Jam and Almond Tart

I don’t know who came up with store-bought puff pastry, but they are a genius in my book!  If you’re short on time, this is a perfect dessert which will appeal to those with a sweet tooth.  You can use just one type of jam, like I did with this recipe, but if you have several almost-empty jars, mix them up for a unique, but equally delicious treat.  A generous dollop of freshly whipped cream makes it that much more special.

No need to refrigerate. This delicious treat will keep just fine at room temperature. Just know that if you see it, you’ll eat it…at least that’s how it is in my house.

Almonds are my choice here, but also make for a wonderful flavor combination with any stone fruit, like cherries, apricot, peach, and nectarine. Hazelnuts and cashews pair well with strawberries, while mango and pineapple are lovely when topped with macadamia nuts and/or shaved coconut. Having said all that, find a flavor combination that you like and dig in!

Although a sprinkling of powdered sugar is not absolutely required, since the jam is quite sweet, it sure does make it look pretty.

Ingredients:

1 sheet store-bought puff pastry

½ cup jam – your favorite flavor, or a combination of many

½ cup sliced raw almonds

tiny pinch of kosher salt

2Tbsp cream/milk

2 Tbsp powdered sugar

 Directions:

1.     Thaw your puff pastry according to the package directions.

2.     Preheat oven to 375F.

3.     Roll your puff pastry out to an 8x10 inch rectangle and transfer it to a silicon/parchment-lined sheet tray.

4.     With a sharp knife, gently score a line around the circumference of the rectangle, ½” from the edge, creating a “crust”.  At this point you can decorate the crust with additional scored lines, but it’s optional.

5.     Fill the inner rectangle with jam, making sure to stay within the scored lines you created.

6.     Sprinkle the almonds evenly over the jam and then a tiny pinch of kosher salt.

7.     Using a pastry brush, coat the ½” crust with the cream/milk.

8.     Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.

9.     Cool to room temperature and then sprinkle with powdered sugar using a fine sieve or tea strainer.

I know it’s weird to sprinkle salt over a dessert, but the jam is so sweet that a nice hit of salt balances it all out, so don’t skip it. You only need the tiniest of pinches.