I’m a pack rat. I save everything and as I’ve documented on this site, when offered free food it’s impossible for me to refuse. I had a real problem with it this summer working the farmer’s market. But always one to turn lemons into lemonade, I turned excess fruit into jam. An abundance of jam. A ridiculous amount of jam. Sure, it’s delicious and in an array of fantastical combinations – pinot fraise de bois, white peach beaume de venise, raspberry Valrhona chocolate, santa rosa plum, white peach fraise de boise, Italian plum zinfandel among many MANY others. Really tasty stuff. There’s just a lot of it.
I’ve been contemplating a new year apartment cleanse but made the unfortunate judgment call to start with my pantry. I took one look at my jam storehouse and had to sit down. Breathe. I’ve given jam to everyone I know and still have a ton of it. I am literally on the verge of becoming that girl. (Did you see that scene in Modern Family where Cam and Mitchell talk about home pickling and becoming those pickle guys? Not only do I relate but I’m teetering on the precipice.)
hmmm….
So rather than go there, I started perusing the internet for recipes that use a lot of jam. That was my search criteria: “recipes, lots of jam.” Creative, no? Some results just were a big snooze: thumbprint cookies, sandwich cookies. (Though using jam to sweeten cocktails was an interesting idea. I’ll use that one.) Then I remembered a cake I had in Southern France that was buttery and delicious with a layer of dark cherry jam in the middle that haunts my dreams. I googled “gateau Breton”. It took a few minutes reading recipes to realize I had conveniently forgotten that Brittany is in northern France and I’ve never been there. Oh minor details; so I gotta move south. Give me a moment. Gateau Basque! That’s more like it! I bookmarked it for later and kept searching.
individual tarts
Of course, I hopped over to David Lebovitz’s site. He always has good stuff and I seemed to remember a post for a jam tart a while back. If that doesn’t fit the bill, I don’t know what does. Yep, there it was … Easy Jam Tart. From July 2008. What?!? Sometimes it takes me a while but I get to it eventually. And it uses nearly 2 cups of jam. Hot damn, we’re onto something here.
I made it just as he posted it – so I won’t repost the recipe here – and it could not have been easier. The dough is patted into the pan – no rolling futzing crap whatsoever. I didn’t even bother with cutting the dough for a decorative top like he did, rather just crumbled it on top for a more homey, pebbley, rustic topping. It was particularly good with my overly vanilla-y apricot jam which I suspected correctly would be better encased in a buttery crust as the vanilla is a bit too strong for toast.
This worked so well I made it again the following day for a Haitian Relief Bake Sale at The Hideout in Chicago – this time as individual tarts wrapped ever so pretty.
It’s a keeper. Find David’s recipe here.
lots ‘o tarts
STRESS BAKING THERAPY FACTOR: HIGH. I haven’t met a fruit tart lately that I haven’t liked and this is another. Filled with my homemade jam, I was really onto something. My friends went nuts over its buttery homemade goodness. Releasing this into the world is a great great thing.
Side note: make sure to let these suckers cool down completely before you try to unmold them. This is what happens if you don’t:
crumbles, delicious but not what I intended
STRESSCAKE 
Mmmmm. Something I’d like to try. Hint. Hint.
You would like this. In fact, you could make this easily. I’ll keep it in mind.
Mmmm. I don’t have those little tiny pie pans. They sure are cute. Would one of those white ceramic things work? or a muffin pan?
yeah, the ceramic quiche dishes work just fine you just have to serve from the dish because it’s a bitch to get it out in one piece. It’s easy – no rolling, just press that dough right in the pan. Just make sure the tart cools completely before taking that first slice out. If it’s warm, you’ll have some crumbling troubles. If you ever want to borrow some pans, you know who to call little missy. And if you need jam, I got you covered 🙂
Whenever I finish a jar of jam, I fill it with gin and stick it in the fridge. Viola: [fruit] Jam flavored Gin. Good for mixed drinks, less sticky jars to deal with.
fantastic idea – sticky jars stink to clean plus you get some tasty booze. Bonus!
This blog (and the comments) are FULL of delicious, boozey ideas. Love it.
When you started writing about jam and dessert recipes that call for lots of it, I immediately thought of Vienna’s famous Sacher tortes. Don’t those require a healthy glaze of apricot jam?
it does but its just a slick right in the middle. but now that you mention it, the strong vanilla notes in my apricot jam would be lovely with chocolate ….
I vote for jammy booze! Or boozey jam?
(Jam on it) Jam on it
I said jam-j-j-jam on it
As days turn to night and night turns to day
Whatever time it is i wanna hear you say
(Jam on it) Jam on it
I said jam on-on-on, jam on it
(those look pretty tasty, sis!)
Ha! That was the very thing I was thinking when I wrote that. Of course you would know that. You are my sister after all 🙂 (wicki wicki wicki wicki wicki wicki)
[…] it’s been in my mental files to try for a while. In looking for recipes that use a lot of jam (long story), I remembered this and thought a citrus marmalade yogurt cake sounded rather tasty. It was time […]