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April 2012 - The Diamond Jubilee Year

In order to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee and her wonderful service to the nation over the last sixty years, we have produced a limited edition Jubilee Strawberry with a suitably patriotic label.

It was only last year when we were introduced to Jubilee Strawberries for the first time, grown at Church Farm, Tunstead, in Norfolk.

Cooked in open pans and filled by hand, this mixture of Jubilee, Cambridge Favourites and Camerosa Strawberries is a wonderful marriage of flavours that produces a simply delicious jam. Available now until we run out of strawberries!

Jubilation

A pot of joy arrived on my doorstep last week! Made from sweet, intensely fresh and fruity British grown Jubilee strawberries, Thursday Cottage Jubilee Strawberry Jam is one of the loveliest jams I’ve eaten in a while. Its deliciously rich, unsullied fruity tones will bring grace and flavour to any noble table. It really is just the right jam to serve with Cornish clotted cream www.roddas.co.uk and freshly baked scones for the perfect cream tea; a truly excellent way to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee.

Scones are very easy to make and a good dependable recipe is worth tucking into your baking repertoire so you can rustle up a batch at a moment’s notice; once accomplished you’ll it will only take 20 minutes from start to finish. My favourite scones are made from soured milk or buttermilk and spelt flour but this recipe works very well with milk and a good plain flour also.

But when it comes to eating....which comes first jam or cream? For me it’s always cream topped with plenty of soft, sweet strawberry jam – Thursday Cottage of course!

For a dozen scones you will need:

• 350g plain flour
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2 level teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 50g cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 50g caster sugar
• 150 ml milk (soured if you have some) or buttermilk
• 1 medium/large egg, lightly beaten
• A little milk to finish

Preheat oven to 200/210°C/Gas Mark 6/7

Baking sheet - no need to line or grease.

• Sieve the flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking power into a roomy mixing bowl.
• Add the butter and using your finger tips rub the butter into the flour lightly and quickly -this can also be done on a low speed using a free standing electric food mixer.
• Stir in the sugar.
• Make a well in the centre and add the milk and the egg and using a round-bladed knife mix to form soft springy dough.
• Turn onto a floured board and lightly roll to approximately 3 cm thick.
• Using a 5cm pastry cutter or upturned glass cut out scone - the best scones will come from the first rolling so make sure you cut them as closely as you can.
• Knead together the scrapes of dough, roll out and continue to cut until all the dough has been used up.
• Place on baking sheet and brush with a little milk.
• Bake for approximately 10 minutes until risen and lightly golden on top and lightly coloured on the bottom.
• Remove to cooling rack.

Pam Corbin

Aka ‘Pam the Jam’