Inspiration for the recipe featured today comes from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. No introduction is needed for Lewis Carroll's work but perhaps I should note in brief that a court of justice is summoned in Chapter XI for people (& animals) to investigate a case of stolen tarts. As we learn from the White Rabbit, suspicion falls on the Knave of Hearts:
The matter seems to be of great importance but the trial comes to nothing. The Knave denies his guilt, the witnesses talk nonsense, the jury are rather slow-witted and, just as the King orders Alice to give a verdict, the wonderful dream she is dreaming comes to an end - along with the story. One thing is clear: the tarts in question are made with pepper & treacle. However, this post is not about treacle tarts -it's about the jam tarts I made after watching the 2010 film adaptation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
In Tim Burton's version, the Red Queen (who is played by Helena Bohnam Carter) discovers that 3 of her tarts were stolen. The culprit is not the Knave but a frog servant whose guilt is beyond doubt as gooseberry juice is left on his mouth. Because we don't get to see the tarts in the film, the ingredients used in the filling remain unclear. My idea is that the Queen of Hearts should like her tarts plain red - without custard or anything else. How can we make a version of 19th century jam tarts? There is a lovely recipe for strawberry tartlets in Elizabeth Acton's Modern cookery, in all its branches (1845) which fits this description and might be popular around Lewis Carroll's time:
"Take a full half-pint of freshly gathered strawberries, without the stalks: first crush, and then mix them with two ounces and a half of powdered sugar; stir to them, by degrees, four well-whisked eggs, beat the mixture a little, and put it into pattypans lined with fine paste: they should be only three parts filled. Bake the tartlets from ten to twelve minutes."
"The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts,
All on a summer day:
The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts,
And took them quite away!"
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| Page from the original manuscript of Lewis Carroll |
In Tim Burton's version, the Red Queen (who is played by Helena Bohnam Carter) discovers that 3 of her tarts were stolen. The culprit is not the Knave but a frog servant whose guilt is beyond doubt as gooseberry juice is left on his mouth. Because we don't get to see the tarts in the film, the ingredients used in the filling remain unclear. My idea is that the Queen of Hearts should like her tarts plain red - without custard or anything else. How can we make a version of 19th century jam tarts? There is a lovely recipe for strawberry tartlets in Elizabeth Acton's Modern cookery, in all its branches (1845) which fits this description and might be popular around Lewis Carroll's time:
"Take a full half-pint of freshly gathered strawberries, without the stalks: first crush, and then mix them with two ounces and a half of powdered sugar; stir to them, by degrees, four well-whisked eggs, beat the mixture a little, and put it into pattypans lined with fine paste: they should be only three parts filled. Bake the tartlets from ten to twelve minutes."
JAM TARTS (adapted from Elizabeth Acton)
To avoid the moist bottom of a pasta frolla, I make a thick fruit jelly in a separate pan and spread it on the baked tartlets.
I n g r e d i e n t s
for the dough:
250g plain flour
150g + 2tbsp butter
1tbsp granulated sugar
1tsp salt
a pinch of black pepper (optional)
1 egg
1tbsp cold milk
for the filling:
150g red fruit (or any other fruit you like)
50g powdered sugar
2 yolks, beaten
M e t h o d
To make the dough: Sift the flour, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add 150g butter cubed and mix using your fingers. When crumbs are formed, add the egg and milk and shape the dough into a ball. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes. In the mean time, preheat the oven to 180C. Melt 2tbsp butter and grease 12 small tartlet pans or 6 tartlet pans. Roll out the dough, cut out 12 or 6 discs and fit into the pans. Prick with a fork and bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes. In the mean time, prepare the filling: mix all the ingredients in a blender. Fill 3/4 of the shells and bake for 15 minutes.
V a r i a t i o n
Bake the empty tart shells for 20 minutes. Cook the filling ingredients until the mixture turns into jelly. Fill into the tart shells when cool.
M e t h o d
To make the dough: Sift the flour, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add 150g butter cubed and mix using your fingers. When crumbs are formed, add the egg and milk and shape the dough into a ball. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes. In the mean time, preheat the oven to 180C. Melt 2tbsp butter and grease 12 small tartlet pans or 6 tartlet pans. Roll out the dough, cut out 12 or 6 discs and fit into the pans. Prick with a fork and bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes. In the mean time, prepare the filling: mix all the ingredients in a blender. Fill 3/4 of the shells and bake for 15 minutes.
V a r i a t i o n
Bake the empty tart shells for 20 minutes. Cook the filling ingredients until the mixture turns into jelly. Fill into the tart shells when cool.
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