Easy Italian Jam Tart – Fregolotta
Adapted from https://food52.com/recipes/25289-cindy-mushet-s-italian-jam-shortbread-tart-fregolotta
I used a 10 1/2 inch tart pam with a removable bottom and these are the proportions that work for it. The original recipe is for 9 or 9 1/2 inch pan.
Change the jam, change the nuts - this recipe is endlessly adaptable. I always have these pantry items in stock.
- 213 grams softened, unsalted butter (a scant 1c)
- 124 grams sugar (a scant 2/3c)
- 1/3 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (or almond, peppermint, coconut...)
- 266 grams all purpose flour (2C + 2T)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (scant)
- 1/3 cup not-too-sweet jam (any flavour you like)
- 35 grams sliced natural almonds (or chopped nuts of any kind, about 1/3c)
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
Beat the softened (room temperature) butter and sugar together in an electric mixer or using electric beaters for 3 or 4 minutes until lighter and sort of fluffy. Add the extract and give it a quick mix.
Add the salt to the flour and mix them together. Add a few spoonfuls of the flour/salt mix to the bowl with the butter/sugar and mix until just incorporated. Scape down the sides and add another few spoonfuls and repeat until all the dry bits have been mixed in but avoid excess mixing.
Remove a 1/2c of the dough to a small plate and put the plate in the freezer. Press the rest of the dough as evenly as possible into the bottom of your tart pan. If the dough is too sticky to work with, pop it into the fridge for 10 minutes.
Spread the jam as evenly as possible over the shortbread base, leaving an inch or so between the edge of the pan and the jam, all the way around.
Sprinkle the nuts over the jam. Take the reserved dough out of the freezer and crumble it over the the jam and nuts.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
It doesn't matter if you sprinkle the nuts or the crumbled dough on first.
This would be a great place to use your micro batch jam or even some leftover cranberry sauce.
