Elderflower Jam Tassies Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the strawberries, sugar, vinegar and salt in a medium saucepan or Dutch oven. Toss well and let stand until the strawberries are juicy and the sugar is moistened, about 20 minutes.
• Add the elderflower liqueur to the pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer; cook, stirring and skimming off any foam, until the juices become glossy, thick and syrupy and the fruit is very soft, 25 to 30 minutes. If the berries are still in large pieces after about 20 minutes, gently mash with a rubber spatula or potato masher. Remove from the heat and let the jam cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
• Transfer the jam to a jar or other airtight container. Refrigerate until cold and fully jelled, at least 2 hours. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Steps:

• For candied lemon zest: Remove zest from lemons with a vegetable peeler, keeping pieces long. Remove white pith using a paring knife, and finely julienne using a very sharp knife. Place julienned zest in a small bowl; cover with boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes; drain.
• Bring 1 cup sugar and the cool water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When sugar is completely dissolved, add julienned zest, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand overnight. Remove zest, and drain on wire rack. Roll in sugar. Dry on wire rack. Store zest in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with rack in upper third. Lightly butter a 24-cup mini-muffin pan; set aside. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flour and butter. Pulse until mixture is the consistency of fine crumbs. Add the sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Process until evenly incorporated and smooth; do not overprocess.
• Divide the dough into quarters. Divide each quarter into 6 pieces. Shape into balls. Place each ball in a muffin cup; press down in the centers so that the dough fits the cups snugly. Set muffin pan on a baking sheet.
• Bake until lightly browned all over and slightly darker at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer baking sheet with muffin pan to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the filling: In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until completely smooth. Using a 1/4-ounce ice cream scoop, fill the cooled crusts. Bake until filling is set and just beginning to color at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer muffin pan to a wire rack. Garnish with candied lemon peel. Let cool completely before serving. The tassies may be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• Tip the gooseberries into a large saucepan or preserving pan with 300ml water. Cook over a low heat for about 15 mins, stirring occasionally, until the fruit has broken down into a soupy purée.
• Add the sugar and cook over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then turn up the heat as high as it will go and boil everything for 10 mins, stirring the bottom to make sure the jam doesn't burn and skimming any scum off when it appears. If you have a jam or digital thermometer, the optimum temperature for the jam to set is 105C, but anything around 104C will be fine.
• Do the wrinkle test (see tip) on a frozen saucer to make sure it's set, then add the elderflower cordial and leave to cool before decanting your jam into sterilised jars.