Apricot jam tart or pasta flora as we call it here in Greece is a dessert which was very popular at 70s and 80s. I remember my aunt making it quite often when I was a child and my first memory of tasting pasta flora is tasting hers. I remember the buttery and crumbly dough that melts in your mouth and the sweetness of the jam on top of it. A perfect pair. I couldn’t get enough of it. However as much as I liked it then it is a strange thing that I didn’t try to make pasta flora myself as I grew older. I don’t know exactly why. I think I just forgot about it. It happens! But a few days ago trying to find my next project I suddenly remembered about this tasty tart from my childhood and it was no doubt that this would be the next one. It would be also a chance to find out if it is really so tasty as I remember it or my young age made all things better. Well, it’s true. It is really tasty! Young or not makes no difference! I tried only one piece and I gave the rest to my mom so I could not eat more. It was a big temptation to me so I had to keep it away. I am not ten anymore and I can’t eat as much as I want so it had to disappear!
This apricot jam tart is ideal for breakfast or with your afternoon coffee or tea. You can use whatever jam you prefer and you can make it in any size you like. It can be made as individual mini tarts or as a big one like the one I did. The basic method is to make a layer of dough, a layer of jam and finish with the decorative pattern on the top. The dough is a simple tart dough using butter, sugar, flour and eggs and it can be used for all sort of tarts or even for cookies. It is a very malleable dough so you can work it with your hands and you don’t have to worry if it breaks somewhere. You just use your fingers to pinch it back together. So simple. As for the jam the choice is yours and it is up to your preferences. I used apricot jam but strawberry, peach, prune jam or anything else you like will be as good too.
It is a favorite Greek dessert and I am sure that it will be yours too if you give it a chance. I hope you will. Enjoy!
Apricot jam tart - Pasta flora
(25 votes, average: 4.28 out of 5)
Loading...Ingredients
- 250 gr butter, softened
- 125 gr confectioners sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 eggs + 1 egg for the egg wash
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 500 gr all purpose flour
- 3 gr baking powder
- 400 gr apricot jam
Instructions
Sift together the flour and the baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
Using an electric mixer (with the flat beater attachment) beat the butter, the sugar and the salt until fluffy about 5 minutes.
Add the eggs one by one.
Add the vanilla extract.
Lower the mixer speed and add the flour one spoonful at a time until all the flour is over.
Stop beating and knead by hands for a while until you get a smooth dough.
Cover dough in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge at least for an hour.
Remove from the fridge, cut off about 1/3 of the dough and set aside.
Butter a 25cm round tart pan.
Place the remaining 2/3 of the dough in the pan and using your finger press the dough along the bottom and up the sides of the pan evenly.
Spread the jam over the dough.
Take small pieces of the reserved 1/3 of the dough and shape them into cords.
Place the dough cords over the jam layer to form a lattice pattern.
Brush the cords with egg wash.
Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C for 35-40 minutes.
p.s. The recipe I am giving you today is not my aunt’s (I couldn’t find her in time) but the one I found in a very interesting and educational book for professional bakers. It is called “Εκπαιδευτική και Επαγγελματική Αρτοποιία” by “Les Livres du Tourisme” publications. A really good book with a lot of information and technical instructions and a lot of interesting recipes.
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