Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart

With sweet raspberry jam nestled between melt-in-your-mouth shortbread and a buttery crumble topping, this Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart is beyond delicious!

If you need a dessert that will bring “wows!” every time you serve it, you don’t need to look any farther! This Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart is a tried and true go-to dessert for me and it never fails to please.

As you can imagine, I’ve made a lot of desserts over the years and Scott, having a well-tuned sweet tooth, has enjoyed most of them. But this one got his highest accolades. He pronounced it “my favorite dessert, ever!”

And I had to laugh when one sweet friend of ours asked for “a moment of silence” after she took the first bite. So she could, “savor every morsel without distraction!”.

The original recipe (from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey) called for baking the delicious treat in a 9×13 pan, yielding lots of bars; perfect for picnics, potlucks and bake sales. I halved the recipe and used a 10-inch tart pan which makes an elegant dessert presentation. 

Since raspberry jam is the star ingredient in this wonderful dessert, you’ll want to use a good quality jam. I like to use this Overnight Raspberry Freezer Jam, but if I had to use a purchased jam, I’d go with Bonne Maman Preserves or something similar.

I love that the crust and the crumbly topping of this dessert are made from the same dough. It’s a one-bowl, no-mixer, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread dough which includes butter, sugar, all-purpose flour and almond flour. Half the dough is pressed into the bottom of the pan and par-baked, while the other half gets tossed in the freezer to make for easy crumbling.

Almond flour – that fine European flavor

What is almond flour? It’s just almonds, ground till they’re fine and floury. I find it fascinating that a small portion of almond flour not only accents the flavor of raspberries and other fruits, but it also adds a mysterious touch of fine European flavor to desserts; a deliciousness no one can quite figure out!

A light dusting of powdered sugar is optional, but adds a really pretty touch.

This Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart is delicious on its own, but served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or custard takes it into the “nirvana” realm! I like to drizzle a small spoonful of raspberry jam over the melting ice cream and garnish it all with a tiny sprig of mint.

Need a yummy dessert for a dinner party coming up? Maybe you’d just love to surprise family/friends with something special (but easy)? This one doesn’t take long to put together; definitely under an hour. You’ll hear “wows” when you bring the pretty tart to the table and “oohs and aahs” with the first bites. Oh, and don’t act a bit surprised if someone asks for “a moment of silence”.

Café Tips for making this Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart…

• Almond flour is simply almonds that have been finely ground. Since it’s made from almonds it’s expensive, but you don’t need much to add amazing flavor. I keep mine in the freezer and it lasts forever. You can find it at most larger groceries, Trader Joes (good price) and online.
• I use my Overnight Raspberry Freezer Jam but any good quality raspberry jam is fine. I really like Bonne Maman Preserves if I don’t have homemade.
• For a pretty look, I like to reserve about a tablespoon of the jam. After I add the crumbled topping, I drizzle the reserved jam with a small spoon into the cracks and crevices between some of the crumbles to look like it’s peeking out. Otherwise, the topping will cover the jam, still very pretty but I think it’s enticing to see a little of the jam peeking through.
• Since this recipe doesn’t require a mixer, make sure your butter is very soft. Sometimes it’s difficult to soften butter, especially during the winter months when the house is chilly. I like to soften mine in the microwave with the light left on. I don’t even start the microwave. The small amount of heat from the light is enough to soften the butter within about 4-6 hours.
• You can also soften cold butter by placing it in the microwave and setting the power on 10% for about one and one half to two minutes. Watch it closely the first time as every microwave is different. You’ll learn exactly how much time it takes for your microwave.
• You can use either a 9 or 10-inch pan for this recipe. I really like to use a tart pan with a removable bottom but it could be made in a 9-inch cake pan if you line the pan with parchment paper.
• I love to use a Danish whisk for mixing up bread and cookie dough as well as cake batters without having to pull out the mixer. My Danish whisk is a small but essential little workhorse in my kitchen! I like this one and love that it comes in a set so you can keep one and give the other to your favorite cooking buddy!

P.S. See those fun powdered sugar “sprinkle” pictures above? It’s a bit tricky to get images like that so we do some lots of practice shots before we try to catch the real deal. Thought you might enjoy seeing one of the “before” shots.

This Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart was originally shared in 2016. It’s one of our favorite recipes ever and we didn’t want it to get lost in the Café archives of over 1,000 recipes. So we tweaked the recipe (to make it easier), updated the images and present it to you today for your baking pleasure!

4.96 from 23 votes

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Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart

With a layer of sweet raspberry jam nestled between the crisp, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread crust and buttery crumble topping, this Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart just might be one of the most delicious desserts ever!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Total Time: 1 hr

Servings: 12

Calories: 365 kcal

Ingredients

• 8 ounces butter very soft
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup almond flour see notes above
• ¾ cup raspberry jam  see notes above

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.

2. Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Using a sturdy spatula or Danish whisk, beat until creamy. Add vanilla and salt and mix until combined. Add the all-purpose and almond flours and continue to mix until flour is incorporated and large crumbles start to form.

3. Spray a 9 or 10-inch tart pan with baking spray or grease well and press one half of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and freeze while the bottom crust is baking, (no longer than 15 minutes).

4. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is just beginning to firm and turn pale golden brown at the edges.

5. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the tart to cool for 10 minutes, then spread the raspberry jam/preserves evenly over the crust, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edge. (see notes above for a pretty presentation tip).

6. Remove the remaining dough from freezer, and with your fingers, sprinkle it in big crumbles over the jam to form a topping.

7. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until topping is firm, crisp and lightly golden in color, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, then dust lightly with powdered sugar, if desired.

8. Use a sharp knife to cut the tart into wedges. Serve warm (I used the microwave for about 10 seconds for each wedge) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen custard, if desired.

9. Dessert can be made 6-8 hours in advance. It can also be made and frozen after cooling. To serve after freezing, allow to thaw, then warm for 10-12 minutes in a 300˚ oven.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above for more detailed instructions and further tips.

Adapted from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey

Calories 365kcal

Fat 18g

Saturated fat 9g

Cholesterol 40mg

Sodium 239mg

Potassium 40mg

Carbohydrates 46g

Fiber 1g

Sugar 27g

Protein 3g

Vitamin A 470%

Vitamin C 1.9%

Calcium 26%

Iron 1.2%

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