Lemon madeleines with rhubarb and strawberry jam

Are madeleines still madeleines if they're not shaped like shells? Or are they one of those things whose name is determined by their shape and not by the ingredients used to create them? My source of all knowledge (that is, wikipedia) describes madeleines as "very small sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape", if wikipedia is too be believed then a cake using the madeleine batter without the shell shape wouldn't be a madeleine at all. Do you think this is the case? Would it be wrong to call my square little cakes madeleines and, if so, what should they be called instead?

Naming conventions aside, these little lovelies do taste like madeleines. They're quite soft and light. Out of all these recipes I've tried so far this one is probably my favourite. Flavour-wise, they're just plain old lemon which when paired with delicious jam is perfectly acceptable.

I paired my madeleines with rhubarb and strawberry jam. Rhubarb and strawberry is a much appreciated combination, and for a good reason. It never fails to deliver a nice punch of flavour. Jam is so simple to make that it surprises me that more people don't do it. Maybe there's some kind of myth that it's a complex process which requires special equipment and that if you don't get it right you'll end up ruining everything and wasting all your delicious ingredients? Or maybe people do make jam and just don't tell me about it because they know I'll eat it all? I'm actually leaning towards the latter!

Lemon madeleines with rhubarb and strawberry jam

Lemon madeleines

(from Chelsea Bakes)
makes 24 madeleines

100g (2/3 cup) plain flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
100g (1/2 cup) butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
130g (1 cup) icing sugar
melted butter, extra
icing sugar, extra

Using the extra melted butter, grease two 12 hole madeleine tins. Preheat the oven to 160°C (350°F)

In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs, lemon zest, and juice on high speed until light and pale; about 5 minutes. Gradually add the icing sugar and beat for a further 5 minutes, or until thick.

Turn off the mixer and gently fold the sifted flour into the egg mixture until smooth and no lumps remain. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag pitted with a 1cm (1/2 inch) tip. Pipe the mixture into the madeleine tins, filling each hole about 2/3 full.

Bake the madeleines for 8-10 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool for 1-2 minutes. Loosen the biscuits with a knife and then invert on to a wire rack. Cool completely then sprinkle with icing sugar just prior to serving

Rhubarb and strawberry jam

(adapted from One More Bite
makes approximately 800ml)

300g rhubarb
360g strawberries
2 lemons
300g white sugar
100g brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Wash the rhubarb, then trim off the poisonous leaves and discard them. Chop the rhubarb into 1-2.5cm (1/3-1 inch) pieces. Hull the strawberries, and cut them into similar sized pieces as the rhubarb. Leave some whole, if desired.

Peel the lemons using a vegetable peeler, then squeeze the lemons into a bowl lined with muslin. Bundle up if muslin so that it contains the seeds of the lemons and the juice is left in the bowl.

Place the fruit, sugars, lemon juice, lemon rind, nutmeg, and bundle of lemon seeds in a heavy-based saucepan and stir to combine.

Increase the heat. When the mixture begins to boil and froth, turn the heat down and cook the jam over lower heat for 30-40 minutes. Place a plate in the freezer for testing the consistency later on, or alternatively use a thermometer.

Whilst the jam is cooking, wash your jars thoroughly in hot soapy water and dry upside down on a rack, or in a 100°C (210°F) oven.

To test the jam; drop a spoonful on a cold plate, wait for 30 seconds, then run your finger through it. If the jam stays split down the middle, it's ready. If you are using a thermometer, the jam will be ready when the temperature reaches 104°C (219°F).

Ladle the jam into your pre-washed jars, filling approximately 1.5cm (1/2 inch) from the top. Place the lids on. At this point, you can either turn the jars upside down and leave them until them until the seals pop, or pasteurise them by wrapping the jars in cloth and placing them in a saucepan of boiling water for 15 minutes. If you pasteurise the jars by boiling, make sure the water level is always a couple of centimetres (or about an inch) higher than the top of the jars. Leave then to cool in the water then store in the cupboard until required.

Chocolate ganache tarts

Sometimes I just love an excuse to bake and often I'll hunt for the tiniest excuse to do so. Luckily, just the other day I had a real, actual excuse with more depth than "the cream was on sale at the supermarket". Really, a real reason: picnic time! Spring is (kind of) in the air; there are flowers and grass (!). Unfortunately the weather isn't quite warm enough for fruit based dessert but it's always the right temperature for chocolate.

I tend to forget that most people don't like dark chocolate as much as I do, so these are incredibly rich. I also tend to forgot that at picnics everyone brings sweets and so I really should make something savory to counter it. I never remember and by the end of the day I'm overloaded with sugar and wanting nothing more than an apple.

Chocolate ganache tarts

(adapted from The Art and Soul of Baking)
makes six 10cm (4") tarts

1 quantity French Tart Dough divided into six 10cm (4") tart tins.

Filling

2 tablespoons strawberry jam
225g (8oz) bittersweet dark chocolate, finely chopped
225g (8oz) double cream
100g (3.5oz) chocolate of your choice, extra

Spread 1 teaspoon strawberry jam over the the base of the cooled tart crusts, set aside.

Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour cream into a small saucepan and heat until it just beings to boil around the outside, remove from heat and pour over chocolate pieces. Sit for 30 seconds and then gently whisk to blend. If chocolate does not melt completely place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir gently until chocolate is fully melted. Spoon ganache into tart crusts and smooth using an offset spatula. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set.

Melt extra chocolate and using a fork flick over set ganache to create a pattern. Allow to set in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Strawberry jam

So, I've decided to start a blog. Why, I'm not sure. Maybe to counter my urge to photograph everything I make, maybe to legitimise it. Either way, welcome and I hope you enjoy your stay.

I'm going to start my blog with strawberry jam, which I hope it a good place to start.

I made jam for the first time, it was a fun experience. The winter strawberries are plentiful at the moment and incredibly cheap and, though I've never been a fan of strawberry jam, I am definitely a fan of strawberries.

So, I thought to myself "maybe home made strawberry jam tastes better than the stuff from the shop" and sett about finding out. Sure enough - it does! I'm not about halfway through a stick of French bread covered in strawberry jam and I'm feeling pretty content. Home made strawberry jam, it turns out, tastes like strawberries! It also turns out Jam is very, very easy to make.

Admittedly I didn't make a large amount as I have no need for more than 2 jars of jam so maybe it's more effort to make it in large batches. The two jars of Jam I made took 500g of strawberries and less than an hour - this includes finding jars, drinking tea, sterilising the jars, drinking more tea, hulling the strawberries and everything else. I completed my jam this morning before getting dressed and having breakfast, I felt quite accomplished by the time I was done. I bet you can guess what I had for breakfast.

Strawberry jam

(adapted from Simple Essentials: Fruit by Donna Hay)
makes approximately 2-3 cups.

500g Strawberries
500g white sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice

Place a small saucer in the freezer, you'll use this later.

Wash, hull, and halve strawberries.

Place sugar, strawberries, and lemon juice in large wide-based sauce pan, such as a stock pot. Dissolve the sugar over a medium heat, and then bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the temperature reaches 104°C on a candy thermometer. Be sure to skim off the foam with a metal spoon while the jam is simmering.

At around 15-20 minutes place a small spoonful of jam on the cold saucer and run your finger through it. A line should remain, if it doesn't cook jam for a further 5 minutes and test again. Once cooked carefully pour jam into hot, sterilised jars. Store in the refrigerator.