Easy jam tarts
These jam tarts are a great, easy bake for kids to enjoy baking (and eating!) It’s simple to make your own pastry, but you can simplify them further by using ready made, shop bought pastry.
These jam tarts are a great, easy bake for kids to enjoy baking (and eating!) It’s simple to make your own pastry, but you can simplify them further by using ready made, shop bought pastry.
The jam tarts would make a great treat for an Alice in Wonderland themed party or just for a fun snack toddlers and older children can enjoy making themselves.
The jam tarts aren’t a particularly sophisticated or healthy bake, but they’re a nice treat and perfect for showcasing some beautiful homemade raspberry jam or strawberry jam.
They are so easy to make: your kids will really enjoy getting to roll out the pastry, cut out the tarts and fill them with jam.
What pastry are jam tarts made from?
These jam tarts use a shortcrust pastry. You can save time by using shop bought pastry but don’t be put off making pastry because you think it’s too hard. It really isn’t. Try it and you’ll discover just how easy it really is.
Can you freeze jam tarts?
Yes. The jam tarts will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container but you can freeze them if you want to keep them for longer.
To freeze them, once they’ve cooled down pop them in a freezer bag or airtight container. Defrost them fully before eating them. You might also want to heat them gently again in the oven or microwave before you serve them.
What tin can you make jam tarts in?
I normally just use my cupcake/muffin tin. I think it makes them just the right size. To remove the tarts from the tin, allow them to cool down, but take them out before any oozed jam solidifies and sticks the tarts down.
What jam should I use in my jam tarts?
You can use any jam you like in your jam tarts. My favourite is strawberry jam but any flavour will work well.
One thing I do recommend is making your own jam as it is so much better than shop bought.
We make delicious raspberry jam every summer, just the way my Granny used to. We also have a tasty recipe for strawberry jam if that’s more to your preference.
You can also make delicious lemon curd tarts. They’re a similar idea to jam tarts, just with a zingier filling.
How can kids help make jam tarts?
These are a fun bake for kids and they should be able to do all or at least most of it themselves.
If you’re making your own pastry your kids can help by weighing all the ingredients out and mixing them together. It’s a good hands on job so they can get their hands a little bit messy doing that.
Once you’ve made your pastry, or if you’re using shop bought, your kids can roll it out and cut out the pastry circles. Even little children should enjoy doing that job, particularly if they’re proficient at rolling out play-dough!
Finally, and if you’ve got very young children or toddlers wanting to help, spooning the jam into each tart case is the perfect, easy job for them.
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If you enjoy these jam tarts, you might enjoy some of these other nostalgic recipes
Treacle sponge
School cake
Cornflake tart
Sticky toffee pudding
Brioche bread and butter pudding
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No bake mini chocolate tarts
Iced buns
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these jam tarts
Digital scales
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Rolling pin
Muffin tin
Wire rack
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Difficulty: Easy
Time: 30 minutes plus 15 minutes baking
Serves: 12-24
Ingredients
375g (3 cups) plain / All-purpose flour
260g (1 1/6 cups) unsalted butter, softened
125g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 large egg, plus 1 beaten egg for glazing
300g jam for the filling
how to make easy jam tarts
Make the shortcrust pastry
Get your toddler to weigh the flour (375g) out and put it in a large mixing bowl. Measure the butter (260g) and cut into small pieces before adding to your bowl. Rub together until it looks like breadcrumbs. This is a fun step for kids to do if they like getting their hands dirty.
Get your child to measure the sugar (125g) and add to the bowl. Crack the egg into the bowl.
Mix everything until it’s coming together then tip out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold until the pastry comes together – try not to over mix, as soon as it happily forms a ball you’re done. Wrap the pastry up in cling film and pop it in the fridge for 15+ minutes or so.
Make the tarts
Preheat the oven to 180C/170C Fan/350F and grease a 12 hole muffin tray with oil or butter.
Start with half your pastry dough to make it easier to roll. We used half for these tarts and half for our Jam hearts.
Get your toddler to lightly flour your work surface and then roll the pastry out until it is about 3mm thick. When you’re rolling it out, be sure to turn it 90 degrees between turns – it helps to stop it sticking to your work surface, and also ensures you get an even thickness. When it gets a bit bigger, roll it round your rolling pin before rotating it to stop it tearing.
Use a round cutter, (approximately 10cm) and get your kids to cut out bases for your tarts. Gently place them in your muffin tray. Use a small ball of pastry to push the tarts down into the holes without tearing the cases.
Using a teaspoon, fill each tart case with some jam.
If you want, you can cut out smaller circles of pastry and top your tarts with them. Re-roll out your pastry until you have used up all the pastry and have 12 tarts. If you make a topper, when you’ve finished all the jam tarts brush them with a beaten egg to glaze them. There’s no need to do this if you don’t have a lid.
Bake the jam tarts
Pop the tarts into the oven for approximately 10 minutes. They’re ready when they have turned a nice golden brown colour.
Leave them for a few minutes to cool in the tray then carefully remove each tart from the muffin tin and leave on a wire rack to cool. You need to leave them long enough for the pastry to harden a bit otherwise they might crumble as you take them out the tin. If you leave them too long however, any oozed jam might make them stick.
Serve and enjoy!
Jam tarts
Ingredients
- 375 g (3 cups) plain/all-purpose flour
- 260 g (1 1/6 cups) unsalted butter, softened
- 125 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 large egg plus 1 beaten egg for glazing
- 300 g jam for the filling
Instructions
- Method
Make the pastry
- Weigh the flour out and put it in a large mixing bowl. Measure the butter and cut into small pieces before adding to your bowl. Rub together until it looks like breadcrumbs.
- Measure the sugar and add to the bowl. Crack the egg into the bowl.
- Mix everything until it’s coming together then tip out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold until the pastry comes together – try not to over mix, as soon as it happily forms a ball you’re done. Wrap the pastry up in cling film and pop it in the fridge for 15+ minutes or so.
Make the jam tarts
Preheat the oven to 180C/170C Fan/350F and grease a 12 hole muffin tray with oil or butter.
- Start with half your pastry dough to make it easier to roll.
- Lightly flour your work surface and then roll the pastry out until it is about 3mm thick. When you’re rolling it out, be sure to turn it 90 degrees between turns – it helps to stop it sticking to your work surface, and also ensures you get an even thickness. When it gets a bit bigger, roll it round your rolling pin before rotating it to stop it tearing.
- Use a round cutter, (approximately 10cm) cut out bases for your tarts. Gently place them in your muffin tray. Use a small ball of pastry to push the tarts down into the holes without tearing the cases.
- Using a teaspoon, fill each tart case with some jam.
- Cut out smaller circles of pastry and top your tarts with them. Re-roll out your pastry until you have used up all the pastry and have 12 tarts.
- When you’ve finished all the jam tarts brush them with a beaten egg to glaze them.
Bake the jam tarts
- Pop the tarts into the oven for approximately 10 minutes. They’re ready when they have turned a nice golden brown colour.
- Leave them for a minute to cool in the tray then carefully remove each tart from the muffin tin and leave on a wire rack to cool.
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An I use self rising flour
You’re best to use plain flour in pastry as the raising agent in the self raising flour might make the pastry rise which you don’t want.