Gypsy tart

Gypsy tart.

A gypsy tart is a type of pie made with evaporated milk, muscovado sugar (though some varieties include light brown sugar), and pie crust. It originates from the County of Kent in England. The tart is extremely sweet and is, for many people, associated with school dinners.

Although most will know the version of gypsy tart made with evaporated milk, it can also be made with condensed milk in place of evaporated milk. This makes a firmer and even sweeter tart, with a darker colour.

Originating in Kent, the story behind this pie is that during the early part of the 20th century a lady regularly saw undernourished gypsy children playing in the fields next to her house. One day she decided to feed them but had nothing more than a pie crust, evaporated milk and brown sugar. She made the sweet tart and henceforth the tart has been a Kentish tradition, present in many Kentish bakeries and of course, a regular on school dinner menus during the 1960s, 70s and 80s.