A Little Something

Jam Tarts

I got the idea to make these one day while we were reading The Story Girl, when the thought of Felicity's perfect jam tarts sounded just about perfect for tea-time. So I made these up, according to my idea of a jam tart: buttery, flaky crust filled with just a moderate layer of assorted tasty jams - black currant, blackberry and peach I had on hand. I baked them in these muffin-top pans that had I picked up at the craft store on clearance, and they worked perfectly for my little tarts. Thank you Felicity (and Lucy Maud) for inspiring these simple, homey treats.

Jam Tarts

3 sticks butter (softened to room temperature)

3 cups flour (we use King Arthur unbleached)

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

few spoons of cold water as needed

jam - approximately one and a half pints of good quality jam (hopefully homemade), depending on how much of a dollop you put on your tarts. It's nice to use a variety of jams if you have them.

Makes 4 1/2 dozen 3" tarts.

Mix as for pie crust: toss dry ingredients together, cut in butter and egg with a pastry blender or wooden spoon, add water a spoonful at a time just until dough hangs together. Do not overwork. Roll out thinly on a well-floured board or counter. Cut into rounds with a 3 1/2" cutter (approximately). Place rounds in a muffin top pan. Fill each tart with a wad of jam.

Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for 15-20 minutes. Baking time will depend on how thinly you've rolled your crust. They should be nicely browned so they will be crisp and flaky.

Let cool for a minute or two in the pan, then remove them to a rack to finish cooling. These are at their very best on the day they are made, when they are fresh and crisp. You can dust them with powdered sugar to serve if you want to be fancy. A fresh hot pot of tea to accompany them is a must.

Creamy Rice Pudding

Unlike my cinnamon raisin custardy baked rice pudding, this rice pudding is smooth and creamy. Without any extras it is also rather bland in the most pleasant vanilla sort of way, making it a good choice for the sick as well as a delicious simple dessert. This recipe is from my mother's friend Ann, who used to make it frequently as a treat for my father who loved it.

1 quart milk (I use whole)

1/2 cup rice (I use regular long grain white rice)

1/2 cup sugar

Combine milk, rice and sugar in a large pot. Cover and let simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

 2 egg yolks 

2 cups half and half or cream

Whisk together yolks and half and half and slowly pour into rice mixture. Cook uncovered for an additional 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in a spoonful of vanilla. Let cool slightly and ladle into pudding dishes. I usually make a double recipe which yields approximately 14 small servings. Serve warm or chilled.

Hot Fudge Sauce

The problem with wonderful thing about this luscious hot fudge sauce is that it's quick and easy to make from simple ingredients that I always have on hand. It makes ice cream time into something special and is a quick trick to keep in mind if you have unexpected visitors drop by in the evening for a little something.

 

This is my adaptation of a recipe out of an old Penzey's catalog.

5 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup cocoa

1 cup half and half

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the cocoa. Gradually pour in the half and half, whisking well after each addition so you don't get any lumps. After you have mixed in all of the half and half return the pan to the burner. Whisk in the sugar and the mixture will become smooth and shiny. Bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking frequently and scraping the edges of the pan once or twice with a spatula if you need to.

Once it has started to boil I let it simmer for about three or four minutes, whisking almost constantly - it will be nice and thick. Be careful not to let it burn. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla.

Serve over ice cream or pound cake or use for dipping strawberries...(like I need to tell anyone what to do with fudge sauce). Hide Store any leftovers in the refrigerator, where it will be found and snitched with spoons. It also can be reheated nicely in the microwave.