Make your own Jam Tarts

In today’s busy world we tend to make do with shop bought cakes, but making your own delicious desserts is both fun and easy. With just a few simple ingredients and a little preparation, you, your family and your friends could be enjoying some homemade jam tarts this very evening!

Ingredients and preparation
For approx 20 tarts
8 oz plain flour
4 oz butter
Any flavour jam or Lemon curd
Pre-heat your oven to 180c/Gas Mark 4

Baking

• A good tip for making pastry is to cool all your utensils and ingredients. Really good pastry is essential if you want to make your own jam tarts. To make the pastry rub the butter and salt together until you have a breadcrumb like consistency, add 2-3 tbls of cold water and stir the mixture until its pliable but not too sticky, if the mixture is a little sticky; add a little flour. Wrap in cling film and chill for 10-15 minutes.

• Lightly grease a holed baking tray then lightly dust your work surface with a little flour and role out your pastry with a rolling pin making sure not stretch the pastry (if you do over stretch the pastry it will shrink back when baking in the oven).

• Using a pastry cutter or a cup cut out the round shapes and fill the baking tray holes, roll up the remaining pastry and repeat the process until all pastry is used. Place a pastry disc in each hole of the baking tray and fill with each one with jam or lemon curd being careful not to overfill as the filling will liquefy when hot and may overflow. Let the pastry rest for 5-10 minutes before placing in the oven and bake for approx 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool before eating.