Recently, while under the weather, I had a clear, out-of-the-blue wish for jam tarts like the ones my grandmother made with me.
I didn’t have any vegan butter, or even marg, in the house, so I used coconut oil. It gave the slightly claggy, lardy taste and I suddenly remembered of the pastry of yesteryear. The last century, in fact.
Coconut oil is as equally a saturated fat as lard, so use judiciously. However, once in while, to be transported back to grandma’s kitchen, is a real treat.
There is an art to waiting long enough so you don’t scald the top of your mouth but also cold cold (as in the next day for breakfast, ahem) is really quite heavy.
A nice cuppa and share with friends, or even a grandchild you know.
Have a look here for a piece about how making these helped a personal transformation.
Ingredients c 12 tarts
- 150g plain flour sieved plus extra for rolling out; not a disaster if you only have self-raising
- pinch of fine seasalt
- 1 tbsp caster sugar golden caster is nice
- 60g coconut oil it has to be solid, so put it in the fridge if it’s warm where you are
- 2 -3 tbsp cold water
- about half a pot of jam I used home made plum which was extra grandmotherly
Method
- put on the oven 200C/180C fan
- add the salt to the flour you can take a balloon whisk to stir around the flour to evenly distribute the salt and get a bit of air into it
- rub the chopped up coconut oil with your fingertips into the flour you could also use a food processor
- add in 2tbsp water and a third till you get a not too sticky ball
- flour your hands, rolling pin and rolling surface
- roll out to 3 – 4mm and cut out your circles a fluted cutter is nice but a glass will do if you don’t have one
- lay them in the bun tin
- put in your jam, about a tablespoonful depending on the size of your pastry round remember the pastry will puff up a bit and can push the jam up and over the top which can be a pain when you come to clean the bun tin, plus the possibility of burnt jam smell affecting the taste
- bake for ten mnutes or so, till you see the pastry turning a bit golden
- cool in the tin on the cooling rack for 5 minutes or so, then transfer each one to the rack
- take care not to burn your mouth!
Post and tag @vivekagardens if you make these. Can’t wait to see which jam you use!