A super simple Jam Tart Recipe that even kids can do – with or without you!
I love that involving children in cooking experiences provides them with real life opportunities to develop so many different skills and understanding of a range of concepts. Not least of which is the development of fine motor skills – that is, activities that strengthen and improve the dexterity of the muscles of the arm, hand and fingers, that are so important for learning to control a pencil to draw and write. Many of the processes involved in food preparation provide opportunities for children to use these same muscles – activities such as slicing, stirring, whisking, peeling, mashing, kneading, grating, squeezing juice, crushing with a garlic press and pounding with a mortar and pestle. This jam tart recipe is super easy for children of all ages to be involved with (albeit with varying levels of adult support) and provides them with plenty of opportunities to use their very important fine motor skills.
Jam Tart Recipe for Baking with Kids
You will need:*
- 250gm plain flour
- 125gm butter, diced
- 3-4 tablespoons water
- Strawberry jam
To make:
1. Preheat oven to 180˚C. Grease muffin tray.
2. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl and add the cubed butter.
3. Rub the flour and butter together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
4. Add the water a little at a time and gently knead until a firm dough forms.
5. Sprinkle a little flour onto your work surface. Flatten and roll out the dough to 5mm thickness.
6. Cut circles out of the dough and place them into the muffin tray.
7. Place jam into a squeeze bottle and drop approximately one tablespoon of jam into the middle of each tart.
8. Optional: Cut decorative shapes from the remaining dough and place onto the top of the jam.
9. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the tarts are lightly golden.
10. Cool before eating.
Ingredients
- 250gm plain flour
- 125gm butter, diced
- 3-4 tablespoons water
- Strawberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180˚C. Grease muffin tray.
- Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl and add the cubed butter.
- Rub the flour and butter together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the water a little at a time and gently knead until a firm dough forms.
- Sprinkle a little flour onto your work surface. Flatten and roll out the dough to 5mm thickness.
- Cut circles out of the dough and place them into the muffin tray.
- Place jam into a squeeze bottle and drop approximately one tablespoon of jam into the middle of each tart.
- Optional: Cut decorative shapes from the remaining dough and place onto the top of the jam.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until the tarts are lightly golden.
- Cool before eating.
This recipe first appeared in Issue 4 of Play Grow Learn ezine. Each and every issue includes ideas for cooking with kids, exclusive printable games and activities, book reviews, toy recommendations and pages and pages of play activity and project ideas for kids of all ages – from babies through to early primary school age. Check it out here.
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