QUICK ONE PUNNET STRAWBERRY JAM

This soft set, homemade strawberry jam recipe is super quick and very delicious. A small batch recipe from just one punnet of strawberries that requires no jam sugar, added pectin or special equipment. This method also works for blueberries, blackberries, raspberries.

INGREDIENTS
8oz Hulled strawberries (1 punnet)
8oz Granulated sugar, equal to prepared strawberry weight
Juice of half a lemon
A knob of unsalted butter

METHOD

Put 2 or 3 sauces in the fridge or freezer to chill. Sterilise a jar, see below.

If the strawberries are large, cut them in half. Include underripe ones, they contain more natural pectin. If you want a smoother jam, chop them smaller (or break up with a potato masher whilst cooking).

Weigh the strawberries and weigh out an equal amount of sugar.

Put the strawberries and lemon juice into a large pan.  Heat for a few minutes to soften, add the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Once the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear, boil steadily for about 6 minutes, or until at setting point. 

To test if the jam is at setting point, spoon a little onto a cold plate, leave for a minute and then push the jam with your finger.  If the jam wrinkles and separates without flooding back, setting point has been reached.  If not, boil for another minute and test again.  Once it's at setting point remove from heat.

Set aside to cool for a few minutes, skim any scum from the surface with a metal spoon and add a small knob of butter to disperse any remaining scum. 

Carefully pour into a sterilised jar and immediately seal with a lid.

Invert the jar and allow to sit upside down for about 30 minutes. This helps to evenly distribute the fruit. It also seals the jar.  When the lid does not pop, the jar is sealed.

Sterilising Jam Jars: To sterilise jars, wash thoroughly, fill with boiling water, including the lid, then sterilise in the air fryer.  Set the temperature to 140c and place the jars and lids upside down on top of some kitchen roll. Leave for 10 - 15 minutes.  

JAM TARTS

This is a Mary Berry recipe, a childhood favourite.  The pastry is more crisp than a standard shortcrust pastry and can also be used for mince pies or other sweet tarts. You need a 12-hole bun tin.

INGREDIENTS

Sweet Pastry:

175g (6oz) plain flour
25g (1oz) icing sugar
75g (2.5oz) butter
1 egg 

Fillings:

Strawberry Jam

Blackcurrant Jam

Apricot Jam

Lemon Curd

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200c/180c Fan or Gas 6, and place a baking sheet inside to heat up.

Make the pastry using the 'rubbing in' method. Combine the flour and butter by gently rubbing between the fingertips and thumbs, continuing until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Alternatively use a food processor to combine the flour and butter. 

Add the icing sugar and then add a beaten egg to form a ball of dough. Cover in cling film and place in the fridge for 20 mins to rest before using.

Lightly dust a work surface with icing sugar.  Place the dough on top, dust with icing sugar, dust your rolling pin too.  Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 1-2mm (1/8 inch). Stamp 12 rounds from the pastry using a 8cm/3in fluted pastry cutter (your cutter should be slightly larger than the holes in your bun tin). Line each hole of a 12-hole bun tin with one of the pastry rounds and prick the base of each with a fork 3 times to prevent the pastry rising.

Slide the bun tin onto the hot baking sheet and bake in the oven for 12-15 mins, or until golden brown and crisp. Putting the bun tin onto the hot baking sheet ensures cases with a crispy bottom. Once cooked leave to cool.

Meanwhile heat your chosen filling gently in a pan, or in a heatproof jug in the microwave in short bursts, until it liquifies to a pouring consistency, then pour carefully into the pastry cases.    Leave to set.

NB: Most jam tart recipes put the jam in the pastry cases before baking but this method ensures that no jam overflows and burns and you get an even shiny jam filling. They look shop bought!

If you wanted to make "Queen of Hearts" tarts you could make hearts out of the scraps of pastry and bake them separately, placing on the jam filling as it cools.

EGGY BREAD / FRENCH TOAST / ROLL UPS

We never really had French Toast in our house, or "Eggy Bread" as we call it over here.  I remember seeing it for the first time in Kramer v Kramer.  I have since become quite fond of it though, not necessarily for breakfast but for when I crave something sweet and don't want to go to the trouble of making pancakes.. I find the taste is quite similar.  It's also a great way of using up stale bread.

Plain French Toast is just bread dipped both sides in beaten egg thinned with a little milk (or water if you've no milk in), then fried in butter until golden brown.  It's up to you what you do with it thereafter.   You can make it savoury or sweet...

INGREDIENTS
2 Slices of Bread
1 Egg
2 Dessert Spoons Milk
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract (optional)
Knob of Butter
Drop of Vegetable Oil (this stops the butter from burning)

METHOD
Soak the bread slices in the eggy mixture for 5 minutes a side
Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan
Fry the egg-soaked bread until golden on both sides

VARIATION - ROLL UPS
Cut the crusts off the bread slices
With a rolling pin flatten the bread slices
Spread filling of your choice
Roll up the bread as tightly as you can into a sausage shape
Soak in the egg mixture on all sides
Cook as above

SERVING IDEAS
Savoury
Serve on it's own or with bacon

Make a sandwich with..
     Cheese
     Cheese and Ham
     Cheese and Tomato
     Cheese and Onion
Press sandwich together to help it hold, soak in the egg mixture, fry on both sides

Tip.. finely grate the cheese and mix with a little mayonnaise to make a spread

Make roll ups filled with any savoury filling as above

Sweet
After cooking dredge with..
     Sugar
     Sugar and a little Lemon Juice
     Icing Sugar
     Cinnamon Sugar (a little cinnamon mixed with sugar)
     Golden Syrup
     Maple Syrup

Or top with Marmalade!  A favourite of mine, acquired during my time at boarding school, is fried bread and marmalade… trust me it's delicious!  Topping Eggy Bread with Marmalade is pretty good too.

Make roll ups filled with..
     Peanut Butter
     Nutella / Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
     Jam
     Lemon Curd
     Thinly sliced Banana*
     Thinly sliced Strawberries*

*Don't overfill with fruit or have the slices too thick or you'll have trouble rolling them up. When you put them into the egg mixture to soak, put the side with the join at the bottom so that it soaks up the egg mixture first.. it helps to seal the join.

After cooking dredge with any of the above toppings, sugar, syrup etc.
If desired top with Cream / Crème fraîche / Yoghurt

Filling the Roll Up with Strawberry Jam and dredging in Sugar after cooking tastes remarkably like a Jam Doughnut!  You can also cut the Roll Ups into bite sized portions so that you can eat them with your fingers.

Enjoy!