I am a keen cook, and as well as cooking with local produce I like to try out recipes that are native to the areas in which I live: Kent in England and the Var in France. Today I’m sharing with you a wonderfully simple recipe for a classic Kentish dessert called gypsy tart.

So the story goes, the recipe was invented by a woman who wanted to offer food to gypsy children playing near to her home. But her cupboards were bare, bar a pie crust, evaporated milk and brown sugar. Put them together and what have you got? A sweet, delicious dessert.

Many people remember this pudding from school days. It’s economical and quick and easy to make, hence it is up there with the likes of ram roly-poly and spotted dick as a classic English dessert.

Ingredients

300ml evaporated milk, refrigerated until cold

260g muscovado sugar

1 x 10-inch pre-cooked shortcrust pastry case – store-bought or home-made

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C.
2. Whisk the milk, and gradually add in the sugar. Keep whisking for ten to fifteen minutes until your arms ache! The mixture will thicken and turn a coffee colour.
3. Pour into the pastry case and bake for ten minutes.
4. Remove from the oven. The centre may still be wobbly, but it should firm up. Leave to cool for several hours, or ideally in the refrigerator overnight.

Serve cold with ice cream, clotted cream or whipped cream.