I discovered Superjam recently – it’s a jam with no added sugar that still tastes delicious. I have weaned my sons off regular jam and onto the good stuff now and their teeth are thanking me.
I met the chap who owns the Superjam company in the kitchen at QVC. His name is Fraser and he’s really rather young. And inspiring. I have a theory that if the government paid people like Fraser to go into schools and talk about how they did what they did, many more kids would be inspired to do something with their lives than by listening to a talk from a careers teacher. Fraser started his jam making business up at 14. I wish I had his gumption at almost 34. Here’s a lovely festive traybake using his delicious jam. And no, he didn’t pay me to say nice things about him.
One year ago: Mini Yorkshire pudding canapes and Christmas pudding fizz and Brandy butter icing and Rudolf morsels
Two years ago: Lime meringue pie with chocolate pastry and Christmas scones and Ginger cake with Christmas cottage and Hot chocolate on a stick
Three years ago: Moonuts and Cheese biscuits and Parsnip soup and Inauthentic chicken tagine
Cranberry & raspberry traybake
Makes enough for 16 – 30 balls
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
250g plain flour
50g icing sugar
125g cold butter cut into cubes
1 large egg
For the frangipane topping:
150g soft butter
150g caster sugar
150g ground almonds
3 eggs + 1 egg yolk
2 jars of cranberry and raspberry superjam
100g flaked almonds
First make the pastry. Use the flat beater of a stand mixer on the lowest speed to combine the sugar and flour, then add the butter until you have breadcrumbs, then add the egg to bind. alternatively whizz the flour and icing sugar in a food processor (this is my method of sieving) then add the cubes of cold butter and pulse until you have a fine breadcrumb appearance. I always open up the top of the food processor and have a dig about with a knife to make sure there are no lumps of fat hiding near the blade. Then tip the lot into a large bowl and the egg. No need to whisk the egg first.
Take a normal table knife and use to stir the pastry mix until it forms large blobby crumbs. Then use your hand to pull the mixture together. Don’t add water or milk or anything. As long as you’ve used a large egg there’s enough liquid to pull the pastry together. Don’t overwork the pastry – by this I mean don’t madly knead the pastry – just pull it together with your hands until you have a yellow mass, all the same colour and with no bits of flour etc hanging about.) Put the pastry into a plastic bag, wrap tightly and then put in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes – but I often leave it overnight.
Roll the pastry out onto a floured work surface then line a 32cm x 22cm x 1cm baking tray with a rectangle of baking paper on the base. Push the pastry into the edges of the tin and into the sides then trim the edges with a sharp knife. Refrigerate for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
Take the soft butter and sugar and cream together using a handheld electric mixer/a wooden spoon/a freestanding mixer until lighter in colour than when you started and fluffy. Then take your eggs (and extra yolk) and whisk with a fork – then dribble into the creamed mixture a teaspoon at a time and beat after each addition. I use a freestanding mixer to make my frangipane as it’s so so much easier. Once all the egg has been incorporated then turn the mixer off and add the ground almonds. Then mix the lot with a metal spoon. You don’t need to be gentle but don’t beat the hell out of it either.
Spread a layer of the jam on the bottom of the pastry – about 5mm thick. Then spoon the frangipane over the top being sure to cover the jam and reach the sides of the tart. Sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake for 40ish minutes. You’re looking for a golden brown top and pastry that’s neither yellow looking nor dark brown. Watch it like a hawk for the last ten minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
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