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Tarte à la ferlouche
Molasses and raisin pie
Quebec molasses and raisin pie set with cornstarch
Ferlouche is an old Quebec farmhouse pie, the kind served at the Christmas réveillon, at sugar-shack lunches in spring and at church suppers in the Beauce. Molasses, brown sugar and water are cooked into a dark, glossy custard thickened with cornstarch and full of raisins, then poured into a crisp crust. It needs no eggs at all, and tastes of caramel, toffee and a little spice. The crust is traditionally made with lard, but this version uses butter and vegetable shortening, so it is vegetarian. Stopping the cooking as soon as the filling thickens is a frequent mistake: the cornstarch needs a proper boil or the pie never sets and tastes floury. Chef's tip: let the cooked filling boil for a full 2 minutes, stirring, until it turns from cloudy to translucent.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 9 oz plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 ⅞ oz cold butterdiced
- 1 ¾ oz vegetable shorteningcold
- ¼ cup iced waterabout
For the filling
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¾ cup light molasses
- 2 ⅝ oz brown sugar
- 1 ⅝ oz cornflour
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 ⅝ oz raisins
- ⅔ oz butter
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To serve
- ¾ cup whipped cream (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rub 2 ⅞ oz cold butter and 1 ¾ oz vegetable shortening into 9 oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt until there are still small flakes of fat. Add ¼ cup iced water a spoonful at a time and press into a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Roll the pastry to 3 mm, line a 23 cm pie dish and crimp the edge. Prick the base and chill for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Line with baking paper and baking beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans, lower the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and bake for 10–12 minutes more, until the base is golden and dry.
27 minStep 4: Meanwhile, bring 1 ½ cups water, ¾ cup light molasses, 2 ⅝ oz brown sugar and 2 ⅝ oz raisins to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.
Step 5: Mix 1 ⅝ oz cornflour with ¼ cup cold water until smooth and whisk it into the pan. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens, then let it bubble for a full 2 minutes, until glossy and translucent.
5 minStep 6: Take off the heat and stir in ⅔ oz butter, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Step 7: Pour the hot filling into the baked case and smooth it. Return to the oven for 8–10 minutes, until the surface is set and just bubbling at the edges.
10 minStep 8: Cool for at least 3 hours, until firm enough to slice cleanly. Serve with ¾ cup whipped cream if you like. Keeps for 3 days, covered.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 63 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tarte à la ferlouche take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cold butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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