Quick! I am running out of raspaberry jam (ha ha, a typing error, but funnily enough the way I usually pronounce it!) This ruby red jelly, speckled with little white seeds, is my current mainstay of weekend breakfasts. I love it, I love it, I love it. On bread and butter, on french toast, toasted croissant, pancakes, scones and cream in fact, on just about anything I can think of 🙂 Raspberry jam is just tart enough to not really taste like you are doing the wrong thing and so fruity that you can justify that you are eating something, almost, healthy!
Jam is so quick and easy that I just went straight to my stash of frozen raspberries and picked up a left over apple from my kids lunches and whipped up an apple-fied version of my favourite jam.

Raspberry and apple jam

350g fresh or frozen raspberries
100g chopped apple
350g sugar
1 small juiced lemon (use the lemon NOT the juice!)

Place into heavy pan, boil rapidly, stirring constantly.
Cook until mixture thickens and drips off the spoon in jelly like dollops. (About 15 minutes)
Serve on French toast, toasted croissant, or just freshly baked bread warm out if the oven, mmmmm
Makes enough for about 2 medium sized jars.

When I finished filling a couple of jars, I realized…oooooh I’ve missed having fun, just playing and mucking about in the kitchen No wonder I’ve been feeling so grumpy!
With fresh, sweet and fruity aromas wafting around the kitchen, and knowing that I have 2 jars of freshly made, still warm, home made jam, cooling on the bench, I can’t stop myself whipping up a quick batch of short crust pastry 🙂

Short crust pastry
150g plain flour
80g cold butter
approx 3 tblspn ice water

Place plain flour and cold butter into food processor and pulse until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add cold water and process until a smooth dough forms. Turn out and knead lightly. Wrap in glad wrap, refrigerate for approx 30 minutes. Makes enough pastry for approximately 20 little tartlets.

I have company for dinner tonight, so that’s all the excuse I need to create a few, little, jam tarts to have with tea afterwards. I feel so happy 😀

Jam tarts

Heat oven to 180 Celsius

Roll out short crust pastry on a lightly floured bench. Roll it thin enough so that you can just start to make out the colour of your bench through the pastry.
Use a fluted cutter to cut out rounds, and place them into small, shallow cupcake pans.
Place about 1/2 tspn of jam in the centre of each pastry round. Don’t overfill as jam will melt and bubble while cooking.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until pastry is lightly golden.
Cool thoroughly before serving, as jam is hot, hot, hot!!

A lovely smooth buttery flavoured pastry, short, and flakey when you bite into it and of course, there is no getting away from that great full, tart rasp-aah-berry flavour with chunks of unmistakable apple sweetness. You always knew I would drizzle with chocolate didn’t you? I used white chocolate here but dark couverture would be just as lovely.

Heavenly. I think I might be kidding myself that they will last until after dinner. Isn’t it almost afternoon tea time?