A Nice Cuppa

If you’re like me, you’re constantly battling against the tide of food magazines that threaten to overwhelm your home. I have them in every place imaginable. On the coffee table, in the kitchen, by my bed, in the car … the list goes on and on.

I keep promising myself that one day I will get around to making that fantastic salad I saw in the June 1998 issue of this magazine or those mouth-watering ribs that I saw in the 2003 August issue of that magazine.

One day.

Well I’m glad to say that I’ve finally made good on that promise to myself. Or at least I’ve taken a first step. From the May 2005 issue of Saveur magazine, I give you the best strawberry jam I have ever tasted!

My fascination with this issue of Saveur rests on the fact that it features an article about the magic of cream tea in England. Cream tea is the traditional afternoon tea where one enjoys scones, clotted cream and jam. Traditionally, the jam served is strawberry and it being strawberry season, I couldn’t imagine a better time to finally check this recipe off of my must-try list. The jam can then be used to create the most incredible tea cake which is essentially a sponge cake whose layers are sandwiched together with clotted or Devon cream (double cream) and the fantastic strawberry jam.

Now if only I could get to England in time for this afternoon’s tea!

Strawberry Jam
Makes 4 1/2 pints

2 lbs. fresh in-season strawberries, rinsed and hulled
5 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1. Put strawberries into a large heavy pot and gently crush with a potato masher. Add sugar and lemon juice and stir well with a wooden spoon. Bring to a vigorous boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Continue to boil, stirring often, until jam thickens and reaches its setting point (about 220 degrees on a candy thermometer), 10-15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside to let jam cool for 25 minutes (this will keep the berries from rising to the tops when jarred). Skim any foam that has risen to the surface of the jams.

2. Meanwhile, submerge 5 half-pint canning jars, their lids and ring band, and a widemouthed funnel into a large pot of boiling water over medium-high heat and sterilize for 10 minutes. Remove from hot water and transfer to a clean dish towel. Using the funnel, fill each jar with hot jam to no more than 1/4″ from the top. Wipe jar rims with a clean dish towel, place lids on jars, then screw on ring bands.

3. Transfer filled jars to a canning rack, submerge into pot of gently boiling water (jars should be covered by at least 1″ of water), and process for 10 minutes. Carefully lift jars from water with jar tongs and place on a dish towel at least 1″ apart to let cool undisturbed for 24 hours. To test that jars have properly sealed, press on center of each lid. Remove your finger, if lid stays down, it’s sealed. Refrigerate any jam that hasn’t sealed and use within 4 weeks.

Victoria Sponge Cake
Makes one 8″ cake

3/4 lb. plus 1 tbsp. salted European-style high-fat butter, softened
3 cups plus 1 tbsp. self-rising cake flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups double Devon cream
3/4 cup strawberry jam
Confectioners’ sugar

1. Preheat oven to 360 degrees Farenheit. Grease two 2″-deep 8″ round cake pans with 1/2 tbsp. butter each. Dust each with 1/2 tbsp. flour; set aside.

2. Beat remaining butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes. Add granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Combine eggs and 6 tbsp. water in another bowl. Add half the egg mixture and half the flour to butter-sugar mixture. Beat well for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining egg mixture and flour; beat batter for 5 minutes.

3. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Invert cakes onto a rack, remove pans, and let cool completely.

4. Beat cream in a medium bowl until stiff. Put 1 cake layer on a cake plate, spread top with half of the jam, then cover jam with the cream. Spread top of remaining cake layer with remaining jam and place it, jam side down, on top of cream. Dust cake with confectioners’ sugar.