire curd in a large bowl and beat using a wooden spoon to remove any lumps. Add the flour and nutmeg and mix until it is relatively smooth.
5. In a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy using an electric whisk. Gradually add the beaten egg. Now add the Yorkshire curd to the pastry cases and make sure it is evenly blended throughout the mixture. Stir in the currants and mix until well combined.
6. Trim off the excess pastry with a knife or rolling pin and Spoon the lemon curd into the base of the chilled pastry case. Add the Yorkshire curd mixture on top and level off using the back of a spoon. Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is cooked and the filling has set. The tart should have a light golden brown colour.
7. Allow the tart to cool in the ring for 15-20 minutes to set up before removing the baking ring. Serve with clotted cream.

Rose Prince's Yorkshire fat rascals

Recipe courtesy of cookery writer Rose Prince

INGREDIENTS

• 450g self-raising flour
• 225g butter
• 225gcurrants
• 55g chopped mixed peel
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 55g soft brown sugar
• A pinch of salt
• Approximately 250ml-300ml milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt, to glaze
• Glacé cherries and whole blanched almonds, to decorate

Equipment

• 12cm round cutter
• Baking sheet lined with baking parchment

METHOD

1. Put the flour in a mixing bowl and rub the butter into it with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the fruit, spices, salt and sugar then enough of the milk, with the lemon juice, to make a soft dough. Work quickly and with a light touch – don’t flatten it.
2. Flour the worktop and roll the dough out to a thickness of 3cm/1 ¼ in. Cut 10-12 rounds and place on the baking sheet. Brush with the egg glaze, then make “faces” on the surface with cherries and almonds.
3. Bake for about 20-30 minutes at 180C/Gas 4, until the cakes are golden and firm to the touch. Eat on the same day as they are baked.

Yorkshire parkin

Recipe courtesy of Bettys Cookery School

INGREDIENTS

• 100g butter
• 40g black treacle
• 180g golden syrup
• 110g soft brown sugar
• 100g self raising flour
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 40g oats
• 40g ground almonds
• 2 tsp whole milk
• 2 medium eggs

Equipment

• 8 mini loaf tins/1lb loaf tin

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/ Gas 4. Line the base of the mini loaf tins with a piece of baking parchment paper.
2. Place the butter, black treacle, golden syrup and soft brown sugar in a heavy based pan over a medium heat. Gently warm through to melt the butter and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. When the mixture comes up to the boil, turn off the heat and set aside whilst you prepare the other ingredients.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the self raising flour, spices, oats and ground almonds until they are well combined.
4. Pour the warm mixture over the dry ingredients and mix in well. Set the mixture aside to cool a little.
5. Beat the milk and egg together thoroughly and then gradually stir into the warm mixture.
6. Pour the mix into the prepared loaf tins and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
7. Leave the loaves to cool down slightly before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.

Lindy Wildsmith's old-fashioned ginger beer

Recipe courtesy of cookery writer and teacher Lindy Wildsmith

No celebration of Yorkshire would be complete without lashings of ginger beer,since the soft drink is said to have originated in Yorkshire in the 18th century.

This recipe will keeps for a week or so in a cool place. Once open, drink up within a few days, before the sparkle subsides.

MAKES

2 to 3 litres

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 a lemon
• 20-50 g fresh ginger root, according to taste
• 2 litres boiling water
• 250g sugar cubes
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tspfresh baker’s yeast
• 1 tsp caster sugar

Equipment

• Earthenware crock, very large deep bowl or large stainless-steel pan
• Sterilised plasticbottles with screwcaps

METHOD

1. Pare the lemon zest thinly using a potato peeler, avoiding the white pith; squeeze the juice, strain and reserve. Bruise the fresh ginger using a rolling pin or wooden mallet.
2. Pour the boiling water into a crock, very large deep bowl or large stainless-steel pan, add the bruised ginger, sugar cubes, cream of tartar, the lemon zest and juice and leave to cool to 30°C.
3. Mix the yeast and caster sugar to make a paste and add to the other ingredients; stir well. Set the bowl over a tray to catch any spillage and leave to stand overnight.
4. In the morning skim off any debris that might have formed on the ginger beer using a slotted spoon; strain into a large jug and use a funnel to pour into bottles. Screw down the lids. The ginger beer is ready but improves if allowed to steep in the bottle for 2 days. Take care when opening the bottles as the ginger beer is likely to be very lively! Transfer to a jug to serve if you don’t want to pour from a plastic bottle.

John Whaite's chocolate and liquorice tart

Recipe courtesy offormer Bake off winner and food writer John Whaite

Pontefract in West Yorkshire was once famous for liquorice, and to this day hosts a liquorice festival in July each year. The liquorice industry is no more, although Farmer Copleys has sought to instigate a revivaland recently harvested their first crop.

Here, John Whaites puts forward an indulgent way to enjoy the sweet treat, inspired by Nigella Lawson.

SERVES

8-10

INGREDIENTS

• 300g Bourbon biscuits
• 300g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
• 1 tsp pure liquorice lozenges
• 300ml single cream
• 75g soft eating liquorice
• 50g unsalted butter
• 40ml water
• Sea salt flakes

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ Gas6. Lightly grease a 35 × 12cm tarte maison tin or a 23cm round flan tin.
2. In a food processor, blitz the biscuits and the butter to a damp, finely ground rubble. Tip the mixture into the tin and press it onto the base and up the sides – it takes a little time to get this even and smooth, but keep at it. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, just to dry it out a little, then allow to cool completely.
3. For the filling, chop the chocolate, place it into a heatproof bowl and set aside until needed. Put the lozenges into a saucepan with the water and bring to the boil. Stir to dissolve the lozenges – this will take a little while – then stir in the cream. Heat until the cream starts to bubble at the edges, and pour it over the chocolate in the bowl. Let the cream melt the chocolate for 30 seconds, then whisk to a smooth, glossy ganache. Pour the ganache into the tart case and level out.
4. Chop the eating liquorice into irregular nuggets and scatter these over the tart. Chill for at least 4 hours and sprinkle over the salt before serving.

Related Topics

• Cake,
• South Yorkshire,
• North Yorkshire,
• West Yorkshire