English Jam Tarts: A Classic Shortcrust Recipe

English jam tarts are small shortcrust pastry shells filled with fruit jam and baked until the pastry is crisp and the filling gently bubbles. They are simple to make with pantry ingredients, and using a little jam in each shell gives you a choice of flavors in one batch.

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
3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold water, plus more if needed
¼ teaspoon fine salt
½ cup (160 g) thick fruit jam, such as strawberry, raspberry, apricot, or blackcurrant

Instructions

Make the pastry. Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a mixing bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips, or cut it in with a pastry cutter, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces. Stir in the egg yolk and cold water. Press the mixture together gently; add another teaspoon of water only if dry crumbs remain. Avoid kneading, which can make the pastry tough.
Chill the dough. Shape the pastry into a flat disk, wrap it, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This firms the butter and makes the dough easier to roll without shrinking as much in the oven.
Prepare the tin and oven. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease the cups of a standard 12-cup muffin tin or shallow tartlet tin. A little butter or neutral oil is enough; avoid pooling grease in the cups.
Cut the pastry shells. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Cut 12 rounds about 3 inches (7.5 cm) across, rerolling scraps once if needed. Ease each round into a cup without stretching it, and press gently into the base and sides. Prick each base once or twice with a fork.
Fill carefully. Spoon about 2 teaspoons (10 g) jam into each shell, leaving space at the top. Jam expands and bubbles as it heats, so do not fill the pastry to the rim. If the jam is very firm, stir it briefly to make it easier to spoon.
Bake. Bake for 15–18 minutes, until the pastry edges are lightly golden and the jam is bubbling. Check from 15 minutes onward; ovens and tin materials vary. If one tart bubbles over, do not remove the tin while the jam is very hot.
Cool before lifting. Leave the tarts in the tin for 10 minutes so the jam can settle and the pastry firm up. Carefully loosen the edges with a small blunt knife, transfer to a rack, and cool completely before serving. Hot jam can cause burns, so do not taste a tart straight from the oven.

Tips

Keep the butter and water cold, and handle the dough as little as possible. If it becomes sticky or soft while rolling, chill it for 10 minutes rather than adding lots of extra flour.
Use a thick jam, not a runny preserve or syrup. Thin fillings are more likely to boil over and make the pastry base soggy; if necessary, choose a thicker variety instead of trying to reduce it in the tart shells.
For a reliable fit, cut pastry rounds slightly wider than the cups and lower them in gently. Stretching the dough to reach the rim can make the shells shrink during baking.
Jam tarts are best fully cooled before moving or stacking. The filling stays very hot after baking, even when the pastry feels only warm.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the tarts at room temperature with tea or coffee as an afternoon treat, or arrange them on a dessert plate after a meal. A spoonful of lightly whipped cream or plain yogurt works well alongside the fruit filling, though the tarts are sweet enough to enjoy on their own. For a mixed platter, use several jam flavors and leave the tops uncovered so each color is visible.

Variations

Choose a different thick jam for each tart: raspberry and blackcurrant give a sharper, tangier filling, while strawberry or apricot tastes sweeter and milder. Marmalade can be used for a slightly bitter citrus flavor; chop any large pieces of peel so they sit neatly in the shells.

For a richer pastry, replace the water with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold milk. For an egg-free dough, omit the yolk and use about 3–4 tablespoons (45–60 ml) cold water, adding it gradually until the pastry holds together; the result may be a little less tender. You can also make smaller tarts in a mini-muffin tin, but use smaller pastry rounds and begin checking several minutes earlier.

Storage and Reheating

Let the tarts cool, then refrigerate them in a covered container within 2 hours of baking. They keep for up to 4 days refrigerated; the pastry gradually softens as it absorbs moisture from the jam. For the crispest texture, warm them on a baking sheet at 300°F (150°C) for about 5–8 minutes, then let them cool until the filling is no longer dangerously hot. A microwave also works for a few seconds, but makes the pastry softer. Do not reheat a tart more than once.

To freeze, arrange completely cooled tarts in a single layer until firm, then pack them in a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, and refresh briefly in a low oven if desired. Do not store homemade jam tarts at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to blind-bake the pastry?
No. These small, shallow shells bake through in the same time as the jam filling. Keep the shells thin and avoid adding too much jam; blind-baking can make the pastry edges overcook before the finished tarts are ready.

Why did the jam bubble over?
The shells were probably too full, or the jam was thin. Leave a little headroom in every shell and use about 2 teaspoons per tart. A small amount of bubbling is normal, so let the tarts cool in the tin before loosening them.

Can I make the pastry ahead?
Yes. Wrap the dough and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. If it is very firm when you take it out, leave it at room temperature for 5–10 minutes until it is rollable but still cool. You can also freeze the wrapped dough for up to 2 months and thaw it in the refrigerator.

Can I use store-bought pastry?
Yes. Use about 9 ounces (250 g) ready-made shortcrust pastry, thawed if frozen, and roll or cut it to fit the tin. Follow the package guidance if it differs, since pastry thickness and ingredients can change the baking time.

How do I stop the pastry from shrinking?
Chill the dough before rolling, avoid stretching it into the tin, and let the lined shells rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes if the pastry has become warm. These steps help the dough keep its shape in the oven.

Can I use homemade jam?
Yes, provided it is thick enough to sit in a spoon. Use refrigerated homemade jam and keep the finished tarts refrigerated; this recipe is not a method for canning or preserving jam at room temperature.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).