Il Cucinologo
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Jam Tart

17/11/2023

The jam tart is a classic and delicious Italian dessert that suits every occasion. It is a traditional recipe that involves the use of shortcrust pastry and fruit jam of your choice. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

  • 300 g of 00 flour
  • 150 g of sugar
  • 150 g of butter at room temperature
  • 1 whole egg + 1 yolk (set aside the white for brushing)
  • The grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1/2 sachet of baking powder (optional, since traditional crostata doesn’t rise much)
  • Fruit jam of your choice (300-400 g, depending on the size of the pan and personal preference)

Preparation

  1. In a large bowl, sift the flour and, if you decide to use it, the baking powder.
  2. Add the butter in pieces, the sugar and the pinch of salt and start kneading, then add the lemon zest.
  3. Incorporate the whole egg and the yolk, and continue working the dough until you obtain a compact and smooth ball. If the dough is too dry, you can add a tablespoon of cold water.
  4. Wrap the shortcrust pastry in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  5. After the resting time, roll out about 2/3 of the shortcrust pastry with a rolling pin on a floured surface, until you get a thickness of about 3-5 mm.
  6. Butter and flour a tart pan (preferably with a removable bottom) and gently place the pastry, making sure to cover the edges as well.
  7. Pour the chosen jam and level it with a spatula.
  8. With the remaining shortcrust pastry, create strips or decorations of your choice to place on the surface of the jam.
  9. Brush the strips of shortcrust pastry with a little egg white to obtain a golden surface after baking.
  10. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 25-30 minutes, or until the tart is golden.
  11. Let cool completely before removing it from the pan.

Trivia

The crostata is versatile and can be prepared with different varieties of jams, such as apricot, cherry or mixed berries. As a variant, you can add spices such as cinnamon or vanilla to the pastry, or replace part of the flour with almond flour for a richer flavor.

You can choose the jam you prefer and, if you like, further customize the recipe to your liking!

Jam Tart