Princess Diana’s chef reveals she let Prince Harry eat 50p-sized treacle tart for breakfast

Carolyn Robb shares her tiny treacle tart recipe that has the royal seal of approval

For the orange pastry, you will need:

120g (4oz) butter

2 tbsp golden caster sugar

240g (8oz) plain flour

zest of 1 orange see method

1 medium free-range egg yolk

4 tbsp cold water

For the filling, you will need:  

400g (14oz) golden syrup

150g (5½ oz) fresh white breadcrumbs

zest of 1 lemon see method

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp double cream

Method 

1. First make the orange pastry: in a food processor, combine the butter, sugar and flour and process until it resembles breadcrumbs. Grate the orange zest directly into the bowl. Add the egg yolk and a little of the water, while pulsing the food processor on and off. Continue adding the water until the dough comes together, but be careful not to overprocess or the pastry will be tough when cooked.

2. Remove the pastry from the food processor and, on a lightly floured board, bring it together into a ball. Wrap and chill for 20 minutes.

3. While it is chilling, warm the golden syrup in a small heavy-based saucepan – do not let it boil. Remove from the heat, add the breadcrumbs and grate the lemon zest in. Leave it to sit so that the crumbs absorb the golden syrup and swell.

4. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and roll it out on a floured board to a thickness of about 3mm (⅛ in). Cut out circles to line 20 of the cupcake moulds (or muffin tins or tartlet moulds) and press the pastry down well into each mould. Chill for a further 15 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.

6. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and double cream to the golden syrup and breadcrumb mixture.

7. Place a little filling in each tartlet.

8. Decorate the top of each one with tiny pastry shapes or a lattice of very thin pastry strips (as many as you can fit). You can also personalise them by putting names or initials on the top using pastry letters.

9. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Cool in the moulds for 10 minutes before removing.

10. Serve warm with whipped cream, custard or ice cream, or just pop one in your mouth fresh from the oven.

This recipe makes 20 small tarts.