This simple tart is more usually decorated with a criss-crossed grid of pastry strips. I’ve added a bit of romance with a heart and flowers. Raspberry jam is delicious, but any pink or red jam will work beautifully. If you’re sharing it between two, you may well have leftovers, which will keep well (covered) for five days at room temperature or refrigerated for up to a week.
Serves: 8 – 10
Prep: 20 mins + 30-40 mins in the fridge
Baking: 40 - 50 mins
Ingredients
For the pastry:
200g plain white flour (ideally ‘00’ type)
100g caster sugar
Zest of a lemon
100g unsalted butter, chilled
2 egg yolks
For the filling:
600g good quality raspberry jam
Method:
- To prepare the pastry: Mix the flour, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl, then rub in the butter with the tip of your fingers until it has the texture of rough breadcrumbs.
- Add the yolks, stirring and pressing it together with a cutlery knife or spoon, then quickly working the dough with your hands to form a ball. Shape it into flat disc. If you prefer you can use a food processor to do this, do not overwork the pastry or it will become tough and greasy. Flour the disc lightly, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
- Setting aside ¼ of the pastry roll the remaining ¾ between two sheets of baking parchment. Use it to line a 26cm (10”) tart tin. The pastry should be 3mm thick. Remove the top layer of baking parchment, and gently prick the pastry with a fork.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan (340°F/Gas Mark 3).
- Fill in the tart base with the jam, spreading it evenly across the base.
- On a lightly floured surface roll out the remaining pastry, also to 3mm thickness, and cut shapes of your choice with a cookie cutter. I like hearts and flowers (as shown) but you may prefer to do just hearts or flowers or to cut strips to form a grid like a classic crostata.
- Arrange the pastry shapes on top of the jam and bake on a low shelf of the oven for 35 - 40 minutes until light golden. If at the end of the baking time, the pastry at the top still looks pale, move it to a higher shelf for an extra 5-10 minutes. The jam will look liquid and jelly-like but that’s normal, it will set firm when cool.
- Cool on a wire rack and wait at least 30 minutes before removing it from the tart tin.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
