Welcome back to our a-z of ingredients cooking with kids series. We are already at J is for…… Jam tarts.
Jam tarts are one of those things that I remember making with my mum from scraps of pastry when I was young and it takes me right back to make them with the boys. They are super simple and you do not have to even make your own pastry, there is nothing wrong with shop bought ones.
How to make Jam Tarts
Ingredients
60 g of butter
60 g of Trex (or other shortening or lard)
pinch of salt
200g self raising flour
ice cold water (as needed)
Jam
Equipment list
12 hole tart trays
Fluted pastry cutter or glass
Bowl
Scales
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Place the butter, shortening and flour in a mixing bowl and mix them all together with your fingers until you have a mainly crumbly mixture. The odd lump or two will not spoil the pastry. We used to call this tickling the ingredients when the boys were younger!Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pastry mix and “cut” it in with a blunt knife, we use a butter knife.
Use your hands form the pastry mix into a ball shape, This may take a minute or so, so add a drop of water at a time if the ball isnt coming together easily.Wrap the pastry mix in cling film and place in the fridge for thirty minutes.
Dust the work surface with flour, take the pastry mix from the fridge and flatten it slightly with your hands.
Use a rolling pin to flatten out the pastry to approximately ¼cm (one tenth inch)
Keep turning the pastry round every few rolls to stop it sticking to the work surfaceUse the pastry cutter to cut out pastry circles which are just larger than the holes in the baking tray.
Firm each pastry circle into a hole in the baking tray.
Fill each pastry with a teaspoon of jam. We use squirty jam to fill our jam tarts as it is so much easier. Just make sure you use less jam than you think you will need!
Place the tarts in the pre-heated oven and cook for twenty minutes before removing and allowing to cool for 5 minutes before getting an adult to place them on a cooling tray as the jam is really hot.

Jam tarts, cooking with kids
How to make Jam Tarts
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12
Ingredients
- 60 g of butter
- 60 g of Trex or other shortening or lard
- pinch of salt
- 200 g self raising flour
- ice cold water as needed
- Jam
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
-
Place the butter, shortening and flour in a mixing bowl and mix them all together with your fingers until you have a mainly crumbly mixture. The odd lump or two will not spoil the pastry. We used to call this tickling the ingredients when the boys were younger!
-
Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pastry mix and "cut" it in with a blunt knife, we use a butter knife.
-
Use your hands form the pastry mix into a ball shape, This may take a minute or so, so add a drop of water at a time if the ball isnt coming together easily.
-
Wrap the pastry mix in cling film and place in the fridge for thirty minutes.
-
Dust the work surface with flour, take the pastry mix from the fridge and flatten it slightly with your hands.
-
Use a rolling pin to flatten out the pastry to approximately ¼cm (one tenth inch)
-
Keep turning the pastry round every few rolls to stop it sticking to the work surface
-
Use the pastry cutter to cut out pastry circles which are just larger than the holes in the baking tray.
-
Firm each pastry circle into a hole in the baking tray.
-
Fill each pastry with a teaspoon of jam. We use squirty jam to fill our jam tarts as it is so much easier. Just make sure you use less jam than you think you will need!
-
Place the tarts in the pre-heated oven and cook for twenty minutes before removing and allowing to cool for 5 minutes before getting an adult to place them on a cooling tray as the jam is really hot.
See all the other great J is for Jam recipes from my fellow cooking with kids co-hosts here
Super Simple Microwave Strawberry Jam on Still Playing School
Orange Strawberry Jam Surprise Muffins on The Educators’ Spin on It
Jam and Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip on Sugar Aunts
Strawberry Jam and Jam Splogger Cookies on Rainy Day Mum
Jam and Cream Cheese Bites on Frogs, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails
This takes me back to my childhood. A simple recipe to make with kids – yum!
Pingback: Jam and Cream Cheese Bites - FSPDT
These look so good!
I love Jam tarts, but never seem to have them will have to get the kids to make some this afternoon these look delicious.
I love tarts! We will make these.
I used to love making jam tarts. I’ve never got the kids to make them, think we will give them a try this weekend.
Ah how wonderful. I do this with Ruby when we have leftover pastry and I used to make them with my mum and my nana too.
Oh yum these sound absolutely delicious what a treat! x
Brings back so many memories – I used to make these with my grandad
We often make jam tarts to use up scraps of pastry. We should make a tray full more often though.
I’d forgotten about jam tarts. My son would enjoy making these with me – thanks for sharing this recipe.
Ah my childhood. My mum and I used to make these. Still love them today.
We havn’t made jam tarts in such a long time and they are so easy, thansk for the prompt. Mich x
Ooh the smell of fresh tarts cooking is amazing, I am almost dribbling at the thought x
I used to love making jam tarts and certainly love making them. Have pinned this to do with my boys.