Sweet Treats & Desserts
Pasta Flora – Jam Tart Squares
It’s an easy tart to make. You could even put it together with the kids as a home baking activity.
Afterwards, enjoy a tart slice or square with a warm cup of coffee or tea. They make great little sweet snacks for the kids too.
Pasta flora is made regularly in households up and down Greece. Let us know how yours went and if it becomes a family favourite for you too!
Summary
Prep: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 2 hours
Cooking: 20 minutes
Ages: Toddlers – Teens
Difficulty: Easy peasy
Makes: 1 Pasta Flora Jam Tart
What is Pasta Flora?
Pasta Flora is the Greek name for a sweet jam tart with a shortcrust pastry base.
Also known as Pasta Frola
it’s commonly made in the countries of Argentina, Paraguary, Uruguay, Egypt and Greece.
It used to be considered a morning dessert, but it can be served at any time of day as a snack or after-meal sweet.
How to Make Pasta Flora
Pasta Flora has 2 main elements to it. The sweet shortcrust pastry and the jam filling.
The jam filling is made simply using jam so there is no hassle there.
The sweet shortcrust pastry needs the butter and sugar to be beaten together. Then the remaining ingredients such as the flour and baking powder are just mixed in.
It does need some chilling time of 2 hours or overnight in the fridge. However this aside it is quite simple to put together.
You can also make extra of it and keep some in the freezer wrapped in cling film for future baking.
Pasta Flora
Ingredients
Sweet shortcrust pastry:
- 190 grams icing sugar (1½ cups)
- 300 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 540 grams plain flour (4½ cups)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch salt (optional)
Filling:
- 150 grams strawberry jam (or your chosen jam)
Egg wash:
- 1 egg
- water
Instructions
Sweet shortcrust pastry:
- Beat the icing sugar and softened butter together until they’re light and fluffy.
- Add in the 2 eggs and mix in.
- Add in the vanilla extract (or scrape the seeds out of a vanilla bean).
- Finally mix in the plain flour, baking powder and salt (if adding). Knead it until everything is evenly distributed and just combined.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and pop in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
Pasta flora:
- When you’re ready to begin, grease a round or square baking dish and preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F fan setting.
- Place a large sheet of cling film down onto a clean working surface and put your prepared pastry dough on top of it.
- Place another large sheet of cling film on top of the dough and roll it out until it’s about ½ cm thick. It should be larger than the size of your baking dish.
- Peel off the top layer of cling film and flip the pastry layer into your greased pie dish. It should cover the base and go up the sides by a few cm (about an inch). Press down on it with your fingers to mould it to the dish.
- Cut off any excess pastry and trim around the edges with a knife to tidy them up.
- Take your chosen jam and spread it out over the shortcrust base. It should cover the base in a thin layer (less than 1 cm thick) it doesn’t need to be too thick.
- Return to your remaining pastry. Gather it into a ball and roll it out again into a thin layer.
- Take a sharp knife and cut long, straight strips of the pastry about 1 cm (½ inch) wide. Carefully lift and place these diagonally across the jam tart, parallel to each other with about 2 inch spaces between each one.
- Take some more strips and place these perpendicular to the first set. Again lay them out in parallel lines to create a lattice effect.
- Beat an egg with a little water to create an eggwash. Lightly brush the pastry strips and the edges of the pie with it.
- Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Let it cool to room temperature before serving as an afternoon treat. You can cut rectangular trays of Pasta Flora into squares to grab and go.
How to Make Pasta Flora
Beat the Butter and Icing Sugar Together Until Fluffy
You can use a handheld mixer or do it vigorously by hand.
The colour of the butter should become slightly paler.
Mix in the Remaining Ingredients and Chill
Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
Add in the dry ingredients: the flour, baking powder and salt (if using).
Knead everything together until it’s just combined. Roll it into a ball and wrap in cling film.
Chill in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
Roll out the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Base
When you’re ready to begin, preheat an oven to 180°C or 350°F fan setting.
Lay out a sheet of clingfilm and place your ball of prepared pastry on top of it.
Cover it with a second sheet of clingfilm and roll it out into a circle, a little larger than your oven dish.
It should be thin, at most 1 cm (½ inch thick).
Mould the Pastry Base to the Oven Dish
Remove the top layer of cling film and flip the pastry onto the pie dish.
Press down on it with your fingers to get it into the corners and up the sides.
Trim the tops of the sides with scissors or a sharp knife to make it even.
Add the Jam Filling
Spoon in your chosen jam until it covers the base.
It should be a thin layer (a little less than 1 cm or ½ inch thick).
Cut Long Pastry Strips
Gather up the remaining pastry and roll it out again into a circle.
Cut long strips of about 1 cm or ½ inch thick.
Place the Strips Diagonally Across the Pasta Flora
Position each strip diagonally across your jam filling. Allow about an inch space between strips.
Create a Lattice
Add a second layer of strips.
Lay them down perpendicular to the first set and in parallel to one another. Allow 1 inch between strips again.
Beat an egg with some egg wash and brush down the pastry strips.
Bake until Golden
Bake until the tops are golden and crisp.
Cut into Squares
If you’re making your Pasta Flora in a rectangular tray, when it has cooled you can cut it into little jam squares.
They make easy treat to keep out for everyone.
Serve as a Jam Tart
If you’re using a classic round pie dish you can leave it out as is.
Cut slices of Pasta flora for breakfasts or afternoon treats.
Pin it for Later – Pasta Flora Jam Tart Squares
Pasta Flora
Ingredients
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- 190 grams icing sugar (1½ cups)
- 300 grams unsalted butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 540 grams plain flour (4½ cups)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
Filling
- 150 grams strawberry jam (other jams work too)
Egg wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
-
Beat the icing sugar and softened butter together until they’re light and fluffy.
-
Add in the 2 eggs and mix in.
-
Add in the vanilla extract (or scrape the seeds out of a vanilla bean).
-
Finally mix in the plain flour, baking powder and salt (if adding). Knead it until everything is evenly distributed and just combined.
-
Wrap the dough in cling film and pop in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
Pasta Flora
-
When you’re ready to begin, grease a round or square baking dish and preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F fan setting.
-
Place a large sheet of cling film down onto a clean working surface and put your prepared pastry dough on top of it.
-
Place another large sheet of cling film on top of the dough and roll it out until it’s about ½ cm thick. It should be larger than the size of your baking dish.
-
Peel off the top layer of cling film and flip the pastry layer into your greased pie dish. It should cover the base and go up the sides by a few cm (about an inch). Press down on it with your fingers to mould it to the dish.
-
Cut off any excess pastry and trim around the edges with a knife to tidy them up.
-
Take your chosen jam and spread it out over the shortcrust base. It should cover the base in a thin layer (less than 1 cm thick) it doesn’t need to be too thick.
-
Return to your remaining pastry. Gather it into a ball and roll it out again into a thin layer.
-
Take a sharp knife and cut long, straight strips of the pastry about 1 cm (½ inch) wide. Carefully lift and place these diagonally across the jam tart, parallel to each other with about 2 inch spaces between each one.
-
Take some more strips and place these perpendicular to the first set. Again lay them out in parallel lines to create a lattice effect.
-
Beat an egg with a little water to create an eggwash. Lightly brush the pastry strips and the edges of the pie with it.
-
Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Let it cool to room temperature before serving as an afternoon treat. You can cut rectangular trays of Pasta Flora into squares to grab and go.
