Bake Jam Tarts: A Simple Shortcrust Recipe

Jam tarts are small British-style pastries made by baking spoonfuls of fruit jam in crisp shortcrust pastry cases. This straightforward version uses an all-butter pastry, a little chilling time and a choice of jams, making it easy to bake a mixed batch for tea or a simple dessert.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, plus a little for rolling
½ cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
1 large egg yolk
2–3 tablespoons (30–45 ml) cold water
¼ teaspoon fine salt
½ cup (160 g) thick fruit jam, such as raspberry, strawberry, apricot or blackcurrant

Instructions

Make the pastry. Put the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the cold butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs, with a few small butter pieces remaining. Alternatively, pulse briefly in a food processor; stop before it forms a ball.
Bring the dough together. Stir the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold water. Add it to the flour mixture and mix gently until the dough begins to clump. Squeeze a little between your fingers: if it still crumbles apart, add the remaining water a teaspoon at a time. Avoid kneading, which can make the pastry tough.
Chill. Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap it and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Chilling firms the butter and makes the pastry easier to roll without sticking or shrinking as much in the oven.
Prepare the tin and oven. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Have ready a 12-cup shallow tartlet or standard muffin tin. If the tin is not nonstick, grease the cups lightly. Let the jam sit at room temperature so it is easy to spoon.
Roll and cut the cases. Lightly flour the work surface and rolling pin. Roll the chilled dough to about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Cut twelve rounds, roughly 3 inches (7.5 cm) across, rerolling scraps gently as needed. Press each round into a cup without stretching it; the pastry should come partway up the sides. Prick the base once or twice with a fork.
Fill. Spoon about 2 teaspoons (10 g) jam into each pastry case, keeping the filling below the rim. Jam bubbles as it heats, so resist the urge to fill the cases to the top. If using a very firm preserve, stir it briefly to loosen it.
Bake. Bake for 15–18 minutes, until the pastry edges are lightly golden and the jam is bubbling gently. Check near the end: ovens and tins vary, and dark jam can make browning harder to judge. If the jam bubbles over, let it cool before removing the tarts.
Cool before lifting. Leave the tarts in the tin for 10 minutes so the hot jam can settle and the pastry can firm. Carefully loosen the edges with a small knife or offset spatula, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before eating; the filling stays very hot after baking.

Tips

Keep the butter cold. Warm butter makes greasy, difficult-to-handle pastry. If the dough softens while you roll or cut it, return it to the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Measure the jam modestly. Two teaspoons per tart is usually enough. Overfilling leads to sticky spillover that can glue the tarts to the tin.
Choose a thick jam. A set jam or preserve stays in the case more reliably than a loose, syrupy one. If yours is runny, use a little less rather than boiling it down for this recipe.
Make the pastry ahead. The wrapped dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes if it is too firm to roll, but keep it cool.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the tarts at room temperature with tea or coffee, or arrange them on a dessert plate with softly whipped cream, custard or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A mixed selection of jams gives a useful range of colors and flavors: raspberry and blackcurrant are sharp, while strawberry and apricot tend to be sweeter. For a neat tea-time spread, dust the pastry edges lightly with powdered sugar just before serving, taking care not to cover the jam.

Variations

Use any thick fruit jam or preserve you enjoy, including cherry, orange marmalade or seedless berry jam. Marmalade gives a more bittersweet filling, while apricot is mild and fruity. A small amount of lemon zest rubbed into the sugar adds fragrance to the pastry. For a slightly richer, softer crust, replace 1 tablespoon (8 g) flour with 1 tablespoon (8 g) ground almonds; the pastry will be more delicate, so handle it gently. You can also cut small pastry shapes from the scraps and place one on each filling, but leave gaps for steam to escape and avoid adding more jam.

Storage and Reheating

Cool the tarts completely, then store them in a covered container at cool room temperature for up to 2 days; refrigeration can soften the pastry. Because these are baked pastries rather than a shelf-stable preserve, do not store them long term at room temperature. For longer storage, freeze the cooled tarts in a single layer until firm, then pack them in an airtight freezer container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature. To refresh the pastry, warm thawed or room-temperature tarts on a baking sheet at 300°F (150°C) for 5–7 minutes, then cool briefly before serving. Do not microwave them: the jam can become dangerously hot while the pastry turns soft. Refrigerate within 2 hours if your kitchen is particularly warm or if the tarts are served with perishable toppings such as cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to blind-bake the pastry cases?
No. These shallow cases bake with the jam already inside, so blind-baking is unnecessary. Pricking the bases lightly and using a thick filling help the pastry bake through without becoming soggy.

Can I make jam tarts without a tartlet tin?
A standard muffin tin works, although its cups may be deeper and the cases slightly taller. A shallow mince-pie or tartlet tin is closest to the traditional shape. Do not use paper cupcake liners, which prevent the pastry from holding its shape properly.

Why did my pastry shrink?
It may have been stretched while being pressed into the tin, or the dough may have been warm. Fit each round gently rather than pulling it, and chill the shaped cases for 10 minutes if the pastry feels soft before filling.

Why are my jam tarts stuck in the tin?
Jam that bubbles over can set like glue as it cools. Let the tarts stand for about 10 minutes, then carefully loosen the pastry edges. Next time, leave a little space above the filling and grease the tin lightly if it is not nonstick.

Can I use ready-made pastry?
Yes. Use about 250 g (9 oz) ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, or an equivalent block, and follow the package’s handling instructions. Cut and fill the cases as directed here; baking time may vary slightly, so look for lightly golden pastry and gently bubbling jam.

Can I make these with sugar-free jam?
Yes, provided it is a thick jam suitable for baking. Some sugar-free products loosen or bubble differently, so fill the cases a little less generously and check them early. Follow the product’s storage directions if they differ from those for ordinary jam.

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