Smoked Hay and Maple Treacle Tart

For the pastry

• 75g maple sugar
• 225g plain flour
• 115g unsalted butter (cut into cubes at room temperature)
• 1 egg
• A pinch of salt
• Butter for greasing pastry tin

For the filling

• 100g butter (will make 60g smoked hay butter) and enough butter to grease a tart case
• A handful of hay
• 450g maple syrup (preferably amber syrup for its rich taste)
• 70ml cream
• 260g breadcrumbs
• 60g egg yolk
• Zest and juice of 1 lime

1. To make the smoked hay butter, place a small pan on low heat and add the butter cubes.
2. Add the handful of hay and set the hay on fire, then cover with foil or lid and leave for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, remove from the heat and sit to one side for 1 hour.
3. Strain off the hay and keep 60g of the infused butter, setting aside to use later for the filling.
4. Grease a tart case with butter, then line the bottom with greaseproof paper.
5. For the pastry, sieve flour and salt into a mixer, add in the maple sugar and mix it together with a paddle attachment for 2 minutes.
6. Add the smoked hay butter into the pastry mix and turn on a medium speed until you reach a breadcrumb consistency. Then, add the egg into the mix and continue until all mixed together.
7. Remove the pastry from the mixer and bring it together with your hands, form a ball and wrap it in clingfilm, leave to rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
8. For the filling, add maple, smoked butter, lime zest and juice to a pan then bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add in the breadcrumbs, cream and egg yolk and mix well.
9. Dust a surface with plain flour to roll out your pastry. Roll your pastry into a circle shape until it is about half a centimetre thick, lay this over your lined pastry case.
10. Tear off a small bit of pastry from the overhang and use this to push in the corners of the pastry into the tin.
11. Place baking paper inside the tart case and fill with rice (for blind baking).
12. Put pastry back in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes and pre–heat your oven to 160°C. 
13. Bake the tart for 20 minutes, then remove the baking paper with the rice in. Brush with egg wash and continue to cook for a further 8 minutes. 
14. Remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 140°C. Put the filling inside the cooked tart case, flatten down until smooth then bake for 18 minutes. 
15. Once out of the oven, trim the edges of the pastry, remove the tart from the tin and brush the top of with more maple syrup.