Rainbow Jam Tarts Food

EASY JAM TARTS

Steps:

• Put the flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a bowl and rub them together with your fingertips (or you can pulse these ingredients together in a food processor if you have one). When the mixture looks and feels like fresh breadcrumbs, stir in the egg and vanilla seeds, if using, with a cutlery knife. Add 1 tbsp cold water, then start to bring the dough together in one lump with your hands - try not to knead it too much. Add 1 more tbsp of water if it's not coming together, but try not to add more than that. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter a 12-hole tart tin, then dust your work surface with flour. Unwrap and roll out the chilled pastry so it's about the thickness of a £1 coin, then use a straight or fluted round cutter to cut out 12 circles, big enough to line the holes in the tin. Dollop 1-2 tsp of your chosen filling into each one and, if you like, cut out little pastry hearts (perfect for Valentine's Day) and pop them on top.
• Bake for 15-18 mins or until golden and the filling is starting to bubble a little. Leave to cool in the tin for a few mins then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

RAINBOW FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly dust work surface and puff-pastry sheet with flour; roll out to slightly thinner than 1/4 inch. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar, pressing and rolling sugar so as much sticks as possible. Trim pastry sheet to a 12-by-8 1/2-inch rectangle. Transfer to a baking sheet. With a paring knife, lightly score a border 1 inch from edges. Freeze 15 minutes. Bake until puffed and golden, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool. Gently press center to flatten.
• Meanwhile, place each color of fruit in its own bowl (or do in batches). Divide remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and lemon juice evenly among bowls and add a pinch of salt to each. Toss to combine. Whisk cream with confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form. Fill pastry with cream and top with fruit. To create rainbow effect, arrange fruit in vertical stripes, starting with red, followed by orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Garnish with mint, if desired. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, covered, up to 2 hours.

GIANT JAM TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and put a baking tray in the oven to heat up. On a lightly floured surface, roll out two-thirds of the pastry to a circle about 0.5cm thick. If you're adding a spiced flavour to your pastry, sprinkle with the cinnamon or nutmeg, fold in half and repeat, then roll it out again to a circle about 0.5cm thick.
• Press the pastry into a 23cm metal pie tin or tart tin and trim off any excess pastry hanging over the edge. If you're using a deep tin, roll the edges down a little to make a lip (you only want to make a shallow tart). Spread the jam over the pastry base.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining pastry to a thickness of 0.5cm and use small cookie cutters to stamp out shapes. Re-roll the trimmings and cut out more shapes if needed. Arrange the pastry decorations over the jam layer.
• Put the tin on the hot baking tray and cook for 40 mins, then leave to cool for 15 mins. Dust the pastry toppings with icing sugar. Serve warm or cold with custard, cream or ice cream.