Damson Tartlets Food

DAMSON TART

Steps:

• Place flour, butter & salt into a large bowl. Rub butter into flour with fingertips to resemble FINE breadcrumbs. (work quickly before butter becomes soft).
• Add water to mixture using a COLD knife, stir until dough binds together. Add more water (teaspoon at a time) if dough seems to dry.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 15 to 30 minutes.
• For Filling :.
• 1 1/2 pounds Damson Plums.
• 4 oz sugar.
• Directions:.
• Half fill large baking bowl with plums. Sprinkle with sugar. Put rest of plums on top making higher in center.
• Roll or pat out chilled pastry dough larger than circumference of baking bowl. Trim to fit bowl. Press dough around bowl to seal in juices. Use remaining dough to make a trim to go around bowl and place over the dough covering the fruit. Cut several vent holes in top of dough.
• Brush lightly with water. Sprinkle sugar on top of pastry.
• Bake at 400 degree F. in preheated oven for approximately 1 hour.

DAMSON TARTLETS

Steps:

• Make pastry dough:
• Pulse flour, butter, and confectioners sugar in a food processor until it resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks and pulse just until a dough forms.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Form each half into a 4-inch square (about 1 inch thick) and wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze until solid, at least 2 hours.
• Make compote while pastry freezes:
• Bring whole plums, sugar, wine, and bay leaf to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat, covered, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved (be careful juices don't boil over). Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until plums fall apart, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and chill, uncovered, until cold, then cover. Discard pits and bay leaf, then add a little confectioners sugar to taste if desired.
• Bake pastry:
• Coarsely grate pastry from one frozen square into tartlet pans, dividing it evenly. (Reserve remaining dough for another use.) Press dough flakes into tartlet pans to line bottoms and sides evenly. Prick bottoms all over with a fork, then freeze tartlets until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
• Put tartlets in a shallow baking pan and put in oven. Turn oven temperature down to 400°F and bake until shells are golden all over, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Transfer tartlet pans to a rack to cool completely, then remove shells from pans.
• Make cream filling:
• Put cream in a large bowl, then scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream. Beat in sugar and zest with an electric mixer until cream just holds stiff peaks. Fold in about 2 tablespoons plum compote, then divide cream among tartlet shells. Serve topped with some of remaining compote (you will have a lot left over).

DAMSON PLUM JAM

Steps:

• Wash and pick over the plums.
• Combine the plums and the water.
• Bring to a boil and cook 15 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Allow to cool enough to handle - or completely, if you like - and fish out the pits (I put them through a food mill, and then removed the pits from the remaining pulp).
• Return the pulp to the rest of the jam once the pits are out.
• Meanwhile, put the jars into a canning kettle and cover with water to one inch above the tops of the jars.
• Bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes to sterilize.
• Return the plums to the jam kettle, and bring them back to the boil. Add the sugar to the plums, stirring to dissolve.
• Boil to jam stage, about 20 minutes. Test for the gelling point with one of the following methods: Temperature test - Use a jelly or candy thermometer, and boil until mixture reaches the following temperatures at altitudes of: Sea level to 1,000 feet - 104°C/220°F; 1,001 feet to 2,000 feet - 103°C/218°F
• Sheet or spoon test - Dip a cool metal spoon into the boiling jelly mixture. Raise the spoon out of the steam, about 12 inches above the pan. Turn the spoon so the liquid runs off the side. The jelly is done when the syrup forms two drops that flow together and sheet or hang off the edge of the spoon.
• I like the"sheet" test.
• As the jam cooks, remove any pits you may have missed.
• Remove from the heat and stir and skim 5 minutes.
• Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal with lids sterilized according to the manufacturers directions.
• (Generally, boiled for 5 minutes.) Place jars of jam back in boiling water bath and boil for 5 minutes.
• Let cool, and store when the jars have sealed.

DAMSON JAM

Steps:

• Wash your jars and lids in hot, soapy water, rinse, then place on a baking tray and put in a low oven for 10 mins or until completely dry. If you want to use rubber seals, remove the seals and cover in just-boiled water. Make sure you sterilise any funnels, ladles or spoons you're going to be using too.
• Put the fruit into a jam pan or a large, wide, heavy-based saucepan. Leave the stones in (see tip below). Add 150ml water and bring to the boil. Put a couple of saucers in the freezer. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 mins or until the fruit is soft.
• Tip in the sugar and stir over a very low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, up to 10 mins. This step is vital - if you don't dissolve the sugar, the bottom of the pan may catch and burn. Raise the heat, bring to a full rolling boil, then rapidly boil for 10 minutes. Don't stir until the setting point of 105C is reached. If you don't have a thermometer, test the jam by spooning a little onto a cold saucer. Wait a few seconds, then push the jam with your fingertip. If it wrinkles, the jam is ready. If not, cook for a few mins more and test again, with another cold saucer. Once you have reached 105C or setting point, stir the jam thoroughly.
• Remove from the heat, skim off any excess scum, then stir a knob of butter into the surface (this helps to dissolve any remaining scum). Leave for about 15 mins so the fruit can settle - if you decant the jam too soon, all the fruit will sink to the bottom. Pour into sterilised jars, label and seal.

DAMSON CRUMBLE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the damsons into a pan with the sugar, butter and sloe gin if using (or a splash of water if not) and heat gently until the damsons start to give off their juices. Tip into the base of a large shallow gratin dish (about 25cm long) and stir through the apple slices.
• Put all the crumble ingredients into a food processor with a pinch of salt, and using the pulse button, whizz until the mixture just starts to clump together. Don't whizz for too long or the mixture will stick together too much. Alternatively, rub the butter into the flour using your hands and then stir in the other ingredients.
• Scatter the crumble over the damsons and bake in the oven for 30-40 mins until golden brown. Leave for about 15 mins before serving with custard or cream. Remember to warn everyone about the stones!