posted by Lily on books, cooking, family

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Have you read “Jam!” by the fabulous Margaret Mahy? No, no, it’s not a cookbook but a funny-as children’s picture book about a family who have a plum tree in the back garden, a nuclear physicist mother, a dilligent stay-at-home father keen to “waste not want not”, and three children who all become heartily sick of jam!

Or watched the divine “Hope and Glory” with little Billy Rowan keen to try some of the jam his father has brought home for Christmas, despite it being “German” jam?

See we just love jam in the Boot household, eat jarfuls of all varieties regularly (actually, not so much strawberry – none of us are keen on strawberry, but the damson plum being savoured at the moment is truly yummy) and delight in quoting from the above two stories whilst tucking in!

Even the word is yummy – jam! You’ve got to say it quickly with plenty of oomph in the “j”.

So naturally, one of our favourite sweet treats to make is jam tarts and this morning was Little A’s turn to whip up a batch of cherry jam tarts to take to her cousin’s 18th birthday party.

She’s really hopping into her cooking lately – well, with me tickling along behind – especially since we acquired the fantastic Tamasin’s Kitchen Bible by Tamasin Day-Lewis. It’s up there with Delia’s How to Cook! So we gave Tamasin’s version of jam tarts a whirl.

Little A rubbed the butter into the flour like a pro – and stuck at it way longer than I was ever inclined to as a wee one – chattering away the entire time.

The conversation largely centred on my style of housekeeping vs. that performed by various critters in the Moomintroll stories.

Would I prefer to mash currants one at a time with a spoon, or throw them in the bath and stomp them into mushiness with my feet?

Would I find it quicker to beat the persian rug over the clothesline with a rug beater, or pop Simon (the doggie) into the middle of said rug and holding each corner, toss him up and down, thus beating the rug?

My answers were considered completely lacking in adventure.

Tamasin’s pastry was very simple and tastes as short as. Of course, once that’s done, all you have to do is pile in the jam. Easy-peasy. But next time I think we’ll go back to adding some almond meal to the pastry – that really makes it toothsome. And they’re also good with some dark couveture drizzled across the bubbling jam.

Nevertheless, great morning cooking and yum, yum, yum!