Jam

I'd like to think that one day I will be a whizz in the kitchen and besides cooking up nice, tasty treats I'll also make my own jam. Our group has already used jam in many of our recipes so I thought I'd quickly let you know which jams will work well and add depth and flavour to your cakes. I love all things French so its no surprise that my top two are both from the home of fine food and I always have a jar of each in my fridge. Bonne Mamam conserves are fun, fruity, sweet and perfect to splodge on or in anything you fancy. The strawberry is my children's absolute favourite and I'm sure its not only to do with the taste but the packaging. Its very appealing and you'll recognise their jars instantly by their red and white checked cheesecloth lid and handwritten-look label. The jam itself has nice whole fruits in it and has an unusual consistency...not runny but more like liquid fruit! It comes in many flavours including apricot, cherry, blueberry and wile strawberry...yummmm! Try it on your scones, on toast, in croissants, with a slice of emmental in a warm baguette (cheese and jam really works!) or use it whenever a recipe calls for jam. Its a little more expensive than most jams but definitely worth the extra pence.

The second jam worth buying is St Dalfour Rhapsodie de Fruits. Its a rather more sophisticated affair but just as yummy. Its a 100% fruit spread and comes in tons of delicious varieties like black cherry, pear and peach. They have a good website and hope to put up some recipes soon. I know Nigella usually uses St Dalfour in her baking...the perfect endorsement. Their jars are tall and slim and usually on the top shelf like all good adult products! The spread is much less runny than Bonne Mamam so its good for using in between sponge layers. Anyway, the best thing to do is try them out and see which one you like best. We love them both and I'm certain you will too!
Love hot, sweet and yummy x