Jam & Marshmallow Tarts

I come from a family that is crazy about jam. We love jam. My mother used to make her own strawberry jam every year and then it would be used throughout the year to fill cakes, pop into cookies, and spoon over ice cream.
Not just for toast! In our house when I was growing up every layer cake baked was put together with a thick layer of jam in the middle, even chocolate cakes. It was a great way to dress up any cake mix cake. Especially a chocolate cake. A bit of strawberry or cherry jam in the middle was a real surprise and a bona fide treat!
The possibilities were endless.
Jam & Marshmallow Tarts

Is there anything on earth that tastes better than a thick slice of homemade white bread spread with butter and jam? I think not!
Well . . . . I would be lying if I didn't tell you that I think jam tarts are slightly better. But only slightly. Crisp buttery pastry, filled with sweet jam. Jam tarts are the ultimate combination of savory and sweet!!! (Have I told you that everyone in my family is also crazy over pastry?? Now you know.)
This lovely Jam & Marshmallow Tart recipe takes it one step further. Crisp and buttery tart shells are baked until almost crisp and then filled with jam and baked again, until golden brown and the jam is bubbling.
They are then topped with half a large marshmallow and returned to the oven until that marshmallow melts and turns golden brown. Oh my goodness. These are fabulously delicious.
These are perfect for children's parties, tea parties and for just because. Delicious with a hot drink or cold glass of milk, they are destined to become a firm family favorite. I guarantee! Quick, easy to make and oh so tasty!

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE JAM & MARSHMALLOW TARTS
Three simple ingredients, one oven and a baking tray. That's it.

6 frozen tart shells, thawed
6 tsp (slightly heaped) of your favorite jam
3 large marshmallows

Here in Canada I use the Tenderflake brand frozen tart shells. They are really very good and I don't need to have metal tart tins to bake my tarts. They are found in the frozen aisle of the grocery store.
If I was in the U.K. and was looking for something quick, they did have some very good prebaked tart shells that were found in the baking section of the grocery stores, or you could always buy Just Rol short crust pastry, all ready rolled out and ready to cut or in the blocks that you roll out yourself.
Just cut into 3 inch rounds with a round metal pastry cutter and fit into patty pans and bake as per the recipe instructions. Prebake, fill, bake again, top and bake again. Your tarts will be beautiful.
I also have an excellent pastry recipe here that is made with butter and lard that would work very well. Again, roll out, cut into rounds, fit into patty pans and bake as per the recipe.
Jam & Marshmallow Tarts

You can use any flavor of jam you wish in these, but we favor either strawberry or raspberry. I used to make all the jams for my family, but now that I live on my own, most of the time I buy my jam.
I really like Bonne Maman jams. They may cost a bit more, but the quality is superb. It is a French Brand. I discovered them when I was living in the U.K. and fell in love. I was so pleased to be able to find them here in Canada when I returned.
Use any large marshmallow. Mine were super large. They will puff up quite big in the oven, but then fall back down again once they cool.

HOW TO MAKE JAM & MARSHMALLOW TARTS
These really could not be any simpler. You can of course make your own pastry from scratch, but if you buy good quality frozen tart shells, you make things a whole lot easier.

Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a small baking tray with some baking parchment.Place the thawed tart shells onto the baking tray and prick the bottoms with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.Place 1 teaspoon of jam into the bottom of each tart shell. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 12 minutes, until the shells are golden brown and the jam is bubbling.

Remove the shells from the oven and carefully place one half marshmallow on top of each jam filled tart shell, cut side down.

Return to the oven and bake for a further 3 - 5 minutes or until the marshmallow has browned a bit and puffed up.Remove and let stand on a wire rack and leave to cool completely before eating. Remember hot jam can burn, so be careful.

These are quite simply, jam tart perfection. With that crisp pastry and the sweet jam, with that gooey marshmallow topping they went down a real treat with a hot cup of herbal tea.
These would be the star of any children's party, or even a tea party. Simple to make, and oh so tasty. The pre-baking of the tart shells makes for a very crisp base, which is what you want in a jam tart!

Are you as fond as I am of using jam in your bakes? If so, you might just enjoy the following recipes! We sure do!

JAM FILLED DROP COOKIES - A delicious drop cookie, soft and golden brown and crisp on the edges. Made with butter and brown sugar and filled in the middle with a lovely dollop of jam. You can use your favorite kind, but we are quite partial to strawberry or raspberry. These are fabulous! These are the kind of cookies your grandmother might have baked. Simply, old fashioned, and delicious!

JAM DOUGHNUT MUFFINS - Delicious muffins that for all the world taste like jam filled doughnuts. A lovely muffin batter is filled with your favorite jam, batter on the bottom, dollop of jam, batter on top, and then baked to perfection. Once done, and while still warm, they are rolled in sugar. No butter needed. The muffins are buttery and moist from the use of melted butter and yogurt in the batter. The jam adds just the right touch, and that sugar coating, well, these are truly amazing. So tasty, I once baked them three times in one week!

Yield: 6Author: Marie Rayner