Strawberry jam jam tartlets, simple and delicious. My kitchen is simple, with seasonal ingredients and full of recipes from tradition and my family. After the Apple Cake and the Milk Cookies, my mother used to make the Jam Tart. Traditional simple desserts that instantly take me back to my childhood kitchen, among those aromas, smells and feelings! Today I turned my mother’s quick jam tart into small and delightful Jam Tartlets, perfect in their simplicity. A dessert that brings to the table the flavor of homemade things and the beauty of traditional recipes. Making them is a slow ritual with a few simple ingredients like butter, flour, eggs and sugar that transform in my hands into a small masterpiece of crispness. Buttery, fragrant and with a soft jam heart, they are perfect for breakfast, a snack or any time of day. One of the great advantages of this recipe is its great versatility. You can choose the jam you prefer; I chose strawberry jam but apricot, cherry or berry jams are also fine, creating a different flavor each time. And if you are very greedy you can replace the jam with chocolate cream or the classic hazelnut cream. The shortcrust pastry can be prepared in advance, as can the Jam Tartlets which keep perfectly for a few days. Jam tartlets are one of those desserts that never go out of fashion: small, elegant and irresistibly delicious.
DON’T MISS THESE RECIPES TOO:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 8 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 193.78 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 43.02 (g) of which sugars 19.00 (g)
- Proteins 3.68 (g)
- Fat 1.69 (g) of which saturated 0.62 (g)of which unsaturated 1.05 (g)
- Fibers 3.79 (g)
- Sodium 15.04 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 74 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Jam Tartlets with strawberry jam
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 3.2 oz sugar (about 1/3 cup)
- 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour (approximately 260 g)
- 1/2 lemon zest (unwaxed (zest of half a lemon))
- 1/2 tsp baking powder (for cakes) (about 2 g)
- 3/4 cup strawberry jam
- as needed powdered sugar (for decorating)
What you need to prepare the tartlets
- Tart pans
- Rolling pin
How to prepare the Jam Tartlets
You can make the shortcrust pastry by hand or using a stand mixer. Mix the cold butter cut into small cubes with the flour and sugar. Add one whole egg and one yolk, the baking powder and the grated zest of half an unwaxed lemon. Work quickly until you have a soft but not sticky dough.
Shape into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. In the classic shortcrust pastry recipe you wouldn’t use baking powder; I add half a teaspoon to obtain a slightly softer shortcrust, perfect especially if you’re making a tart like in this case.
Take the dough back and roll out two thirds of it on a lightly floured surface. Oil 8 tartlet tins of 10 cm diameter (about 4 in). Cut from the dough 8 discs of 11–12 cm diameter (about 4 1/3–4 3/4 in). Line the tartlet tins with the dough discs.
Dock the base with the tines of a fork. Put 1–2 tablespoons of jam into each small tart tin. Roll out the remaining dough and, using a fluted wheel, cut strips to arrange over the tartlets to form the classic lattice.
Brush the strips with a little milk. Bake the Jam Tartlets in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 25 minutes. Place the tins on a lower oven rack for a perfectly cooked base. Let them cool completely before removing them from the tins and decorate as desired with powdered sugar.
See you tomorrow with a new recipe, hugs, Loredana
Loredana’s Tips
Don’t rush to remove them from the tins. The tartlet is fragile when hot; let it cool completely: only then will the pastry become crisp and the jam will set.
A final dusting of powdered sugar is like winter snow: it makes everything more magical and hides the small imperfections that make each tartlet unique.
Don’t miss the recipe for the Lemon Cream Tart
Your questions
Why does the shortcrust pastry become tough?
The pastry can become tough if it is overworked or if too much flour is added. It is important to work quickly and to use cold butter to maintain the right flakiness.
Why does the jam leak out during baking?
This happens if the tartlets are overfilled or if the jam is too runny. It’s better to use a thick jam and not to overfill.
Why does the base of the tartlets remain underbaked?
If the base remains undercooked it may be due to the pastry being too thick or to the oven temperature being too low. The solution is to roll the pastry to about 3–4 mm (about 1/8–3/16 in) and bake at 356°F, placing the oven rack low.
How to get golden tartlets?
Lightly brushing the surface of the pastry with egg yolk and a splash of milk helps achieve a perfect golden color and a nicer appearance.
How to avoid the shortcrust pastry from breaking?
Let the dough rest in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. This way the pastry will be firmer and easier to work with.
