My favourite Apricot Jam

Out of all the jams I’ve ever made, my favourite is homemade Apricot Jam. It’s such a useful jam as a glaze or seal between layers of cakes. Now we get apricots on the local market in summer, I can’t resist buying enough to make a few pots. Here’s Grandma’s easy recipe and it sets well. I made this batch in under an hour.  

Apricot Jam

 Approximately 1 lb (450g) (caster or jam) sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice 

¼ pint water for each 1lb (450g) of fruit.

 Wash the fruit, remove the stones and cut into quarters. Crack open about 3-4 of the stones to remove the kernels. Blanch these in a small pan of boiling water for about 2 minutes. Place the fruit, blanched kernels, lemon juice and water in a jam pan or a large heavy saucepan. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until the apricots are softening. Remove the kernels with a slotted spoon, once they have risen to the surface. Add the sugar and continue to heat gently, stirring until it has dissolved. Add a knob of butter and boil for about 15 minutes. Test for setting. Leave to cool for around 30 minutes then pot into sterilised jars and cover.

I’m always inspired by the vast array of jams which my friend Laurent at Mille et une confitures in Chinon makes. His family have a long tradition of jam making for over 40 years.  Have you got a family favourite jam recipe to share?

Last minute Chocolate mini muffins

Chocolate Mini muffins 

Grandma Abson was always adept at rustling up something tempting when people dropped by unexpectedly. She had this ability to produce delicious homemade baking ‘at the drop of a hat’ from her time in service in the 1900s. At the ringing of a bell, she would be summoned to serve tea to visitors in the Edwardian House, Oakleigh, where she worked as a cook housekeeper. 

Grandma’s recipes generally take no time at all to prepare. So, when last Sunday, a friend, texted to say she and her partner were calling by, I followed in Grandma’s footsteps. My friend adores chocolate so this recipe for Chocolate Muffins is perfect with its double hit of chocolate!

Chocolate (Mini) Muffins

200g/7oz plain flour 

25g/1oz cocoa powder

1 tbsp baking powder 

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

115g/4oz golden caster sugar 

185g/6 ½ oz white chocolate, broken into pieces 

2 eggs 

100ml/3 ½ fl oz sunflower oil 

225ml/8floz milk

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Line a 12 muffin tin with large muffin paper cases. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder and cinnamon into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and 125g/4 ½ oz of the white chocolate.  Place the eggs and oil in a separate bowl and whisk until frothy, then gradually whisk in the milk. Stir into the dry ingredients until just blended.  Spoon the mixture into the paper cases, filling each three-quarters full. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the muffins and cool on a wire rack. Melt the remaining white chocolate and spread over the muffins. Leave to set, then dust the tops with a little cocoa powder.

Meryl's tip : I did adapt the recipe as I didn’t have large muffin cases but so I made Chocolate ‘mini’ muffins in smaller cases and cut the oven time by around five minutes.My friend said they were the best chocolate muffins she had ever tasted. The muffins were ready in under thirty minutes.

Have you got a recipe for something quick to bake?