step 1
Place All-Purpose Flour (1 2/3 cups) onto a chopping board. Chop the Butter (1/3 cup) and add to flour.
step 2
Add Granulated Sugar (1/2 cup) and start to combine the ingredients with your hands. Squeeze the mixture in with the butter using your hands so it softens and eventually melts into the ingredients. Continue for at least 10 minutes.
step 3
Make a medium sized heap (or a small mountain) with the ingredients, and then, by joining your fingers together at the tips, swirl them around to make a circle in the centre and eventually a well.
step 4
Crack a whole Egg (1).
step 5
Separate the other Eggs (2) Yolks and Whites. Add the yolks only to the mix. Using your fingers, mix the eggs well and if you don't like the feeling, you can of course use a fork!
step 6
Sprinkle the Vanilla Powder (1 pckg) into the egg and mix well.
step 7
Slowly gather up the flour from around the edges using the palm of your hand and push it through to the eggs in the middle making a moist heap – be careful the egg doesn't run everywhere by catching it and scooping it all back up.
step 8
Continue to combine all of the mixture together so that it begins to bind and soften, picking up crumbs of flour and sticking it back in, while gently kneading it.
step 9
You can stop working the dough once it has a smooth texture and all of the ingredients have combined well. Create a sort of oval shape instead of a big, round ball, so it is easier to roll out later on!
step 10
Wrap the ball tightly with cling wrap. Put the dough in the fridge for 1 hour. The pastry is the key ingredient to make the best strawberry jam pie recipe.
step 11
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and remove the dough from the fridge.
step 12
Sprinkle some flour onto the chopping board and place the ball of dough on top.
step 13
Press down on it using your fingers, then sprinkle some more flour on top of the dough, get a rolling pin and flatten it from front to back and side to side, opening it up.
step 14
Turn it on the other side and roll it again using the rolling pin, adding more flour if you need to and especially if it's a little bit sticky. If any small pieces fall off the edges, stick them back on with your fingers and work them back in with the rolling pin.
step 15
Get a non-stock tart pan that has a detachable bottom and rub a generous amount of butter all over it, including on the sides. If you like, you can melt the butter, then spread it using a brush.
step 16
Sprinkle flour all over the base making sure it sticks to the base and sides. This will stop the cake from sticking to the pan once it is cooked. The easiest thing to do is shake it from side to side to move the flour around.
step 17
Place the rolling pin vertically on top of the base and gently roll the base around it guiding it with your hands.
step 18
Place the base on top of the tray, rolling the pin from one end to the other, so that the base begins to fall into place then very delicately help it mould to the shape of the tray pressing down with your fingers.
step 19
Using the rolling pin again, roll over the edges, trimming the excess dough off.
step 20
If you need to, using the excess dough, add some extra pieces to the sides, sticking them all the way around to make sure you have even sides and that the base is the perfect height for your filling.
step 21
With a fork, make small deep holes all over the base to help it cook through in the oven – it is very important you do this or your cake might crack in the oven!
step 22
Pour the Strawberry Jam (1 1/2 cups) into the base. Try to even it out as much as possible.
step 23
Using the rest of the leftover dough, make a ball and flatten it with a rolling pin, once again making a very thin, oval-like shape. Cut this into strips using a long, sharp knife around 1 1/2 centimeters wide.
step 24
Starting from the middle of the tart, place one strip at a time on top of the jam, making sure it reaches the tip of the base on both edges by helping it to stick down with your fingers. The strips can be laid around 0.5cm apart.
step 25
Repeat this process, laying down the rest of the strips in the opposite direction, and creating a criss cross effect.
step 26
Place the tart into the preheated oven for around 40 minutes.
step 27
Remove the tart from the oven and let it rest for 1 or 2 hours.
step 28
To serve, slice a piece of strawberry jam pie into a triangle, (just like a pizza!) and put it on a square plate.
step 29
Decorate it by sifting icing sugar over top, letting some of it fall on to the plate. A scoop of vanilla gelato on the side would be the perfect addition!
