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Need an impressive, delicious, easy dessert? This Strawberry Jam Shortbread Tart, with a ribbon of sweet jam and fresh berries nestled between layers of buttery crust and crisp, lemon glazed crumble, is IT!
The minute I saw fresh local strawberries this year, I got the idea for this Strawberry Jam Shortbread Tart. It's an adaptation of our Lemon Curd Shortbread Tart which was an adaptation of our Raspberry Jam Shortbread Tart, both of which have received rave reviews from so many of our readers. With a buttery shortbread base, a ribbon of sweet strawberry jam filling and a fabulous, crisp crumbly topping studded with fresh strawberries, this dessert has sent everyone who's tried it, over the moon!
One of the reasons that I love this tart recipe so much is because it's so amazingly easy and yet it produces such a fabulous dessert. The delicious shortbread base is made from the same dough as the buttery, crumbly topping. And the filling is simply strawberry jam, either homemade (I used our Strawberry Freezer Jam) or a good quality store-bought jam.
As easy as this recipe is to put together, there are a few things that give this Strawberry Jam Shortbread Tart a fabulous gourmet flare. After the first bite, people often roll their eyes a bit and ask, "What is it that makes this so delicious?" A scoop of almond flour in addition to the traditional all-purpose flour adds a touch of fine European flavor to this dessert. And a sweet/tart, two-ingredient lemon glaze drizzled over the crumbly topping after it emerges from the oven is another thing that makes this dessert burst with wonderful flavor.
A ribbon of sweet jam
Besides the delicious shortbread crust and crumb topping, the jam plays a key role in this dessert, so use the best quality you can find.
Our favorite is Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam (btw, it's the perfect time to stock your freezer with this wonderful sweet treat!). It's a bright beautiful red and retains the flavor of fresh berries since it's not cooked.
The next best thing is a good quality store-bought jam. I really like Bonne Maman and Tiptree Strawberry Preserves. If you're looking for a strawberry jam at the grocery store, look for something with a pretty red color.
Don't let this wonderful fresh strawberry season slip by without making this dessert! Your family, friends, neighbors or whoever you decide to share this with will be rolling their eyes with the first bite and saying "What is this amazing dessert?"
Café Tips for making this Strawberry Jam Shortbread Tart
- I use a 9-inch tart pan with a removable loose bottom for this tart but you could also use a 9 or 10-inch springform pan. And if you don't have either of those, a 9-inch round cake pan will also work, but be sure to line it with a round piece of parchment for easy removal.
- To remove the tart from the pan when using a traditional tart pan (with a removable bottom), simply set the tart on a can of canned goods from your pantry. The outer ring will fall off and you can transfer the tart to a serving plate or cake stand.
- If you don't have almond flour, this Strawberry Jam Shortbread Tart can be made with 100% all-purpose flour. However, I would recommend picking up some almond flour for the next time - it is incredibly delicious!
- This recipe does not require a mixer but you do want your butter to be very soft before starting the recipe. To soften butter, just leave it at room temperature for a few hours. You can also use your microwave to soften the butter. It will take anywhere from 30 to 90 seconds at 10% power (depending on the strength of your microwave).
- Because strawberries have a high water content, don't skip the first step of draining the sliced berries on paper towels. This will keep the tart from getting soggy.
- If you use a tart or springform pan, be sure to bake the tart on a sheet pan as both of these types of pans can leak a bit. Since this is a buttery shortbread dough, you don't want butter leaking on your oven floor. Believe me, I know!
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Fresh Strawberry Shortbread Tart
Ingredients
For the tart:
- 12 medium fresh strawberries, sliced
- 8 ounces very soft butter, 2 sticks
- 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 strawberry jam
For the lemon glaze:
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, probably a bit more
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Slice the strawberries and place then in a single layer on top of several thicknesses of paper towels. Top with more paper towels and pat lightly. Set aside while preparing the rest of the tart.
- Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Using a sturdy spatula or Danish whisk, beat until creamy. Add the all-purpose and almond flours and continue to mix until flour is incorporated and large crumbles start to form.
- 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.
- Stir the remaining dough with a fork to form large crumbs then refrigerate (uncovered) while the bottom crust is baking.
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 14-18 minutes, or until the crust is just beginning to firm and turn pale golden brown around the edges. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the tart to cool for 10 minutes.
- Remove the strawberries from the paper towels and combine with the strawberry jam. Reserve a 10-12 of the sliced strawberries for the top, then spread the strawberry/jam mixture over the baked base of the tart, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge.
- Remove the remaining dough from refrigerator, and with your fingers, sprinkle it in big crumbles over the jam to form a topping. Tuck the reserved berries into the crumb topping.
- Return the pan to the oven (on top of the sheet pan) and continue baking until topping is firm, crisp and lightly golden in color, about 25-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, then drizzle with the lemon glaze.
- To make the lemon glaze, simply whisk together the fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar until thick, but drizzle-able. If too thick, add a few more drops of lemon juice. If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
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This looks absolutely amazing and I have made your recipes before.. never disappointing. I was wondering however, is there anyway to adapt this to bars? I do not, with all my baking paraphernalia own a tart pan!
Hi Liz, thanks for your kind and encouraging words!
Regarding your question, yes, I think this would work beautifully in a 9-inch square pan! You could also bake it in a 9x13-inch pan, though the bars will be a bit thinner.
Another winner! I had some store strawberries to use that were red, but not very juicy. They were actually perfect for this cake since they were dry!
I wish not as many people at church liked it so I would have had more to take home! This was buttery and slightly fruity = delicious. And the bonus? With no egg, it was an option for an egg-allergic friend. I did have to bake mine about 10 more minutes to get it golden brown on top. But worth it in the end. Wonderful!
Thank you for the excellent review, Sarah! So glad to hear how well this recipe turned out for you and how much you and your church friends enjoyed the cake. Thanks for taking the time to let us know!
Definitely don't skip or compromise on thoroughly drying the strawberries. I did dry them with paper towels, but apparently not enough, so my tart was a little soggy in the middle. Also, I used fresh raspberries on top instead of strawberry slices, so maybe that contributed to the sogginess, although the tart was not soggy around the perimeter - just the middle. I'm also wondering if I should have baked the tart longer than the duration specified in the recipe, if that would have helped alleviate the sogginess. Otherwise, it still tasted great and disappeared within 2 days. Thanks!
Hi Doug, thanks so much for sharing your review. Yes, every oven is a little different and probably baking it just a little longer would have helped with the sogginess. It's hard to dry raspberries to since they're so fragile so that probably came into play also. I'm so happy you enjoyed it though!
Chris--have you made with apricots? I'm hoping not too soupy; the strawberry as is was delicious! Thanks, Ellen
Hi Ellen, I haven't tried it with apricots. Perhaps if you laid the sliced apricots on some paper towels for 10-15 minutes to allow some of the juice to be removed it would help the tart to not get soggy.
Delicious desert that I made last Sunday and I am making it again today!!!!!
Five stas!!!
Thanks so much, Louise. I love that you love this dessert as much as we do! 💕
I made this last night for a small group of us and, OMG, it was delicious. I used the Bonne Maman jam as suggested. I think the crust was amazing. The crunch and the flavor took this dessert over the top and if it was the almond flour, then I can picture myself using it for other recipes. The drizzle was the perfect finishing touch. I will be trying different fruits for this. Definitely a keeper!
Yay! So happy you enjoyed this dessert, Dawn! I just made it again too and everyone loved it! The almond flour does give it a wonderful flavor!
Am I missing something? It says 8 oz butter 2 sticks . 2 sticks is 16 oz. Which one is correct? Thanks
Hi Annie, I’m sorry if that was confusing, but it is correct as written. There are four sticks in a pound of butter so two sticks is 8 ounces. This recipe calls for 8 ounces of butter, two sticks. Hope you enjoy it!
I made this using sour cherry jam and all purpose flour. I baked it in a spring form pan at 350 and added 10 extra minutes to the final baking time. The crust and crumbs were buttery and crisp. Great dessert. Not too sweet. Thank you for a great recipe!
Oooooh... cherry jam sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing your results and adaptations, Elaine!
Made the tart this morning to share with my coworkers! Absolutely delicious! I had picked fresh strawberries on Sunday, made jam on Tuesday and had to try this recipe! Absolutely love it - I'm on my second serving!! Such a beautiful presentation - impressed my friends once again with your wonderful dessert!
I tried your Microwave Lemon Curd, and am sold on it! So easy and delish! I've also shared it and the recipe with several coworkers - I used it as a cheesecake topping...yum! Next week, definitely making more lemon curd and the Lemon Shortbread Tart!!
I love all of your recipes - thanks, too, for your husband's beautiful photos. Everything always looks fabulous!
Thank you, Julie, for this kind comment! I'm so happy you've enjoyed our recipes!
Chris, this tart was absolutely delicious. Worth the work. I want to take this opportunity to tell you how much I thoroughly enjoy your website. I read a lot of food/cooking websites, and yours is my absolute favorite. I have tried so many of your recipes and they are always perfect. Tomorrow, I making your Lemony Mediterranean Couscous Salad for a reunion with an old friend after months of self-isolation at home, hiding from Covid. It is always a huge hit. Thank you for all you do. Keep up the good work.
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, JoAnne! I served this at a family get together last weekend. A few days later, my son texted me and said, "I'm dreaming about that strawberry tart". 😂 Thanks for your kind words too, I really appreciate them. Have a wonderful time with your friend!
Looking forward to giving this a try! Would you also send me the PDF file for the jar labels?
Hi Karen,
Sure! I'll send them now. Enjoy!
Another delicious strawberry treat! Such a great slice and another one that I need to try once the local strawberries arrive here 🙂
Thanks, Jennifer, I think you'll love it!
Hi Chris, thanks for another scrumptious looking recipe! Is this ok to make the day before, and how long is it crispy for?
Hi Karen, you could make this the day before although it's not as crisp. I had a little sliver left this weekend the day after I made it. I was delicious but because of the fresh strawberries it does lose some of the crispness.
do you say what temperature the oven is ? I 'm missing it..I could be half blind tho..;)
Oh I just see the other comment from Karen as mine was posted..
Yes, just refresh your page and it will be there. Sorry!
I absolutely want to try this Strawberry Shortbread Tart! They are my two favorite things put together. Thank you for this; I plan to make it for Memorial Day!
Awesome! Enjoy!
Ah, that would help! Thanks, Karen, I've added that to the recipe 💕
Am I missing something? What's the oven temp?
Love all your recipes.
Thanks
Karen