Alison O'Neill's Bakewell tartlets
With Wimbledon cancelled this year, tennis organisers have diverted 750 kilos of strawberries - originally destined to be devoured with cream by tennis fans - to be made into jam.
But there’s no need to wait for it to hit the shelves, because today our Shepherdess is showing us just how easy it is to make our own from home! That’s all before she puts her homemade jam to good use by baking her delicious mini Bakewell tarts.
Mini Bakewell tarts
Makes: 12 tartlets
Ingredients
For the pastry
150g butter, softened
225g plain flour
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 free range egg yolk
Cold water as needed
12 tsp of strawberry and elderflower jam
For the tartlet filling
50g butter, softened
50g caster sugar
1 free range egg
50g self-raising flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
50g ground almonds
3 drops of almond extract
For the icing
175g icing sugar
1-2 tbsp water
12 cherries
Method
1.Start by making the pastry - rub the butter into the flour and sugar until it turns into breadcrumbs2. Add the egg yolk and cold water, one teaspoon at a time, until the dough comes nicely together. Wrap the dough in cling film and store in the fridge for 30 minutes.3. Preheat the oven to 180c/Fan 160c/ Gas 4 and grease a 12 hole tart tin4. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out onto a floured surface. Use a circle cutter to cut out 12 circles, big enough to line the holes in the tin. Place one into each mould and gently press down, then spoon the jam into the pastry tartlets.5. To make the filling, cream together the butter and caster sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. 6. Next add the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and almond extract to the mix and fold in well7. Divide the mixture between the tartlets, making sure the jam is completely covered. Bake your cherry tartlets for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown 8. Once out of the oven, press the filling mixture softly back down again with the back of a spoon to form a little mould for the icing. Let the tartlets cool before taking them out of the tin.9. Whilst they are cooling make the icing - mix the icing sugar with the water (not all at once, just little by little until you have a thick white glaze) and when the tartlets have cooled, spoon onto the top of tartlets. Top with a cherry while the icing is still wet, then enjoy.
Alison's strawberry and elderflower jam
Makes: 4 jars
Ingredients
1kg/2lb 4oz strawberries, hulled and washed
3 elderflower heads
1 lemon, juice only
1/kg/2lb 4oz jam sugar
4 jam jars, warm and sterilised
Wax disks and labels
Method
1. Wash and dry the strawberries then slice them in half. Wash the elderflowers and snip the tiny cream florets into the strawberries.2. Place the strawberries, florets and lemon juice in a large pan. Heat gently over a low heat to slightly soften the fruit, add the sugar and then stir slowly until the sugar has dissolved. 4. Once your sugar has dissolved, keep a steady rolling boil for about 8 minutes, or until a setting point is reached. To test if the setting point is reached, place a half teaspoon full onto a cold plate, leave and then move the jam with your finger. If it rumples and separates without running back you have reached the setting point. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.4. Spoon into warm, sterilised jars. Seal the top with a wax disc, secure the lid and label the jar. Store in a cool dark place for up to a year.