A recipe for Joulutorttu (Finnish Christmas Tarts)! These flaky, star-shaped pastries are filled with jam and dusted with powdered sugar.
Christmas Sweets Week
Welcome to Christmas Sweets Week! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with food? Forty-four bloggers have come together to share over 180 sweet Christmas recipes!
Deck the halls and get ready for very merry sweet treats, like fudge, cookies, Christmas morning breakfasts, layer cakes, drinks, cocoa, and more!
I previous shared a recipe for Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Buttercream and today I am joining the event with a recipe for Joulutortut!
Joulutorttu (Finnish Christmas Tarts)
Joulutortut are Finnish pastries perfect for celebrating during the holiday season. They are also known as Tähtitortut (star tarts, singular- Tähtitorttu).
These star or pinwheel shaped little tarts are filled with jam, baked until puffed and golden, then dusted with powdered sugar.
We especially enjoyed them warm from the oven (be careful- the jam will be hot).
After cooling to room temperature, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day or in the refrigerator for up to five days. We reheated the leftover pastries in a 350˚F (180˚C) oven for a few minutes until heated through or for about 10 seconds in the microwave (quicker, but the texture won’t be as crispy).
Prune Jam
These pastries are often paired with a plum or prune jam (luumumarmeladia) or puree (luumusosetta). Since it can be difficult to locate in some areas of the United States, I have included a recipe for a homemade version.
It comes together fairly easily, but does require some planning ahead. Pitted prunes are soaked in water for a couple of hours (many recipes I came across skipped this step), then simmered on the stove with a little sugar and water for about 20 minutes until softened enough to easily mash.
If desired, you can also puree the jam at this point for a smoother texture.
If you have store-bought prune jam, you can use it to save some time or swap for another favorite. I like to make a few with my personal favorite, apricot jam. For store-bought, make sure it is thick enough to hold its shape when arranging on the dough. If too thin, the jam will bubble out of the tarts and onto the baking sheet.
Forming the Dough
I came across a few different bases for the Joulutorttu dough. I went with the one I saw most often on Finnish websites- all purpose flour with butter and whipped heavy cream. Some also included a splash of Cognac, so I have added that as an option. If avoiding alcohol or if you simply don’t have it available, omit.
I also saw recipes with a Quark (or even ricotta-based) dough or puff pastry.
After bringing together the dough, form into a disc and refrigerate for at least an hour to chill.
Then the fun starts. Roll out the dough into a thin sheet, then fold into thirds. Roll out again and fold into thirds from the other direction. Repeat this process one last time before finally rolling into a thin square or rectangle about 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) thick.
This rolling and folding process will create the light and flaky texture when baked. Do not make the dough any thicker than 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) or it is more likely to unravel in the oven.
If the dough becomes too warm as you are rolling and folding, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about 15 minutes before trying again.
I have made dough with both unsalted and salted butter. I highly recommend using salted. If going with unsalted, add about a 1/2 teaspoon salt to the flour before cutting in the butter.
Joulutorttu Shapes
The most popular shape for these Joulutorttu is the star/pinwheel design. I have seen them formed with the jam either below or above the folded corners.
After cutting the sheet of dough into squares, use a sharp knife to make cuts from each corner about halfway towards the center. If you want the jam covered, place a teaspoon in the center of the square before folding every other split corner to the center.
Fold before adding the jam if you want it on top.
If pressing the edges together over the jam, I highly recommend securing them together with a toothpick. This will help keep them from separating as they puff up. You can also seal them together with a little extra egg wash.
If using the toothpicks, soak them in water for about 10-20 minutes before using to keep them from burning. Press through all four corners in the pastry after brushing with the egg wash. Make sure they are not directly next to the heat source when the baking sheet is in the oven.
I also came across a more intricate star/almost flower-like design and I think it may be my favorite shape of all.
For this version, cut small slits just inside each corner. Same as the pinwheel design, the corners can be folded in either before or after adding the jam.
After arranging the shapes on the baking sheet, brush the tops very lightly with the egg wash. Try not to let the egg wash pool in the crevices or around the edges of the pastry.
Puff Pastry
Don’t want to make your own dough? These Joulutortut can easily be assembled with a favorite store-bought puff pastry.
If the dough is frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for an hour or two before using.
Gently roll the defrosted puff pastry in an even sheet on a lightly floured surface and cut into 3 inch (8 centimeter) squares. Cut and assemble the squares the same as you would for the homemade dough.
More Christmas Sweets Week recipes:
- Boozy Salted Caramel Apple Cider from The Beard and The Baker
- Gingersnap Eggnog Shooter from Seduction In The Kitchen
- Hot Buttered Rum from Moore or Less Cooking
- Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate from The Bitter Side of Sweet
- Salted Caramel Hot Apple Cider from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Creamy Cheese Fudge from Take Two Tapas
- Grinch Fudge from An Affair from the Heart
- Milk Chocolate Toffee Fudge from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
- Reindeer Food Snack Mix from Big Bear’s Wife
- Gingerbread Cupcakes from The Redhead Baker
- Holiday Pavlova from My Suburban Kitchen
- Hot Chocolate Whoopie Pies from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
- Joulutorttu (Finnish Christmas Tarts) from Tara’s Multicultural Table
- Minty Grinch Dip from Who Needs A Cape?
- Oatmeal Maple Cream Pies from Blogghetti
- Peppermint Stick Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Red Velvet Cookies from Live Love Texas
- Red Velvet Truffle Sugar Cookie Cups from The Spiffy Cookie
- White Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies from Cheese Curd in Paradise
This recipe was originally posted in December 2018 and updated in November 2025 with new photos and a slight adjustment to the instructions.
Joulutorttu (Finnish Christmas Tarts) Recipe
Adapted from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book
Joulutorttu (Finnish Christmas Tarts)
Ingredients
Prune Jam:
- 10.5 ounces (300 grams) pitted prunes
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
Joulutorttu:
- 1 1/2 cups (355 milliliters) heavy cream cold
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Cognac or brandy optional
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (227 grams) salted butter chilled and diced
Topping:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) milk
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
To make the Prune Jam:
- Cover the prunes with water and soak for two hours.
- Drain, rinse, and place in a medium saucepan. Add the sugar, top with just enough water to cover, and place over high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the prunes have softened and are easily mashed, about 20 minutes. If needed, add a little more water to keep the mixture from burning.
- Mash the jam to desired consistency or puree. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the Joulutorttu:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whisk the heavy cream at high speed until soft peaks form.
- If using the Cognac/brandy, whisk into the cream just until blended and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour and baking powder.
- Pulse in the diced butter until the mixture becomes sandy with no pieces of butter larger than a pea. If mixing by hand, cut in the butter using a dough blade or your finger tips until the texture becomes sandy with no pieces of butter larger than a pea.
- Fold in the whipped heavy cream until incorporated.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until soft and smooth. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Line two baking sheets with parchment or lightly grease.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a sheet about 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) thick.
- Fold the dough into thirds by folding 1/3rd towards the center followed by the other side towards the center to make three layers of dough.
- Roll the dough out again, turn, and fold into thirds again along the other side to form the dough into a square.
- Repeat the process one more time, turning and folding to make another three layers of dough.
- Roll out the laminated dough one final time to make a square or rectangular sheet about 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) thick.
- Cut the sheet of dough into 3 inch (8 centimeter) squares.
- To make the traditional shape, use a sharp knife to make cuts from each corner about halfway towards the center.
- You can either arrange these squares with the jam under the folded corners or above the folded corners.
- To arrange them with the jam under, place a small spoonful of jam in the center of the square.
- Lift every other split corner towards the center over the jam filling and pinch together to create a pinwheel/star shape.
- To arrange them with the jam on top, fold every other split corner to the center of the square and press down to seal. Add the spoonful of jam over the dough corners in the center of the pinwheel/star.
- Place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches (5 centimeters) apart and repeat with remaining squares.
- In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk and milk. Brush the top of each pastry very lightly with the beaten egg wash. Try to not let it drip down the sides.
- Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and golden, about 12-15 minutes. If baking both sheets at once, rotate around halfway through the cooking time. If baking one sheet at a time, place the other sheet in the refrigerator while waiting.
- Enjoy warm or allow to cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
karen
Tara these are so beautiful!!! I love the detail on these. Love!!