Epiphany Tart (Victorian Jam Tart)

Updated at: Mon, 06 Nov 2023 12:24:07 GMT

Step 1

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, stand mixer, or in a medium mixing bowl.

Step 2

Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Step 3

Add the egg yolk and mix until the dough gathers itself into a ball and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for 1 to 2 hours (or overnight).

Step 4

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Step 5

Butter a 9” pie or tart tin or plate.

Step 6

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough so it will fit into the pie or tart pan. Reserve a fifth of the pastry to make your star shape.

Step 7

Press the dough gently into the tart pan(s) and partially up the buttered sides, trimming away any excess that hangs over the edges.

Step 8

It is easiest to make a 6-point star shape which gives the traditional 13 spaces. To make the 6-point star, take the leftover dough and roll it into a long rectangle. Then cut in strips and arrange the strips in the pie or tart pan as shown in the photo, pinching the dough so it makes walls that are high enough to hold pockets of jam.

Step 9

Bake tart for 25 minutes. Remove and spoon the different jams into each space between the latticework strips. If you warm the jam first, it will be easier to spoon in.

Step 10

Make sure the jam does not bleed into the next segment.

Step 11

Brush the pastry with a little milk. Bake another 10 minutes until the jam is set and the tart is lightly browned.

Step 12

Cool on a rack until ready to serve.

Step 13

The Epiphany Tart is an easy recipe, fun to do with kids, and takes you back to those lovely days of summer—especially if you harvested and canned your own fruit.

Step 14

Use your favorite pastry recipe or brand, or follow the directions for homemade dough below. While the tradition is 13 different jams, fit in as many as you wish (or have on hand)! My favorites are blackberry, raspberry, fig, cherry, and apricot; check out our Jelly Making Guide if you would like to make your own bespoke jellies. You can also use marmalade, preserves, or even lemon curd.

Step 15

Originally (and interestingly), this tart gave a few hidden insights into the household’s social standing and was apparently noted among the neighbors. It showed how devout the family was and how well they were managing. The tart has 13 spaces—meant to symbolize Jesus and the twelve disciples—and a different jam was supposed to fit each one. You were doing pretty well in the 1800s if you could rustle up that amount of jam (even today, I only managed 5!).

Step 16

Epiphany Tart is made in a star shape and is used to celebrate Epiphany (January 6) and the arrival of the Three Kings to the Nativity (Matthew, 2 1–12.) It is a very old recipe dating back to the beginning of the 18th century and is really just a jam tart using multiple fruit jam flavors. This treat was considered a delicacy in the Victorian age.

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