VegetArian RECIPE

Raspberry Tarts

I enjoy baking, it’s been a favorite pastime of mine for a long time. Before fire, it was cakes! As a kid, it was a welcome escape from the reality of school work. I came up with this recipe in order to use up some of my excess of summer jam, and I have now been making it on the regular, as it’s easy, tasty, and the perfect gift. I made this recipe for a picnic with my nieces, and my niece Primrose said it was her favorite recipe of the day.

Ingredients

500g baking flour  

250g cold butter, cut into small cubes  

Ice cold water  

1 jar of homemade raspberry jam, or your favorite flavor  

Equipment:

Oven, rolling pin, tart tin

- Serves 8 -

HOW TO MAKE IT

  1. In a bowl, add the flour and the butter cubes. Use your fingers to cut the butter into the flour, rubbing together in the palm of your hand or between your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. This process requires some technique, be careful not to warm the butter. You want to keep the butter cold and not melted, so as to not to activate the gluten in the flour. 

  2. Turn the pastry dough onto the bench and start to bring it together with your hands. I like to roll my dough out between two sheets of parchment paper and then allow it to rest in the fridge for 1 hour, until chilled. Preheat the oven to 180º C (350º F).

  3. The tarts can be baked in a muffin tin or a portages tart tin. Cut the dough to size using a cookie cutter, and press into the tin gently with your hands. Repeat till you have filled all your tart tins. 

  4. Cook in the oven for 10 mins, or until they are a light golden color. Don’t overcook, as they will go back in again. 

  5. Fill each tin with the jam, and place back in the oven. Cook for another 5-10 mins, until they get more golden in color and the jam cooks down slightly.  

  6. Cool in tart tin, and then turn out onto a plate. Allow them to cool completely before serving.