Buttery Jam Tarts Recipe

This recipe is a real blast from the past for me, made exactly as my grandmother used to prepare them. These are designed to appeal to kids and they really should look a little rustic. It's even better if you can get your kids to help shape them before filling with jam and popping in the oven.

I remember these fondly at various tea parties and family gatherings and they are something I want my own kids to delight in and enjoy.

Of course, you don't just have to use jam... mincemeat and savoury chutneys also work and these variants make great appetisers for the grown ups to be served with a glass of wine.

However, it's the children's version with their jam or curd fillings that will always bring back fondest memories for me.

Buttery Jam Tarts

Makes: 18

Ingredients:

200g (7 oz) plain flour

50g (2 oz) cornflour (cornstarch)

100g (4 oz) unsalted butter, chilled and diced

120g (5 oz) icing sugar

2 egg yolks

5 tbsp apricot, blackcurrant and/or strawberry jam (or use lemon or orange curd)

Method:

Sift together the flour and cornflour into a bowl. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Stir in the icing sugar until thoroughly mixed then add the egg yolk and bring the mixture together to form a smooth dough (if it's a little sticky at this point, dust with a little flour).

Break off walnut-sized pieces of the dough and use them to line the wells of a 12-hole petit four tart tin. Use your fingers (or a tart tamper) to mould the pastry to the wells of the tin.

Line 18 wells with the dough. Fill each well with 1 tsp jam. Set the tart tins in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the pastry is pale golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tins before turning out.

Serve cold.