I often hear from my students of their successes in the kitchen with recipes from our classes together. I had one of these discussions last night at my Couple’s Class which made me realize that I have never posted on this blog a recipe for one of those “top-of-the-list”, “most-requested”, “no-fail”, easy desserts. I knew immediately that my next post was going to be this delicious Shortbread Jam Tart!
What if I were to tell you that you can make the easiest tart in the world without even having to roll out the dough? This Italian shortbread tart comes together by simply pressing the dough into a tart pan, spreading on your favorite jam, and topping it with a sprinkling of sliced almonds. Yes, it is that easy.
For this tart you should use a top-quality jam that also spreads easily. If all you have is a chunky jam, you may need to use a bit more. While I prefer apricot jam, cherry jam is wonderful too. You can even top the tart shell using both jams, serving your guests a thin slice of each. The golden crust, the jewel-like colors of the jams, and the toasted almonds transform this simple, shortbread dough into a delicious and very photogenic dessert, which I am certain it will become one of your favorites too!
Shortbread Jam Tart (fregolatta)
- 6 oz. butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. pure almond extract
- 1½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- ½ cup apricot jam, or cherry jam (or a little more)
- ⅓ cup unsalted almonds, sliced
- Heat the oven to 350 °F and set an oven rack in the center of oven.
- Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is very light in color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the almond extract and blend well, another 30 seconds.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and combine on low speed just until the dough is thoroughly combined, about 30 to 40 seconds. Measure out about ½ cup of the dough and refrigerate while working with the rest of the recipe. (This will chill the dough and make it easier to crumble later.)
- Press the remaining dough into a 9” tart pan in an even layer (the edges should be a little higher than the rest, just be careful that the center is not the thickest point). The dough will be slightly sticky.
- Use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the jam in a thin, even layer over the surface of the dough, leaving a border of about 1-inch around the edges.
- Remove the reserved dough from the freezer and crumble it into small pieces over the layer of the jam, allowing some of the jam to peek through. Sprinkle the sliced almonds evenly over the top of the tart.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the topping is a beautiful golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool completely. Cut wedges straight from the pan. If desired, you can serve the tart with some whipped cream or vanilla gelato.
Love shortbread!! What about topping with blueberry?
Any kind of jam will do Cindy! Have never made it with blueberries – It might not be quite as visually appealing, but I am sure the taste will be great!