Vegan Scottish Border Tart (Eyemouth Tart)

• Preheat oven to 170 Fan/180 Celsius/ 375 Fahrenheit/Gas 5.

  Grease the flan dish with a small amount of vegan margarine.
• Prepare the flax egg by mixing 1 tbsp of flax meal with 3 tbsp of cold water, Set aside until required or for at least 10 minutes.

Prepare the pasty

• Place the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.

  Add the sugar and mix.
• Rub in the margarine until mix resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add between 2-3 tbsp of water a little at a time. Just enough water to bring the mix into a pastry dough, that is not sticky.

  Just sprinkle more flour and knead gently if its too sticky.

  Gently knead the pastry into a ball.
• Rest the pastry in the fridge for at least 10 minutes.

  You don't need to cover the pastry, unless you are preparing the pastry a few hours in advance.

  If so wrap the pastry with some greaseproof paper or a clean tea towel or muslin.

Prepare the tart filling:

• While the pastry is in the fridge whip the sugar and margarine together in a mixing bowl until creamy. A wooden spoon does the job fine.
• Add the flax egg to the creamed mix.

  Whisk with a fork till until well combined.

  Add the plant milk and mix.

  Don't worry if the mix looks split or curdled. It will be fine once baked.
• Add the mixed dried fruit, glace cherries, almonds and walnuts.

  Mix well.

Build and assemble the tart:

• Remove the pastry from the fridge.

  Flour your work surface and rolling pin.

  Roll out the pastry to about 1/2 cm.
• To pick up your pastry: wrap the pastry around the rolling pin and lift up the pasty and gently drop into your flan tin.
• Press down into the sides of your tart pan.
• Trim the edges with a small knife.
• Add the filling and spread out the top to a neat layer.
• Place in the middle shelf of the oven, or the shelf below the middle one. As if the tart is too close to the top of the oven the dried fruit can burn.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden. The exact time will depend on your oven.

  Check after 20 minutes.

  If the filling is browning too quick just turn your oven down to the next setting.
• Leave in the tin until cool before turning out onto a cutting board to decorate.

Toast the garnish almond flakes (optional can just use ready-toasted or plain)

• Toast the almonds by dry-frying in a small non-stick pan over a medium heat until almonds are beginning to turn golden.

  Shake and stir the almonds often to prevent burning.

  Once the almonds begin to colour remove from the heat and shake/stir the almonds as they will continue to brown in the residual heat.
• Tip out of the pan onto a small plate and leave until required for the topping.

Prepare the icing:

• Place the icing sugar in a mixing bowl.

  Add 1-2 tbsp of water to the icing sugar to create a drizzling consistency.

  Don't add too much water at once as it will become too runny. If this happens just add more sieved icing sugar and mix until the correct thickness.
• Using a spoon drizzle the icing sugar over the tart.

  Sprinkle the lemon zest over.

  And toss the toasted almond flakes over.
• Leave the icing to set before slicing into 8 slices.

  Place in the refrigerator if you need it to set quicker.