Ecclefechan Tart from Birkinshaw’s Tea Room & Coffee House

Cranewood is just one of many cafés, pubs and restaurants in a town that caters to students and faculty. All are within easy walking distance of any downtown parking spot. The Black Duck Café and Restaurant is among the best, and I always have to stop at the Crackling Goose Market for some of their gluten free breads and baked goods for a friend back home. To treat myself, I duck into Knuckles Truffles Chocolates where they customize a box of handmade chocolates to take home.

From there, it’s an easy walk to the Sackville Waterfowl Park. Birds of all kinds that need a watery home flock here. Ducks, geese, waders, songbirds and others visit—160 species in all, including 26 that breed right here. But it’s not just the birds that attract so many visitors. Some 200 plant species grow in the park. Just before the sun sets, I catch a glimpse of a redwing blackbird, the oranges in its wing bars matching those in the clouds, twin colours evoking the cheerfulness of these twin border towns.

Fort Beauséjour, Fort Cumberland.

BIRKINSHAW’S TEA ROOM & RESTAURANT

Ecclefechan Tart from Birkinshaw’s Tea Room & Coffee House

The Scottish village of Ecclefechan, a few kilometres north of the English border, gives its name to the Ecclefechan tart, sometimes called Border Tart. With its mix of dried fruits in a buttery coating, it could be a precursor of the Canadian butter tart, especially given the number of Scots who crossed the seas to settle here. Ecclefechan Tart is on the menu at Birkinshaw’s around Robbie Burns Day in January. Eleanor remembers her Lancashire grandmother making a similar tart and says northern English border counties have some interesting variations.

Sweet tart case 1 egg yolk 1 tsp icing sugar 3 1⁄2 oz all-purpose flour Pinch of salt 1⁄5 tsp butter 1-1 1⁄2 tsp cold water

Mix egg yolk and icing sugar together. Sift flour and salt into a bowl and add butter using the rubbed-in method (or pulse in a food processor to crumb stage.) Mix to a stiff paste with yolk, sugar and water. Knead briefly until smooth. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.

When chilled, roll out to thickness of 1/6 inch and line loose-based 10” tart tin.

Blind bake for 12-15 minutes at 375°F.

Lower temperature to 315°F to bake tart.

Filling 8 1⁄2 oz butter, softened 8 1⁄2 oz soft, dark brown sugar 4 eggs, beaten 1 tsp cinnamon Zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 lb sultana raisins 35 oz walnuts, roughly chopped

While base is cooking, beat butter and brown sugar together until creamy. Add eggs a little at a time. Add cinnamon and lemon zest and juice. Mix well.

Fold in dried fruit and nuts and mix until well combined. Spoon mixture into pastry case, level with a wet knife and bake for 35-45 minutes.

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