I’ve started to feel quite nostalgic lately, in terms of blogging this means returning to the kind of content that I used to share; outfit posts, wish lists and of course, recipes. In terms of recipes, and food in general I’m definitely veering towards childhood favourites and retro treats right now- a combination of lockdown blues and general Winter cravings.

After a lengthy discussion about cereal at work, that somehow turned in to a chat about puddings and comfort food classics I decided that the only way to use up the box of Cornflakes languishing in my pantry was to whip up one of the only redeeming features of school dinners- Cornflake Tart.

I used this recipe from BBC Good Food (one of my favourite places for reliable recipes) and it couldn’t have been simpler. I used pre-made pastry, which I usually buy frozen and find impossible. This time I picked up a fresh pack and it was so much easier to work with. In times gone by I made my own pastry from scratch, but it never really comes out right anymore and this was so much less faff!

Ingredients

• 320g ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
• plain flour, to dust
• 50g butter
• 125g golden syrup
• 25g light brown soft sugar
• 100g cornflakes
• 125g strawberry or raspberry jam
• custard, to serve

Method

• STEP 1Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Unroll the pastry and briefly roll out on a lightly floured work surface until it’s large enough to fit a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Use the rolling pin to lift the pastry over the tin, then press into the corners and sides so the excess pastry hangs over the rim. Trim this away, leaving just a small amount of excess hanging over the rim.
• STEP 2 Line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice (I used rice, you need more than you think!) Bake for 15 mins. Remove the parchment and beans/rice, then bake for another 5-10 mins until just golden. Remove from the oven and trim any excess pastry from the edges using a serrated knife.
• STEP 3Heat the butter, syrup and sugar in a small pan with a pinch of salt, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Fold in the cornflakes to coat in the butter mixture.
• STEP 4Spoon the jam into the cooked pastry base, then level the surface. Tip the cornflake mixture over the jam and gently press down until all of the jam is covered with a layer of the mixture. Return the tart to the oven and bake for another 5 mins until the cornflakes are golden and toasted. Leave to cool until just warm before slicing and serving with custard.

My presentation skills may be rustic looking at best, but this was a real hit. Lightly golden pastry, the cheapest strawberry jam I could find (for authentic school dinner taste!) and Cornflakes mixed with butter, sugar and syrup. The smell of this baking alone makes any effort worth it. Just add a healthy dose of custard and you have the ultimate mood lifter in a bowl. Now, what comfort food creation to whip up next?