Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 9 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed
• about 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 1/4 cups golden syrup
• 2 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Equipment

• Deep 7-inch loose-bottomed fluted tart pan
• Heavy baking sheet
• Large mixing bowl or food processor
• Rolling pin
• Large saucepan

Instructions

1. Make the pastry: put the flour in a large bowl and rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs, or pulse it in a food processor. This keeps the pastry tender and short.
2. Add about 3 tablespoons of cold water and mix just until the dough comes together into a firm ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for about 20 minutes so it firms up and rolls out cleanly.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and slide a heavy baking sheet inside to heat up. This hot tray helps crisp the bottom crust. Butter a deep 7-inch loose-bottomed fluted tart pan.
4. Pinch off about a third of the pastry (roughly a fist-sized piece) and set it aside for the lattice.
5. Roll the rest out thinly on a lightly floured surface and line the tart pan, pressing it gently into the fluted sides. Prick the base all over with a fork so it does not puff up as it bakes.
6. Roll the reserved pastry out thinly on a sheet of plastic wrap, brush it with beaten egg, and chill it flat. Do not cut it into strips yet, and do not brush the strips again once they are on the tart or the egg will drip into the filling.
7. Make the filling: warm the golden syrup gently in a large saucepan until just melted, but do not let it boil.
8. Stir in the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until well combined. If it looks too loose and runny, add a few more breadcrumbs so it will set properly.
9. Pour the syrup mixture into the lined shell and smooth the top level.
10. Take the chilled lattice pastry from the fridge and cut it into long strips about 1/2 inch wide, making sure each strip is longer than the pan is wide.
11. Brush the top edge of the crust with egg wash, then weave the strips over and under across the filling in a lattice pattern, letting the ends hang over the sides.
12. Press down firmly along the pan rim with your hands to trim off the overhanging strips for a clean, neat edge.
13. Bake on the hot baking sheet for about 10 minutes, until the pastry starts to color. Then lower the oven to 350 degrees F. If the lattice is browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil.
14. Bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is set with just a slight wobble.
15. Let the tart cool and firm up in the pan before slicing. Serve warm or cold.