Crab Apple Jelly

Last weekend my grandmother gave me a bag practically overflowing with crab apples that she grew in her garden. They are such unique little apples, waxy rose blush skins and the shape of an oversized rosehip. You can’t eat them raw, they must be cooked to taste nice. Whenever anyone mentions crab apples and first thing that springs to mind is crab apple jelly.

I had never made my own crab apple jelly before, but it was actually quite straightforward, if not a little time consuming. Well, not time consuming as in there is lots to do, but there are long periods of time where you have to leave the apples to their own devises. I loved watching the crab apple jelly develop through its different stages, it was quite amazing. You start with a dull brown mushy sludge of pith, skin and cores, not the most appetizing, but when this mixture is put into a jelly bag and the juices allowed to drip through, they come out a pretty pearly red colour and are beautifully crystal clear. It is truly amazing.

As the apples boil up, they release the most fantastic apple aroma, accompanied by another sweet fragrant smell that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, similar to elderflower. The resulting jelly shared this same intense apple, sweet fragranced flavour and aroma. Delicious with both sweet and savoury foods.

Crab Apple Jelly
Ingredients
3.5kg crab apples (skin and core still on)
4 pints water
450g granulated sugar per pint of juice
10-12 jam jars

Method
Wash the apples and cut them in half. Put the apples in a large saucepan along with the water (just enough to cover). Bring the water to the boil then reduce to a simmer.
Loosely cover with the lid and leave to simmer for 1hour 30 minutes. The apples should completely break down and turn to mush.
Remove from the heat and spoon the mixture into a jelly bag suspended over a large bowl or saucepan. (You can use a piece of muslin tied to an upturned chair if you don’t have a jelly bag).
Leave for an hour to allow all the clear juices from the apple mush to drip down. After an hour give it a gently squeeze to get any excess juice, but do not press to hard as you want the juice to remain clear and pulp free.
Wash and dry the jam jars. Place in a cold oven, with the lids alongside and turn the oven on to 120C. Allow to come to temperature and heat for at least 15 minutes or until the jam is ready to be bottled.
Meanwhile, use a jug to measure how many pints of juice you have collected and place it into a large saucepan. Add 450g sugar for every pint of juice you have.
Heat the liquid and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Then bring to the boil and allow to bubble for 15-20 minutes.
Test for setting by placing a small spoonful of the jam onto a saucer and placing in the fridge for 3 minutes. Once cool, run your finger through the jam and if it ripples and leaves a clear path, then it is ready. If not, then allow to boil for a further 5 minutes before testing again.Once ready, remove the jam from the heat and the jars from the oven. Carefully ladle the hot jam into the hot jars and screw on the lids tightly. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the heat and to give you a good grip.Allow to cool at room temperature before storing in a cool dark place until required. The seal button in the lids will suddenly pop back down as the jam cools, as a sterile vacuum is created within the jar. They will give a loud ‘pop’ when this happens, so don’t be alarmed.Once open, store in the fridge.
Makes 10 – 12 jars

Individual Summer Puddings

I adore summer pudding. There is just something about the soft berry soaked bread and intense, slightly sharp mix of summer fruits, oozing their dark fruity juices, that just makes me happy. We were having a family barbeque and I wanted to make a summer pudding for one of the desserts, but decided to tray and make mini ones instead of the traditional big-bowl pudding. The big ones look impressive, but once you cut that first slice the rest of the pudding sort of disintegrates. I wanted to try and create a pudding with a little finesse.

Hunting in the cupboards I found some small dariole moulds that were the perfect mini pudding shape and decided to use those to create mini summer puddings. I then got thinking that to line the moulds with bread, like you do for the big one, might result in a bread overload and not enough room for the fruit. Instead I decided to layer the fruit and bread inside the mould in alternating layers.

Normally I don’t touch white sliced bread, but for a traditional summer pudding, nothing works or tastes better. I cut out a base, middle and top bread circle, using the corresponding cookie cutters to fit the shape of the mould. I soaked each one in the fruit juices before adding a spoonful of fruit, middle bread layer, more fruit and a final layer of bread. After a short chill in the fridge, I ran a knife around the edge and inverted them onto a plate with my fingers crossed….and…hooray they came out perfectly!

They didn’t collapse, as I had feared they might, but stood tall, sitting in a little pool of their own vibrant juices. I liked how you could see the glossy fruit nestled between the bread layers. The puddings were succulent and full of fruity flavour, the perfect individual summer puddings.

Individual Summer Puddings

Ingredients
800g fresh of frozen summer fruits (I used a mix of raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, red currants, strawberries and a few small gooseberries)
100g caster sugar
4 tbsp water
½ loaf medium white sliced bread (400g)

Method
Destalk the strawberries and cut into pieces the same size as the raspberries. Halve the gooseberries and add all the fruit into a large saucepan along with the water.
Cook the fruit until they are soft and starting to turn pulpy around the edges, but they should remain intact, whole fruits.
Remove the fruit from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside in a clean bowl, leaving the juice behind.
Stir the sugar into the juices and boil for 3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Taste the juice, it should still be a little sharp as the fruit will add sweetness, but add more sugar if its too sour for you (I like my fruit with a bit of zing to it)
Remove the juice from the heat and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, stamp out 3 rounds from the sliced bread to fit the moulds, you will probably need 3 slightly different sized circles for the base, middle and top. (make breadcrumbs with the offcuts).
Once the juice has cooled, dip the smallest base circles of bread into the syrup, scrape off the excess juices and press into the base of the moulds.
Spoon over a tablespoon of the lightly stewed fruits, followed by the middle bread layer after dipping it in the juices first. Another spoonful of fruit and finally the last bread layer.
Cover the moulds with clingfilm, top with a small plate or baking tray and place weights on top to press the layers together.
Refrigerate for 2-4 hours before running a small knife around the edge of the puddings and turn out onto plates. Give them a little shake but they should release easily.
Serve with cream and any leftover juice.
Makes 6 – 7 individual puddings

Plum Kuchen

Plum season is in full flow at the moment and the country lanes near where I live are scattered with the fallen fruit of a wide variety and colour of wild plum trees. I hate seeing fruit go to waste, left to be squashed underfoot or pecked at by the birds and the bees, and so on a recent walk I went armed with a couple of buckets and picked to my hearts content. It’s been a very good year for fruit and the trees were literally sagging under the weight of all the plums. Look at how many I gathered in under an hour and there were plenty more.

I found a couple of different varieties, including some teeny tiny little red plums that were wonderfully sweet and a beautiful golden colour on the inside. They were so teeny tiny in fact that I was able to de-stone them using a cherry stoner, leaving the fruit itself intact. I stewed half the plums into a compote which I adore with yoghurt, but I also wanted to bake something with them and decided on a plum kuchen.

Kuchen means ‘cake’ in German but it often represents a certain type of cake. To me it means a dough, yeasted or not, topped with fruit and some more crumbled dough before being baked and served in slices. Some kuchen also include a base layer of custard but I decided to keep mine simple and use only fruit. I used a yeasted dough to which I added a little cardamom as I thought this would go nicely with the plums, but cinnamon would work just as well if you prefer. I fully intended to reserve some of the dough and crumble it over the top of the plums, but I forgot and didn’t realise until after it was in the oven – opps. I don’t think it mattered too much though.

I used a variety of sliced and whole teeny tiny plums and they tasted wonderful once baked, sweet and full flavoured with the juices running down and being absorbed into the dough. I liked it best when eaten slightly warm.

Plum Kuchen
Ingredients
50g butter
125ml milk
250g plain flour
Pinch of salt
50g caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cardomom
15g fresh yeast or 3tsp instant dried yeast
1 egg
750g plums, stones removed
2 tbsp extra sugar

Method
Melt the butter, stir in the milk and crumble in the fresh or dried yeast and leave to stand for a few minutes.
Put the flour, salt, sugar, vanilla and cardamom into a large bowl and mix together. Lightly beat the egg and pour over the dry mix along with the yeasty milk mixture.
Use the tips of your fingers to bring the mixture together to form a dough, it will be slightly sticky.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead for 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and silky to the touch.
Return the dough to the bowl and cover with clingfilm or a tea towel and place in a sunny spot to prove until doubled in volume, about 1hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the plums. Wash them well, remove the stones and cut into halves or quarters depending on size. (I also found some tiny plums that I was able to remove the stones with a cherry stoner and leave whole).
Preheat the oven to 165C. Once the dough has doubled in size, knock it back and then stretch it into the base of a 22cm cake tin or an 18cm x 30cm pan.
Arrange the plums over the surface of the dough, packing them in tightly.
Sprinkle over the extra sugar and bake for 35-40 minutes until the plums are soft and juicy and the dough beneath golden brown, ensure the dough is fully cooked in the centre.
Allow to cool until just warm before removing from the tin and serving in slices. Great eaten warm and best eaten within 2 days.

Note: If you want you can reserve a portion of the dough and crumble it over the top of the plums before baking, but this is not essential.

Strawberry Mousse Dessert & off on Holiday

I’m off on holiday to Chicago tomorrow!! I’m SO excited as I’ve never been to America before and can’t wait to eat my way around all the bakeries and cupcake shops. I won’t be posting for about two weeks but wanted to leave you with a lovely summery strawberry dessert in the hope that by the time I get back the weather might have improved as it’s currently pouring with rain.

This was the dessert I made with some of the remaining glut of strawberries I had leftover from the Pick-Your-Own trip I mentioned a few posts back. I wanted something that would really show off the freshness of the strawberries and concocted this dessert. The strawberries are used three times, once in the mousse, again as a fresh fruit central layer and finally as strawberry jam – of which I used my own homemade jam.

I decided to make individual desserts by layering the components in metal ring moulds and glasses, but you could easily just use one big glass dish if you wanted. The dessert comprised of a whisked fatless sponge base which was spread with a little homemade strawberry jam, followed by a ring of fresh strawberries, topped with an incredibly light and airy strawberry mousse and finished with a little extra jam to give it a nice vibrant shine. All the components were soft and light and each mouthful was bursting with the very essence of ripe strawberries.

Strawberry Mousse Dessert
Strawberry Mousse
350g strawberries
3 egg whites
150ml double cream
120g caster sugar

Whisked Sponge
4 eggs
125g caster sugar
125g plain flour
2 tbsp hot water
1 tsp vanilla

Assembly
250g fresh strawberries
8 tbsp strawberry jam

Start by making the spongePreheat the oven to 190C and line a 20cm x 30cm swiss roll tin with baking paper.
Whisk the eggs, vanilla, water and sugar together until pale and tripled in volume. This should take about 4 minutes and a ‘ribbon’ of batter should remain visible for a few seconds if streaked across the surface.
Sift over the flour and use a large metal spoon to carefully fold it through the batter, until no flour streaks remain. Don’t over mix as you want to preserve as many air bubbles as possible.
Pour the batter into the lined tray and level out the surface.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden and springy to the touch. Lay another piece of greaseproof paper on a cooling wire and dust the top with icing sugar. Invert the sponge onto the dusted paper and carefully peel off the bottom paper. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to cool before using.

To make the mousse Destalk the strawberries and blitz them in a food processor until smooth. Press the puree though a sieve to remove most of the seeds and set aside.
Place the egg whites in a clean bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until light, airy and soft peaks are forming. While continuing to whisk, add the sugar a little at a time until the mixture forms a thick and glossy meringue. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to whisk until cooled.
In a large bowl, whip the double cream to stiff peak stage before whisking in the strawberry puree. Add a quarter of the meringue to the strawberry cream and fold together to slacken the mix before gently folding in the rest of the meringue to create a soft strawberry mousse.

To assemble the dessert

Wrap the bases of 8 deep ring moulds with cling film or have 8 tumbler glasses to hand. Cut out circles of sponge and place in the base of the moulds or glasses.
Heat the strawberry jam until soft and spread a teaspoonful over the tops of the sponges.
Destalk the remaining strawberries and cut in half. Place a ring of cut strawberries around the edge of the moulds or glasses, with the cut side facing out. Place another strawberry in the centre if space allows.
Spoon the strawberry mousse over the layer of strawberries until completely covered. Shake and tap the moulds/glasses gently to ensure the mousse spreads down between the strawberries. (Divide any leftover mousse between small ramekins or glasses).
Carefully spread the remaining strawberry jam over the top of the mousse. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to firm up before serving.
When ready to serve, remove the bottom layer of cling film from the ring moulds and place on a serving plate. Run a hot knife around the very top of the mousse and gently remove the ring. Serve with extra strawberries on the side. Any desserts made in glasses can be eaten straight from the glass.
Note: Do not attempt to place any strawberries on top of the turned out strawberry mousses, as the weight will cause the mousse to collapse.
Serves 8

The Cake Slice July 09: Marbled Lemon Blueberry Butter Cake

What a great choice this months Cake Slice was. Lemon and blueberries are a great flavour combination and this cake combines the two. It involves making a fresh blueberry preserve to sandwich together a light lemony cake. Some of the blueberry preserve is also swirled through the batter to create a mottled marble surface to the cake layers. The whole cake is then topped off with a creamy lemon buttercream.
I really enjoyed making my own blueberry preserve for this cake, rather than relying on a jar. Quite a thin spreading is used to sandwich the cakes together and as it’s the only filling I initially thought it looked a little stingy but the depth and intensity of the blueberry flavour really shone through and it was more than sufficient. I loved its deep purple colour too, a perfect contrast to the pale creamy cake layers and frosting.

The cake itself was very light and tender. The cake was made using only egg whites and the resulting layers rose well and had a good structure. I often have trouble with egg white only cakes, they tend to shrink on me, but this one turned out perfectly. The lemon flavour was very subtle, I think next time I will add more lemon zest as I like my lemon quite zingy.

The frosting was another success. It is an egg enriched buttercream, but unlike the buttercreams I have made in the past, this one was made using whole eggs rather than just the egg white. The results were amazing! It turned out so silky smooth and creamy and it melted on your tongue like… well like butter and it was not grainy in the slightest. My dad announced this was the best frosting he’s ever tasted so it’s definitely one I will be using again in future. It whipped up to be beautifully thick and the perfect spreadable consistency. At room temperature it was soft and creamy and after a night in the fridge it firms up, but both consistencies are wonderful. Needless to say, this cake didn’t last long in my house. Click to see the other Cake Slice cake bakers.

Marbled Lemon Blueberry Butter Cake
(Recipe from Shy High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman & Peter Wynne)
Lemon Cake Layers
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
250g caster sugar
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1½ tsp lemon extract
7 egg whites
360g American cake flour OR 280g plain flour & 80g cornflour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
280ml milk
Fresh blueberries, for decoration

Lemon blueberry preserves (below)
Lemon buttercream frosting (below)

Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter the bottom and sides of three 8 inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.
In a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, lemon zest and lemon extract until light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg whites 2 or 3 at a time, beating well between additions and stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, whisk gently to blend. In 2 or 3 alternating additions, beat the dry ingredients and milk into the butter mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times. Beat on medium-high speed for about 1 minute to smooth out any lumps and aerate the batter.
Scoop 4 tbsp of the batter into a small bowl. Divide the remaining equally among the 3 prepared pans, smoothing the tops with a spatula. This gives you a smooth surface to work with. Add 2½ tbsp of the lemon blueberry preserves to the reserved batter and blend well. Drizzle heaping teaspoons of this blueberry mixture over the batter in the pans. Use a skewer to swirl the blueberry mixture in short strokes to drag it down through the lemon batter without mixing it in.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester or skewer stuck in the centre comes out clean and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Lat the layers cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack, peeling off the paper and leaving to cool completely.

Lemon Blueberry Preserves
375g blueberries, fresh or frozen
165g caster sugar
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1½ tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Puree the blueberries with any juices that have exuded in a blender. Pass the puree through a coarse strainer to remove the skins.
In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the blueberry puree with the sugar, lemon juice, zest and ginger. Bring to a gentle boil over a medium heat, stirring often for 20 minutes, or until the preserves have thickened and are reduced by half. To check the proper thickness place a small amount of a saucer and put in the freezer until cold. Drag your finger through it. If a clear path is made through the preserve then it is ready. Let the preserves cool before using. (Can be made up to 5 days in advance).

Lemon Buttercream Frosting
225g caster sugar
55ml water
2 eggs
300g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to boil without stirring, occasionally washing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, around 115C on a sugar thermometer. Immediately remove from the heat.
In a large mixer bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beast the eggs briefly. Slowly add the hot syrup in a thin stream, pouring it down the sides of the bowl; be careful to avoid hitting the beaters or the syrup may splatter. When all the syrup has been added, raise the speed to medium,-high and beat until the mixture is very fluffy and cooled to body temperature. This can take 15-20 minutes.
Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and gradually add the softened butter 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time, beating well between additions. As you’re adding the last few tablespoons of butter, the frosting will appear to break, then suddenly come together like whipped butter. Beat in the lemon juice, and the frosting is ready to use.
To Assemble
To assemble the cake, place a layer, flat side up, on a cake stand. Spread half of the lemon blueberry preserves over the top. Place a second layer on top of the first and spread the remaining preserves over it. Finally place the third layer on top and frost the top and sides with the lemon buttercream.
Decorate with fresh blueberries and serve.
Makes one 8 inch triple layered cake

Sunny Strawberry Jam

Last week we had glorious sunshine and warm weather and I was able to spend a very enjoyable morning picking strawberries in a pick-your-own farm not too far from where I live. The strawberries tasted wonderful, so sweet and a vibrant red colour all the way through. The smell that surrounds you as you crouch down amongst the rows of plants, lifting the leaves in the hunt of the ripe red berries, is amazing. I was having such a good time that I got a bit carried away and picked rather more than is physically possible for me, or indeed my family, to eat fresh. My mum has always talked about wanting to try making homemade strawberry jam and as we had such an abundance of fresh tasty strawberries, turning them into jam seemed the ideal solution.

In order for jam to set, you need pectin, which is naturally occurring in all fruits, although in different quantities. Unfortunately strawberries only contain small amounts of pectin, meaning it won’t set into a firm spreadable jam on its own. Thanks to the cleverness of science you can now buy preserving sugar which is sugar with added fruit pectin, specially made for jam making. Some shops are also now starting to sell little sachets of powdered pectin, which can be used with normal sugar to help a jam gel/set. Lemons also naturally contain high amounts of pectin so adding the juice of one of those will also help.

For the strawberry jam I used a pectin sachet with normal sugar and it did help the liquid produce more of a gel, although the overall jam was still softly set. However, as I have said in the past, this is how I prefer my jam so I was more than happy with the results. The jam turned out a deep glossy red colour and had a fantastic fresh strawberry aroma that wafted up the minute I unscrewed the lid. The strawberries retained their cut shape, although were tender enough to squish into a fruity puree when spread across some bread or toast.
If you are wanting to make your own jams using fruit that’s low in pectin then it’s best to try and combine it with a fruit that’s high in pectin. This is why you might often see blackberry and apple jam, for not only do they taste good together but the high pectin apple helps set and low pectin blackberries.
Fruits which are naturally high in pectin include:
Lemons, cooking apples, blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries, quinces, limes, grapefruits, oranges, some plums

Fruits which are low in pectin include:
Blackberries, cherries, strawberries, pears, rhubarb, figs

Sunny Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
1kg fresh strawberries
1kg preserving sugar (with added pectin)
OR 1kg granulated sugar and 1 sachet pectin
1 lemon

Method
Destalk the strawberries and cut them into halves or quarters depending on their size.
Place into a large saucepan with the juice from the lemon. Heat until simmering and the fruit has started to soften and release its juices, about 15 minutes.
Add the preserving sugar or sugar and pectin, stirring until dissolved.
Allow to boil for 20 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent the fruit from catching on the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile, place 5 clean dry jam jars and their lids into a cold oven. Heat to 120C and then allow them to heat for at least 10 minutes to sterilise them before using.
Test if the jam is ready by placing a small spoonful of the jam onto a saucer and placing in the fridge for 3 minutes. Once cool, run your finger through the jam and if it ripples and leaves a clear path, then it is ready. If not, then allow to boil for a further 5 minutes before testing again.
Once ready, remove the jam from the heat and the jars from the oven. Carefully ladle the hot jam into the hot jars and screw on the lids tightly. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the heat and to give you a good grip.
Allow to cool at room temperature before storing in a cool dark place until required. The seal button in the lids will suddenly pop back down as the jam cools, as a sterile vacuum is created within the jar. They will give a loud ‘pop’ when this happens, so don’t be alarmed.
Once open, store in the fridge.
Makes 4 – 5 jars

Rhubarb Ripple Bundt Cake

My grandmother grows rhubarb in the garden and a few weeks ago she kindly gave me the last of her crop. I wanted to bake something with it and while I was thinking what to make I suddenly remembered I had a brand new bundt tin that I hadn’t even used since I bought it several weeks ago – how did that happen? So I knew it was going to have to be a rhubarb bundt cake. If you don’t have a bundt tine, I’m sure a deep cake tin would work just as well.

I decided to roast the rhubarb before rippling some through the cake batter and adding the rest as a fruity middle layer within the cake. The cake batter contains a lot of yoghurt which gives it a wonderfully smooth and creamy texture and helps keep it moist and tender. I also added a little glace ginger into the mix and then doused the baked cake with a fresh ginger syrup. This helped give the cake a lovely sheen and a subtle ginger flavour.

Rhubarb Ripple Bundt Cake
Ingredients
700g rhubarb
175g caster sugar
200g butter
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
375g self raising flour
260g natural yogurt
½ tsp baking powder
20g glace ginger, from a jar

For the syrup
45g caster sugar
50ml water
25ml ginger syrup from the glace ginger jar
20g fresh ginger, sliced

Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Trim and slice the rhubarb into 2cm slices and toss through 55g of the caster sugar. Place in a single layer in a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Place the butter, remaining sugar and vanilla in a bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, don’t worry if it looks slightly curdled.
Finely chop the ginger and add to the mix along with the flour, baking powder and yogurt. Beat until well combined and silky.
Stir two-thirds of the baked sliced rhubarb through the cake batter and lightly crush the remaining rhubarb until soft but not smooth.
Spoon half of the cake batter into a 23cm bundt tin or 20cm deep round cake tin. Spread the remaining crushed rhubarb over the surface and top with the last half of the cake batter.
Smooth the top and bake in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes, cover quickly with foil after the first 40 minutes to prevent from over browning.
Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes until removing from the tin, drizzling with the ginger syrup and allowing to cool completely.

To make the syrup, add the water, ginger syrup, sugar and sliced fresh ginger into a small pan. Bring the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Reduce to a simmer and allow to bubble for 10 minutes to reduce and turn syrupy.
Allow to cool slightly before using.
Makes one 23cm bundt cake or one 20cm deep round cake.

Apple & Elderflower Jam

Since the warm weather arrived my family and I have been going for walks around the village every evening after dinner. A few nights ago we were strolling down a country lane when I smelt a sweet perfume smell coming from a nearby bush dotted with clumps of tiny white flowers. It turned out to be an elderflower bush. Oh this would be perfect in some apple jam, I thought, and so I set about picking all the flower heads I could find. Unfortunately on a lot of the bushes we found the flower heads were over and the beginnings of the elderberry were starting to form. However, with the help of my dad I managed to collect quite a big bunch. It was actually rather fun as the bushes were often buried the midsts of a nettle patch or surrounded by prickly bushes, so it was a team effort to forage for the flowers.

Elderflowers look surprisingly like cow parsley (it may have another name) but be sure not to pick cow parsley as to my knowledge it’s not edible. The easiest way to tell is that elderflowers grow off the ground on a big bush, whereas cow parsley grows on a long green stem that grows directly out of the ground. Another good identifier is that elderflower smells sweet and fragrant whereas cow parsley is quite revolting with a smell of dirty farmyards, so they are easy to tell apart once you get close.

I stripped the flowers off the stems and secured them inside a muslin bag and adding them to my pan along with lots of Bramley apples to allow the flavour of the flowers to steep into the apple during cooking. Within a few minutes the aroma coming from the flowers mixed with the sharp fruity smell of the apples was wonderful. If you’ve ever smelt elderflower cordial it smelt very similar to that.

Once my jam was made and cooled I was eager to taste it. I adore the golden amber colour it turned, it almost seemed to glow. The jam itself was softly set with small lumps of apple still remaining which gave it a nice texture and appearance. The initial flavour was sweet and slightly perfumed and then the sharp tanginess of the apple came in and it ended with a lingering elderflower flavour – delicious. Jams usually call for an equal quantity of sugar to fruit but I like my jams softly set and still a little sharp so I reduced the amount of sugar, but if you want a sweeter jam then just increased the amount stated below to the weight of the prepared apple, around 750g. I’m going to go back in a few weeks and try and collect some of the elderberries – it’s so rewarding making use of things from the hedgerows.

Apple & Elderflower Jam
Ingredients
1kg Bramley apples (about 5 apples, skin and core still intact)
500ml jug full of elderflower heads, stalks removed
400ml water
500g jam sugar (sugar with added pectin)

Method
Rinse the elderflower in water to remove any dirt or tiny bugs and shake dry. Pull the flower heads off the stalks and place inside a large piece of muslin cloth, make into a bag shape and tie securely with string.
Peel, core and dice the Bramley apples (you should end up with around 750g prepared weight) and place them into a large saucepan along with the bag of elderflower heads.
Add the water, bring to a simmer and allow to cook for about 20 minutes, until the apple is soft and pulpy.
Meanwhile, wash and dry 4 jam jars and place on a baking tray, with their lids on the tray next to them. Heat in the oven to 120C for 15 minutes to sterilise them. Leave the jars in the oven until ready to use. You don’t want the jars to cool before filling them with hot jam, as this may cause them to shatter.
Once the apple is softened, pour in the sugar and stir until all the granules have dissolved. Leave to bubble for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent the fruit from sticking. It should start to thicken and turn sticky.
Test the jam for readiness by spooning a small amount of jam on a saucer and placing it in the fridge for 2 minutes to cool. If you are then able to run your finger through the jam, leaving a clear track, then the jam is ready. If not, then allow to cook for a few minutes more before repeating the test.
Once ready, remove the jam from the heat and take out the bag of elderflower heads. Place the bag in a sieve and use a spoon to squeeze any remaining flavoured juice back into the jam, stir.
Take the jam jars out of the oven and use a ladle to divide the hot jam between the jars, filling right to the top. Be careful as the jam will be extremely hot!
Screw the lids on tightly, wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands from the heat and to give you a good grip. Leave the jars to cool completely at room temperature before storing in a cool dark place until required. The seal button in the lids will suddenly click back down as the jam cools when a vacuum is created within the jar. They will give a loud ‘pop’ when this happens, so don’t be alarmed.
Once open, store in the fridge.
Makes 3 – 4 jars of jam.

Daring Bakers Challenge June 09: Bakewell Tart

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

Like many regional dishes there’s no “one way” to make a Bakewell Tart and/or Pudding, but most of today’s versions fall within one of two types. The first is the more well known “Bakewell Tart” where a rich shortcrust pastry contains jam (traditionally raspberry) and an almond frangipane topping. The lesser known “Bakewell Pudding” consists of a layer of jam covered by an almondy pastry cream and baked in puff pastry. Our challenge was to make an almond shortcrust pastry tart with a jam filling and frangipane – the more well known tart but with added almond in the pastry.

Bakewell tarts always bring back fond memories of my childhood, as my mum would often make a Bakewell tart for pudding on Sundays. I am also lucky enough to have tasted the more elusive Bakewell pudding, having visited the village of Bakewell in Derbyshire (which gave it its name) while I was at University. Both contain the same sorts of flavours but look and taste completely different, the pudding appearing a bit more like a jam and custard filled Yorkshire pudding. While both are nice, I have to say that my heart belongs to the Bakewell tart.

The jam filling for a Bakewell tart is traditionally raspberry, but we were given free reign to use whatever jam and fruit combination we wished. The recipe called for a 10inch/25cm tart tin, but I decided to make two different sizes, complete with different filings. I made one 7inch/17.5cm tart filled with peach jam and slices of peach as well as four 3.5inch/8cm tarts filled with black cherry jam.

The flavours of the peach were sweet and summery and I really loved seeing slices of actually fruit hidden amongst the frangipane when I cut a slice. The fruit gave off some juice meaning the frangipane was a little delicate when hot, but firmed up nicely when cool. I couldn’t resist the smaller tarts filled with the cherry jam – the combination of cherries and almond is always a winner in my books and the vibrant layer of jam looked so striking and pretty when cut into. So my tarts weren’t classically Bakewell, but they provided the inspiration.

I have sometimes had trouble making my own pastry in the past but this recipe came together perfectly, and didn’t tear or shrink during baking – success! The pastry was light, crisp and flaky and I loved the almond addition, which together with the almond filling made for one intensely almond flavoured tart!

Bakewell Tart - Almond Shortcrust Pastry
Ingredients
225g plain flour
30g caster sugar
½ tsp salt
110g unsalted butter, chilled
2 egg yolks
½ tsp almond extract
1-2 tbsp cold water

Method
Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Coarsely grate the cold butter into the flour mixture and using your finger tips only, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract and quickly mix into the flour mixture using a round bladed knife. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough. When it still looks a little dry, use your hands to bring it together into a ball of dough.
Wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Frangipane Topping

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter, softened
125g icing sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
125g ground almonds
30g plain flour

Method
Cream the butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle but don’t worry this is normal.
Add the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. Pour over the flour and ground almonds and mix well until combined. The mix may still look a little curdled but this is fine. Set aside while you prepare the tart.

To Assemble

Ingredients
Jam of your choice (raspberry is traditional)
Fruit (optional)
Flaked almonds for decoration

Method
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm thick, roll in one direction only. Start from the centre and roll away from you, turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to a 10inch/25cm tart tin and trim off any excess. Chill in the freezer or fridge for another 15 minutes.
Once chilled, preheat the oven to 200C.
Spread a generous layer of your chosen jam over the base of the pastry. Arrange any fruit (if using) over the top.
Dot spoonfuls of the frangipane over the top of the jam/fruit and spread it out evenly, make sure you go right to the edges to prevent the jam from bubbling up and out over the top.
Scatter over a handful of flaked almonds and bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown. Quickly, loosely cover the top with a layer of foil and bake for a further 10 minutes until the filling is set and spongy.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool until it is cool enough to handle with your bare hands. Carefully remove from the tin and serve whilst still warm with custard. Leftovers also taste great cold when it becomes a bit firmer.
Makes one 10inch/25cm tart.
I baked two different sized and flavoured tarts. One 7inch/17.5cm tart filled with peach jam and slices of peach and four 3.5inch/8cm tarts filled with black cherry jam.