Chocolate Jungle Jam Jar Food

CHOCOLATE JUNGLE JAM JAR

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Break up 150g of the milk chocolate and put it in a bowl with the butter. Sit the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and allow to melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Set aside to cool.
• Grate the remaining milk chocolate and set aside. Now chop the white chocolate into small pieces.
• Put the eggs and sugar in a bowl and, using an electric hand whisk, beat for 4-5 mins until pale and thickened.
• Pour the melted butter and chocolate into the egg mixture and stir. Sieve the flour and cocoa powder and fold into the mixture. Stir in the white chocolate.
• Divide the mixture between the jam jars. Sit the jam jars in a roasting tin and pour boiling water into the bottom of the tin, so that the water rises a quarter of the way up the sides of the jars. Bake for 15-20 mins until the top of the chocolate pudding is set but the middle is still squidgy.
• Remove from the oven and, while still hot, sprinkle the remaining grated chocolate over the tops of each pudding. Leave to cool slightly, then carefully remove the jars from the tin and allow to cool completely.
• To create your jungle scene, place the desiccated coconut in a bowl and add green food colouring - this will be your grass layer of the jungle. Now sprinkle a layer over the top of the pudding.
• Roll out a piece of green icing to make a thin 'worm' measuring 18cm. Coil this around one of the chocolate sticks to create a creeping plant growing up the tree. Skewer this into the pudding and repeat with 2 more.
• Add a few jelly snakes to your jungle, coiling in and around the trees to set the scene. Repeat with the other jars.
• Using another piece of green icing, cut out 3 leaves to attach to the top of the chocolate sticks. Allow the icing to firm up for about 20 mins, then sit the leaves on top of the rim of the jar.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY JAM (CANNING RECIPE)

Steps:

• Crush berries thoroughly, 1 cup at a time. If using frozen berries, use both liquied and solids; they were all part of the original fresh berry. (Sieve 1/2 of the pulp to remove some of the seeds if desired. You can sieve it all if preparing from those with dental problems. Removing seeds causes waste, so be sure you have enough berries.).
• Make sure your canning equipment is scrupulously clean, and place 7 pint or half-pint jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Fill the canner with water, adding a shot of vinegar to prevent mineral buildup, and bring to a boil while you prepare the jam. Allow it to boil for 10 minutes to sterilize jars, then turn down the heat to keep the jars hot. Remember to keep a kettle of hot water handy, and a saucepan of boiling water for your lids and rings.
• Measure 6 cups of crushed fruit into a 6-8 quart heavy nonreactive saucepan. Break the chocolate squares into smaller pieces and add them to saucepan.
• Measure sugar into a separate bowl. Mix 1/4 cup of the measured sugar with the pectin powder in another small bowl. Stir pectin-sugar mixture into fruit in a saucepan. Add butter. Bring quickly to a full rolling boil. Boil for EXACTLY 1 MINUTE, stirring constantly.
• Remove pan from heat. Skim off any foam and ladle the jam into hot sterilized pint or half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
• Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.
• Remove the jars to a towel/newspaper lined surface, invert for 10 minutes, and allow to cool. Label the jars and store in a cool dry place for up to 1 year.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Pit the cherries if necessary, then chop them up. Crush the remains thoroughly, 1 cup at a time. If using frozen berries, use both liquid and solids; they all were part of the original fresh berry. Measure 6 cups of crushed fruit into 6- or 8-quart heavy saucepan. Break the chocolate squares into smaller pieces and add them to saucepan.
• Measure sugar into separate bowl. Mix 1/4 cup sugar from measured amount with pectin in small bowl. Stir pectin-sugar mixture into fruit in saucepan. Add butter. Bring quickly to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam and ladle into pint or half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace and process 10 minutes in boiling water canner.