Pasta Flora is the quintessential Greek jam tart — buttery, aromatic, and elegantly simple. Its soft shortcrust and gleaming lattice top make it a fixture of family gatherings and Sunday tables. Though it carries an Italian name, it has long been a staple of Greek home baking.
Η Πάστα Φλώρα είναι η κατεξοχήν ελληνική τάρτα με μαρμελάδα· βουτυρένια, αρωματική και απλή στην ουσία της. Με τη μαλακή της ζύμη και το γυαλιστερό πλέγμα της, στολίζει τα κυριακάτικα τραπέζια και τις οικογενειακές συγκεντρώσεις. Παρότι φέρει ιταλικό όνομα, έχει ριζώσει στη νεοελληνική οικιακή ζαχαροπλαστική.
Though its name comes from the Italian pasta frolla – meaning “crumbly dough” – Pasta Flora has become one of the most beloved and distinctly Greek home desserts. The Italian pasta frolla is the pastry itself: a shortcrust base used for crostate, cookies, or tarts. But when it travelled eastward, through the Ionian Islands and Asia Minor, it changed. In Greek hands, it became the name of the entire tart: buttery, aromatic, and filled generously with local jams.
By the early 20th century, Pasta Flora had taken root in Greek and Asia Minor kitchens, from the islands to the bustling houses of Smyrna. Greek cooks replaced lemon zest with vanilla, used whole eggs instead of yolks alone, and brushed the lattice with egg white or sprinkled almonds on top — touches that made the tart softer, richer, and unmistakably homemade.
Today, it remains a distinctive dessert: golden crust, apricot jam, and the scent of butter wafting through the kitchen. A sweet echo of a Mediterranean journey that continues from one family table to the next.
This is my mother’s recipe. Whenever she made her Pasta Flora, the house would fill with that unmistakable buttery aroma that could turn even the most ordinary day into something quietly special. My brother and I, our cousins, and later my own children all shared in that same small miracle – waiting for the tart to cool just enough to taste, its scent mingling with laughter and the warmth of home.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Bake Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8–10
You will need
- 250 g unsalted butter, softened
- 160 g granulated sugar
- 2 eggs (1 whole + 1 yolk; reserve the second egg white for brushing)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 320 g pastry flour, plus a little extra as needed
- 500 g apricot jam
- A handful of blanched almonds, roughly chopped or sliced, for garnish
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the whole egg and egg yolk, then stir in the vanilla and baking powder. Gradually add the flour, mixing until you have a soft, pliable dough. If the dough feels sticky, add a little more flour — it should be tender but easy to handle. After mixing the ingredients with a spatula, use your fingers to literally pinch the dough to rub the butter in. This is a process similar to making pâte brisée – the French unsweetened crumbly and buttery shortcrust used for quiches, savoury pies, or fruit tarts, or pâte sucrée – the sweetened version sometimes containing egg, or, of course, the Italian pasta frolla. This process allows the butter to mix with the rest of the ingredients and remain bonded.
Take about two-thirds of the dough and press it evenly into a 28 cm tart tin or baking dish. Spread the apricot jam over the surface. Roll the remaining dough into thin strips and arrange them over the jam in a crisscross lattice pattern. Brush the lattice with the reserved egg white, then sprinkle with the almonds. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and fragrant.
Allow the tart to cool completely before slicing. Serve with coffee or tea — or simply on its own, as it’s often enjoyed in Greek homes.
- You can substitute orange or strawberry jam for the apricot.
- For a rustic finish, dust lightly with powdered sugar once cooled.
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