How to Make Your Own Vegan Jam Tarts

England seems to have gone from a country that would enjoy a good jam tart, to one that spends a fortune in coffee chops on giant American muffins. Why not go back to basics, and learn to make your own jam tarts, far better than plastic-wrapped store-bought versions?

These homemade Jam Tarts (Rainbow Nourishments) are simple to make, simply filling your pastry shells with organic jam. Avoid chia seeds for choking hazards.

Make your own pastry (to avoid palm oil). Keep fresh dough away from young children and pets (can expand in the stomach). Read more on food safety for people and pets.

If you make your own jam, you’ll have to sterilise the jars:

Put jars, lids and rubber seals on hot dishwasher cycle (fill with hot water, while warm). Or wash in hot soapy water, and ‘cook’ in pre-heated oven (to 160 degrees C) for 15 minutes (again fill with hot water, while still warm).

The recipe above is super-simple, even a beginner will have success. Use Flora vegan block butter to make your pastry (one of the few brands without palm oil) and ensure it’s very cold before cutting into cubes, adding iced water to the dough, for best results. But don’t add too much water, or you’ll create too much gluten for a chewy result.

Fruits of the Forage makes jam from foraged fruits (from old hedgerows and abandoned orchards in Cheshire). This one’s made with damsons, plums, apples, elderberries and blackberries.

Ideally, choose a high-fruit seedless jam, blackcurrant is a good choice for a traditional jam tart. Or for the classic strawberry or raspberry. Apricot is another good option. Only use around 1 teaspoon of jam per tart, otherwise it will bubble over and end up welding to the tin, for lots of washing-up after!