Royal Jam Tarts (recipe by Ruth Clemens for Patron's Lunch)

To honour the Queen's official birthday, this weekend is jam-packed with festivities and celebrations. Tomorrow is the day of the much-anticipated Patron's Lunch, which is being held to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen's 90th birthday and her patronage of over 600 charities and organisations. One of the biggest street parties ever will be taking place on The Mall, just outside Buckingham Palace in London.

If you cannot attend the big street party but would like to mark the occasion and perhaps bake something festive, how about the Royal Jam Tarts as created by Ruth Clemens of The Pink Whisk for Stork? Have a look at the selection of festive recipes on Baking with Stork recipe pages.

Royal Jam Tarts (recipe reproduced courtesy of Stork)
Ingredients:
170g plain flour
85g Stork with butter
30g caster sugar
2-3tbsp cold water
225g seedless raspberry jam (or seeded, like I did)
Oven temp 180C (fan)/200c/Gas mark 6
Makes 12
Freezing: suitable for freezing
Prep time: 20 minutes plus 30 minutes chilling
Bake time: 12-15 minutes

Method:
1. To make the pastry place the plain flour in a bowl with the Stork with Butter.
2. Rub the Stork with Butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Stir through the sugar.

4. Add the water a tablespoon at a time and work the pastry until it just comes together.
5. Knead lightly  until even, wrap in clingfilm and allow to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
6. Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured work surface to approx 4mm in thickness and cut out 12 circles.
7. Line the recess of a shallow bun tray with the pastry circles.
8. Gather together the pastry trimmings and re-roll. Cut out 12 small crowns with a sharp knife.
9. Fill each pastry case with 1-2tsp of jam.
10. Top each tart with a pastry crown and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until golden.
11. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool. Serve.

Shortcrust pastry with Stork was very easy to make, and tasted lovely. Stork has even released a limited edition pack for Patron's Lunch.

I used a delicious raspberry and vanilla jam from a Culinary Couture range by Hawkshead Relish, making the Royal Jam Tarts, but any good quality raspberry jam will work in this recipe.

My men have loved the jam tarts. Eddie was eating them with such enthusiasm that some jam ended on the tip of his nose.

Yum!