Pasta Flora (Greek Jam Tart)

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5 from 1 vote

Pasta Flora is a delicious old-fashioned jam tart with shortcrust pastry.

BONUS RECIPE: An easy, homemade orange jam to fill it with!

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: dessert, fruit, Oven baked

Servings:

Calories: 538kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

OPTIONAL: Homemade Orange Jam

1 kilogram (2.2 pounds or 4-5) oranges thin skinned
1 lemon
1 kilograms (2.2 pound) sugar

For The Pasta Flora:

175 grams (1 ½ stick butter + 1 teaspoon) butter at room temperature
80 grams ( 8 tablespoons) sugar
1 medium-sized egg
⅓ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon baking powder
350 grams (2 ½ cups + 5 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
550 grams (2 ¾ cups) homemade orange jam or any other jam of your preference
OPTIONAL: icing sugar to serve with

Instructions

To Make The Homemade Orange Jam:

Please check the recipe notes below before making the jam.
Prepare the fruit: Wash the oranges and lemon. And scrub their skin. Cut off the ends of both the oranges and the lemon. Then cut the fruit in half. Cut each half into 4.
Soak the fruit: Add the fruit to a large plastic or glass bowl. Cover with 3 liters of cold water and place a weight such as a plate to sink the fruit underwater. Soak like this at room temperature for 24 hours.
Puree the fruit: Drain the fruit in a strainer and remove any seeds. Add to a food processor in batches and pulse until they look like a grainy paste.
Weigh the fruit: The ratio of fruit to sugar should be 1:1. So for every cup of pureed fruit you will need 1 cup sugar.
Make The Jam: Add both the sugar and fruit to a thick-bottomed cooking pot. Add also 1 cup of water (240 ml) (if you divide the recipe by half use only ½ cup of water). Stir well to combine and then bring to a gentle simmer. Cook over low heat, uncovered, for about an hour. Stirring frequently and especially when the jam starts to thicken so it won't stick to the bottom. Weigh the jam that's needed for the recipe and set it aside to cool. Store the remaining jam while it's still hot in sterilized canning jars.

To Make The Pasta Flora:

Preheat oven to 340°F / 170°C.
Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
Add butter and sugar to your mixer's bowl and with the paddle attachment on beat for 4 minutes over medium speed.
Add the egg and mix to incorporate.
Add the vanilla, salt, and milk. Mix until combined.
Add the flour in gradually and once fully incorporated turn off the mixer.
Rest dough: Shape the dough into a round ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 1 hour.
Roll the dough: Take about ⅔ of the dough and shape it into a round ball. Add the remaining ⅓ back into the fridge. Using a rolling pin, roll open the dough ball on a piece of parchment paper. Open to a large 30 cm round disk. Gently roll the dough loosely around the rolling pin. And then unroll it over the tart pan. Or transfer the dough using the parchment paper and swiftly overlap over the tart tin. Use a 28 cm (11-inch) tart pan.
Make the tart: Press the dough firmly into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Trim any excess dough. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork a few times. Then add the cooled jam and spread it evenly with a spoon.
Make the topping: Take small pieces of the leftover dough, shape them into balls, and then into cords. Pat lightly each cord with your fingertips to flatten it slightly. Then place it on top of the pie criss-cross to create a latticework.
Bake: Bake the tart for about 30 to 35 minutes until golden on top.
Serve: Serve topped with icing sugar or a scoop of ice cream or Greek yogurt.

Notes

Jam Quantity: There will be plenty of leftover jam if you follow the recipe quantities. I thought since you are making the effort, you would like to have an extra jar (plus a bit more) of jam to keep. If not, cut down the recipe by half.

To Check If The Jam Is Ready: Place a small plate in the fridge for a couple of hours then use it to check if the jam has reached the right consistency. Add a small spoonful of the hot jam to the cold plate. The jam will cool and should look like a slightly runny soft gel.

Nutrition