Jam Tartlets Recipes

Steps:

• Mix flour, shortening, sugar, and salt together in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water and mix until a ball is formed. Refrigerate pastry until well chilled, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 24 shallow muffin cups.
• Roll pastry out thin; cut into rounds with a cookie cutter. Place each round in a muffin cup. Add 2 teaspoons of jam to each cup.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool tarts on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F, and in a large bowl, stir together flour and salt.
• Rub in butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the sugar.
• Add egg yolks and water, and mix to a firm dough.
• Knead dough a few times while still inside bowl.
• Break off pieces of dough, and form into 1/2-inch balls.
• Press into bottom and sides of mini-muffin trays.
• Fill each pastry case with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam, and bake for 7-9 minutes.

Steps:

• Roll out the shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured surface to just under the thickness of £1 coin. Stamp out 20 x 5cm circles using a pastry cutter and line 2 mini muffin tins (or make in 2 batches).
• Prick with a fork and spoon 1 tsp jam into each (we used apricot, blackcurrant and strawberry). Stamp out shapes from the leftover pastry to decorate the tarts, if you like.
• Bake at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 12-15 mins, until the pastry is golden.

Steps:

• Put the flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a bowl and rub them together with your fingertips (or you can pulse these ingredients together in a food processor if you have one). When the mixture looks and feels like fresh breadcrumbs, stir in the egg and vanilla seeds, if using, with a cutlery knife. Add 1 tbsp cold water, then start to bring the dough together in one lump with your hands - try not to knead it too much. Add 1 more tbsp of water if it's not coming together, but try not to add more than that. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter a 12-hole tart tin, then dust your work surface with flour. Unwrap and roll out the chilled pastry so it's about the thickness of a £1 coin, then use a straight or fluted round cutter to cut out 12 circles, big enough to line the holes in the tin. Dollop 1-2 tsp of your chosen filling into each one and, if you like, cut out little pastry hearts (perfect for Valentine's Day) and pop them on top.
• Bake for 15-18 mins or until golden and the filling is starting to bubble a little. Leave to cool in the tin for a few mins then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• Prepare and roll-out 1 Basic Pie Crust recipe.
• Using a 3-inch fluted biscuit cutter, cut out 24 shapes.
• Place one circle of pastry in each cup of the tart tin and press lightly into shape.
• Spoon a scant 1 teaspoon of jam into each tart. Do not overfill, or the jam will bubble up and burn.
• Cover the tins with plastic wrap and place them in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat your oven to 400°F.
• Remove from the freezer and immediately place them in the preheated 400°F oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until the crusts are set and pale golden.
• Remove the jam tarts from the oven and leave them in the tins for 10 minutes. (The temptation to test one at this point is great. Remember that the hot, boiling jam will burn your mouth).
• Take a knife and gently separate the jam tarts from the tin. Place on a plate and cool to room temperature. Tarts that bubble over tend to stick to the pan once cooled. If this occurs, place the tin with the stuck tarts back in the oven for a few minutes-Its remaining heat will warm the jam and make removing the tarts easier.