Homemade Jam

Anyone who knows me knows I love jam, on bread, in cakes, topped with cream on scones, or if I'm honest straight out the jar on a teaspoon. I always assumed making jam would be really hard and need loads of specialist equipment. I have vague memories as a child watching my mum make jam in a pan that looked like it would have fitted me in!

A friend offered to let me raid their fruit patch recently and I knew I had to grab some fresh berries and try making my own jam and I was beyond surprised by how easy it actually is. I used a non-stick pan with no issues and used a basic 1 to 1 ratio of berries and sugar and the jam is divine. I would absolutely recommend making sure you have at least double the amount of sterilized jars than you think you will need. I had to do an emergency dash to buy more and had jam stashed in everything I could find. I used a mixture of red and black currants but this recipe will work with whatever soft fruit you have to hand.

Ingredients:
1 part fruit
1 part granulated sugar

Method:
Pick over and wash your berries ensuring all the stems and any bugs and beasties have been removed. Carefully weigh out the berries and add them with the same weight of sugar to the biggest pan you have. Make sure the berries and sugar only half fill the pan at most or you will be scraping molten sugar off your cooker top as I learnt the hard way!

Place the pan over a low heat until all of the sugar is melted and the berries start to release their juice, this usually takes a few minutes. Once all the sugar is melted, bring the jam to a rolling boil where the bubbles can't be calmed by stirring them and maintain the boil for 10 -15 minutes until the mixture has reduced and starts to thicken.

Take a teaspoon of the mixture and place on a plate and leave to cool for a few minutes, taking the jam off the heat, then press the edge of the jam with your finger - if it wrinkles then the jam is ready and if your finger slides straight in the place the pan back on the heat for a little longer.

Once the jam has thickened, place the jam into jars, I used a funnel but spooning it in would work as well although would be messier. As soon as the jam is in the jars, pop the lids on tight to create a seal.

The jam will last around 6 months in theory but my jars lasted about 5 minutes.

Thank you for reading, when you make this please take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Enjoy!

Mocha Cupcakes

I've never really been a fan of chocolate cake but surprised myself with this one. I was asked to bake a cake for a friends birthday and she loves both chocolate and coffee so I had to try combining these classic flavours with a me-style twist to make the perfect cake. These cakes are light and fluffy on the inside and topped with a soft disc of chocolate coffee heaven. You could skip the coffee if your not keen but I love the depth of flavour it adds to these cakes.

Ingredients:
400g self-raising flour
250g brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp coffee extract
4 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp golden syrup
400ml soy milk
115ml sunflower oil
1 tsp cinnamon

3 bars dark chocolate
6 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp coffee extract

Method:
Preheat your oven to 160c and lay out 24 muffin cases in trays. Place the flour, brown sugar, bicarb, cocoa powder and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk together then add the vanilla, coffee, milk, oil and golden syrup and mix until everything is well combined and the mixture is glossy and smooth.

Spoon even amounts of the mixture into the cases - I like to use an ice cream scoop for more even amounts. Make sure to scrape the bowl well as this batter likes to cling on.

Place the trays in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the trays and place on baking racks to cool.

Once the cakes are cool, melt the chocolate in a large bowl, do not use a soup bowl like I did as you end up with icing all over the place! I melted the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second blasts but you could also use a bain-marie if you have one.

Mix the coffee extract with the chocolate and sift in the icing sugar a little at a time until the chocolate starts to stiffen but remains glossy. Either spoon onto the cupcakes or place in a piping bag and swirl onto the cakes.

I had one of the cakes before the icing was set and it was gorgeous and oozy and a total mess to eat but they are equally lovely once set.

Please make these and take a picture, tagging me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Thank you

Cherry and Ginger Cake

Inspired by my friend talking about making frangipani tarts, this cake combines all the classic flavours in a light and moist sponge. I baked the cake in a bundt tin for added interest and used one of my cake stands cause its fun to make everything look its best, I'm loving have access to all my baking goodies. I always struggle with cherries in cakes, no matter what I try, sometimes they are beautifully evenly distributed and others they sink like pebbles to the bottom - either way the cakes always taste epic so I'm not too worried but if you have and fail safe techniques please let me know. Enjoy the cake...

 Ingredients:
200g Glace Cherries
4 balls ginger in syrup
400g self raising flour
250g caster sugar
1 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
400ml soy milk
115ml sunflower oil
4 tsbp icing sugar
3 tsbp syrup from the ginger in syrup

Method:
Preheat your oven to 160c and grease a bundt tin using a little oil on a piece of kitchen roll. If you don't have a bundt tin, use a deep cake tin. Chop the cherries into quarters and mince the ginger, keeping the pieces reasonably small. Set to one side and place the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and whisk together. Fold in the cherries and ginger to coat with the flour mix - this is supposed to stop the cherries sinking in the mix but I find it has varied results.

Add the golden syrup, vanilla, almond, milk and oil and mix thoroughly until all of the flour is incorporated and the mix is a creamy consistency with the cherries evenly distributed. Carefully pour the mixture into the pre-prepared tin, trying to give an even spread of cherries. Place in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes until the top is golden brown, the sides are pulling away from the tin and a skewer comes out clean.

Once the cake is baked, place on a cooling rack in the tin for 10 minutes before running a spatula around the sides and shaking gently to loosen the cake off - I would advise doing this without your other half standing watching as the added pressure makes flipping the tin over onto a cooling rack a million times harder!

Allow the cake to fully cool then place on a plate or cake stand, it should slid pretty easily from the rack to the plate. Mix together the icing sugar and the ginger syrup to create a reasonably thick but still pourable icing. Drizzle the icing over the top of the cake, allowing it to run down the sides.

I left the cake as is but it would look beautiful topped with edible flowers as more of a centre piece.

Please try making this as I know you'll love it as much as I do, take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife.

Thank you!

Pea and Fennel soup

I love this soup, its heart enough to be warming and comforting but fresh enough to be eaten on a summers day too. Reasonably quick to make, this soup is ideal for packed lunches which I've been trying to make every day for work now I have the space to do so. I find this recipe makes roughly 8 lunchsized portions, I like my soup thick but a little more water would thin it out if preferred. As this soup is blended you  don't need to be overly precise with chopping everything which makes life much simpler. Apologies for the lack of pictures - I had taken loads but the steam fogged up my camera lens and most you cant see a thing!

Ingredients:
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 bag potatoes
1 bag spinach
1 large head fennel
1 bag frozen peas
1 stock cube
sprig of fresh mint
salt and pepper
sesame oil
boiling water
olive oil

Method:
Take a large pan and place over a low heat with a table spoon of olive oil in. Roughly chop the onions and garlic and saute in the oil until translucent. Chop up the potatoes into bite-sized pieces - I never bother pealing them, just give them a good wash - and add to the pan. Add the fresh mint, stalks and all then cover with boiling water and crumble in the stock cube, stirring well. Bring to the boil then leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Once the potatoes are cooked, remove the mint. Roughly chop the fennel and pop in the pan along with the peas and spinach. I find I often need to add the spinach handful at as time and wait for it to wilt down or I end up with it all over the cooker top!

Make sure the fennel and peas are cooked and then mix everything together using a stick blender or a food processor. Once everything is smooth, season with the salt and pepper to taste and add a  drizzle of sesame oil, mixing well.

If I'm having this at home, I like to top it with an additional drizzle of sesame oil but it doesnt need it for flavour if its part of a packed lunch.

I really hope you enjoy this recipe, please take a picture if you make it and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Thank you!