Posted By Laura in Family Recipes, Just for You, Retro School Dinners Recipes | 53 comments
Here we have it, by popular request, the next in the School Dinners Puddings recipe collection. D’you know, I didn’t actually remember this one. Not at all. Thick Fudge Tart? No clue. But then, I obtained the recipe (stolen from the back of an envelope which ‘fell’ out of MIL’s recipe book when she wasn’t looking) for School Dinners Fudge Tart, brought it home and gave it a go.
And as I was standing at the hob, beating away at this creamy coloured mix, it started to thicken… and all of a sudden the synapses fired up. I actually said “yeeeesssssssss!!!” in an excited fashion into the empty kitchen. Because I DO remember it. I do, I do, I DOOOO! Only I didn’t know it as Fudge Tart. I knew it as that yummy-thick-creamy-sweet-vanilla-y-thing-on-pastry.
But as it all came together, it did what every school dinners puddings recipes should do. It made me feel 9 again, and gave me that warm comfortable happy spot. *happy*
Serve with thick, creamy school dinners yellow custard, naturally… (or maybe chocolate custard – just switch the pink blancmange mix for a chocolate one).
The recipe is an old one, so it’s in Imperial – I’ve converted it, but I always set my digital scales to imperial for this. It just doesn’t feel right making a school dinners pudding in metric, does it? I suppose, if you’re in a hurry a ready made pastry case, or a block of shortcrust pastry would do the job. But… it’s not quite in the spirit of the school dinners canteen, is it?
Pastry
- 170g / 6oz plain flour
- 85g / 3oz butter
(original recipe states 1 ½oz marg, 1 ½oz lard/ shortening) - 45ml / 1½ fl oz water.
Filling
- 285ml / ½ pint milk,
- 85g / 3oz sugar
- 115g / 4oz marg (butter!),
- 60g / 2oz plain flour,
- 5ml / 1tsp vanilla essence.
- 15g / ½oz grated chocolate.
Method
- Make up pastry as normal – new bakers can use the BBC recipe here – then line and grease 8″ flan tin.
- Bake blind for 15 minutes. Gas 5, 185ºC (180º fan)
- Pour half the milk into saucepan, add butter and heat till nearly boiling.
- While you wait, blend the remainder of milk with the flour and beat to a smooth paste.
- Add the flour/milk paste to the hot the milk mixture, quickly add the sugar and cook thoroughly (stir and stir and stir) until a thick smooth finish is obtained.
- Add the vanilla essence and beat through.
- Pour in pastry case and leave to cool.
- Decorate with the grated chocolate.
Author: Laura
A 70's child, I’ve been married for a Very Long Time, and appear to have made four children, and collected one large and useless dog along the way.I work, I have four children, I have a dog… ergo, I do not do dusting or ironing.I began LittleStuff back in (gulp) 2004.I like huge mugs of tea. And Coffee. And Cake. And a steaming cone of crispy fresh fluffy chips, smothered in salt and vinegar. #healthyeaterWhen I grow up I am going to be quietly graceful, organised and wear lipstick every day. In the meantime I *may* have a slight butterfly-brain issue.
Marion
1 June 2011
I thought it was only my school that did Fudge Tart, did you go to my school or was it every school in the land that was eating this glorious dessert? Thank you so much for the recipe anyway, I shall definitely be making this!!! Cornflake Tart and Jam & Coconut Sponge Squares were also divine at school, but I don’t remember anything called chocolate concrete. We did have cream buns at break time every day though, can you imagine that now? Jamie would not be impressed, probably get the school closed down!!!
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Mia
1 August 2016
Schools fudge tart is lovely so I decided to make one for me and my little brother because I love baking and cooking.?????
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Sarah Parry
5 December 2018
Hi there, is it white or brown sugar?
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Sue Marsden
12 February 2019
I used brown, more taste
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Mark Parry
23 March 2019
I had this in my schools in Shropshire too. So it was universally spread out everywhere.
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Martin
3 October 2020
Hi Marion, my heart almost skipped a beat when I found this recipe. I remember 40 years ago when I was enrolled at the age of 5 in a very strict boarding school in Devon. The major highlight from my time there was fudge tart as desert. It was amazing. I have now tried this receipe but something is missing. First of all, it tasted a little “floury”, maybe I have to cook the sauce a little longer to cook ut the flour. For my taste it was also a little bit bland, even though I used brown sugar. For the next attempt I will maybe caramelise some of the sugar first, try a 50/50 condensed/normal milk mixture and a little more vanilla essence.
My kids loved it and are already asking when it will be made again :o)Many thanks and kind regards from Austria!
MartinPost a Reply
Lucy
11 May 2021
I use golden syrup instead of sugar if you cook out the flour and butter mix on low before you add the milk that may help with the floury taste
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Marianne
7 May 2021
I remember chocolate concrete vividly
Would love to find the recipe for that onePost a Reply
joanne carr
9 August 2021
Now aged 44, my Mum was a dinner lady. Year passing in few days. Her colleague always let me take this home. Literally my whole life wanted the recipe. Thank you so much this means so much to me xxx
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Jean
8 September 2021
Every school was making it. And yes, it was the favourite of every child. My son is coming home tomorrow from University at 22 and what was his request. A fudge tart waiting for him.
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Summer
26 March 2022
Every school
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Daniel Breed
16 July 2023
My late mother was a dinner lady in Huntingdon Cambridgeshire I got the original recipe out of her notes in her cookbook.It brings back lots of memories
See AlsoMaple Fudge Recipe with Real Maple Syrup! - Chopnotch14 Danish Desserts (+ Best Recipes)3 Ingredient Chocolate Keto Fudge Recipe (Paleo & Vegan) | Healy Eats RealMilk Tart - Simple and perfect recipe! Philosophy of Yum BlogPost a Reply
K
11 January 2024
Hey I grew up around there ! Living in Yorkshire now they never had it at school it seems…
Is the recipe she wrote down similar to this ? ?
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missjingles
22 July 2011
i made this and it turned out great,but there wasnt any taste at all….but i think this was not what we had at school. I think the other one was called butter scotch tart, and it was darker…which i would love to make.
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Clare
14 November 2018
I just made Butterscotch tart last week! Was amazing! ?? We did not have B tart at school.
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carna
21 November 2018
the orginal recipe has no sugar
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Anna
16 February 2021
It has golden syrup doesn’t it? that’s what I use anyway, it tastes exactly like the one I had at school
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Maria
23 November 2020
I cook gypsy tart and that reminds me of school dinners
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(@littlestuff) (@littlestuff)
11 June 2012
Old Stuff:: School Dinners Fudge Tart Recipe http://t.co/aSf*ckOgb
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Christine Ford
27 January 2013
I used to be a Home Economics teacher and this was the most requested recipe from pupils in their ‘ free choice’ lesson. I got the recipe from our school dinner ladies and you actually need gravy browning and a butter essence which they kindly supplied to me. Weird to make but yes it tasted like a lovely fudge square.
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Sheila
30 October 2017
Would the Browning sauce or gravy be substituted for the 3 oz of sugar in the filling and how much Browning sauce would you use?
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Laura
30 October 2017
Sheila you don’t need the gravy browning if you want a darker colour – just use a brown sugar, something like Muscovado. That’ll do the job perfectly.
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Zoe wilkins
23 November 2013
Hi, i am a dinner lady i do this dessert on a regular basis if you use brown sugar instead of white it brings out the dark fudge colour & you will beed to use a little more than one spoon of vanilla essence… I would add as required to taste :) hope this helps
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Tracey
19 July 2017
Im.a school cook and to make this you need butter essence.
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Mercedes
27 February 2021
Hello just wondering do you have the recipe to make this I know it by toffee cream tart I’ve tried 3 different recipes and none are right so far
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Daphne Turner
22 February 2024
How to make butteressences
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Laura
20 July 2017
Brilliant tip on the brown sugar, thank you!
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Gully
17 May 2018
How much and what do u add it too… and where can I buy this.
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karen
30 November 2013
We called this tea leaves and dripping ,because that is what it looked like to young eyes.
I am here because I lost the recipe and the family are coming to lunch tomorrow and requested it…..
long live fudge tart !!!Post a Reply
Laura
20 July 2017
Oh. Now you mention it, it DOES look like dripping. Ugh. Thanks for that…
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Tammy C
20 March 2022
We were American children who attended a British school in Buckdon, Cambridgeshire-I have looked for this recipe for years!! It was always one of our favorite days at school a real treat, even the Head Mistress was in a good mood the days it was served and that was rare indeed!!
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Christine
9 December 2022
Hi Tammy what year did you attend buckden school?? I also went there would have been about 1980/81 I started, I also remember this dessert was my favourite!
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wendy
15 February 2015
ive been looing for this recipe for to many years and found it by chace cant thank you enough
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Donna
29 September 2016
I made this last week it was amazing
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Pauline Melville
21 August 2017
We used to have Gypsy tart which is more of a caramel filling – found a recipe in a tesco leaflet then lost it again. Can anyone come up with that recipe?
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Laura
21 August 2017
Pauline there’s a recipe here (I’ve never tried it) http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/9934/gypsy-tart.aspx
It uses evaporated milk and soft brown sugar – growing up, my mother used to boil a can of condensed milk for hours to make caramel, put that in a pastry case and called it gypsy tart (I don’t remember it at school). I use the condensed milk method for making banoffee now!Post a Reply
Stephanie Whiting
15 November 2017
Can you freeze fudge tart?
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Laura
15 November 2017
I don’t know for sure, I’ve never tried… but I’d be inclined to say yes; I can’t imagine there’s anything in the fudge that would separate on freezing.
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Amy
16 May 2018
Thankyou so much just made this for my hubby and kids! It went down a treat with some chocolate custard ?
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16 May 2018
Glad you enjoyed :-)
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Melanie Powell
9 June 2018
I’ve been trying to get this recipe for a long while I knew it as Toffee cream tart at school I loved it
I’m definitely gonna give it a go (although I’m not that good a cook)
I to have 4 kids I do iron but I do not dust or make beds
I too work (4 bank jobs)
Thanks for the recipePost a Reply
Laura
13 October 2018
I came here hoping this is what we used to call bubblegum pie. Sadly not. It was a pink goo on pastry. Anyone got any ideas?
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Katy
29 June 2020
Blancmange?
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Immie
24 June 2020
I use evaporated milk instead and it’s even better. Have tried the recipe with both ?
I’ll try brown sugar next timePost a Reply
Laura
26 June 2020
Oh, top tip on the evaporated milk, I bet that makes it amazing! Will def try next time!
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Jane the pain
16 February 2021
Hi Laura , please do you have the soft Chocolate sponge recipe from the 70’s school dinners please, my neighbour raves about it & as she is poorly i thought i would make it for her
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19 February 2021
Hi Jane
I will see if I can dig it out for you, it’s been on my list for a while.Post a Reply
jane the pain
21 February 2021
Hi Courtenay
Thank you so much for that i look forward to it :-)
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Rosie
26 April 2021
Hi, I so remember fudge tart and chocolate custard from school?I made it at home and everyone loved it.
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Rosie
26 April 2021
Hi, I so remember fudge tart and chocolate custard from school?I made it at home and everyone loved it.
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janine
25 January 2022
I was given this recipe at school by the cook back in the 70’s. it was 5 oz of butter and 3 oz of golden syrup (although 1 dessertspoon is enough) however the art to the lovely smooth texture that didn’t set but flowed thickly over the pastry was to cook the butter and sugar until it caramalised(went dark and thickened) then add the milk and flour mix and whisk. I only ever needed to add a dessertspoon of treacle to match the taste of the schools. Good luck
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Chantel
25 September 2022
Is the sugar caster sugar or normal granulated sugar please
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28 September 2022
Either works perfectly :)
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