Beary Good Stuff Indeed: Cocktail Jams, Jam Cupcakes and a Mazurek

Tags

beary good stuff, canada, cocktail jams, cupcakes, jam, mazurek

First things first: I know I am a little bit late, but I still want to wish my Canadian readers a Happy Canada Day!

On this occasion, I would like to talk about some yummy jams that I was recently lucky to win and taste.

Beary Good Stuff specializes in homemade preserves that are original and taste good. They are also made in small batches and with a lot of fruits:

Prepared by hand and cooked in small batches – our preserves are cooked slowly. There is an average of 2 pounds of fruit in every 8 oz jar. Not only can you taste the difference – you can see the difference. Beautiful natural color and unmatched textures – that can only be achieved by the patience and experience of the Confiseur (the maker). There is alchemy to what we do. Like fine wines, each season has it’s own specific style. We create preserves with exceptional taste. Capturing these flavors is the craft of our business.

Indeed. Look at these.

(Yes, I do take pictures outside because the light is better ;-)

Please don’t hesitate to visit the Beary Good Stuff website here!

They already look amazing from outside. The taste confirms the first impression. Among the three different flavors we were lucky to taste (Margarita Jam, Pina Colada Jam, and Strawberry Daiquiri Jam), I would say that the one that tastes closest to the cocktail is the Pina Colada one, and my favorite is the Margarita.

The texture of real homemade preserves and the fact that they were not too sweet (just what is needed – I am not a big fan of jam because it is generally too sweetened, but not these ones) make them taste great on toasts but I decided to use them in cakes.

I first used the jam cupcake recipe I had already successfully tried before. They were especially successful with these jams :-)

Then I had an idea. My mother-in-law (who is Polish, like my mother) has a mazurek recipe (my Mom does too here) that uses jam and that my husband likes a lot. So, although the mazurek is generally a cake baked for Easter, we decided to try it with these jams last week. The mazurek was even more successful!

For one, large Mazurek, you will need:
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– 2 sticks + 1 tbsp butter, softened
– 1 1/4 cup sugar
– 2 1/2 cups almond flour (I would put less if I had to make this recipe again)
– 6 egg whites
– good jam

1. Start by lining lightly greased parchment paper on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Mix together butter and sugar. Slowly add all-purpose flour. Then add the almond flour.

3. In a separate bowl, whip up egg whites so that they are very firm.

4. Slowly and carefully blend into the other mixture.

5. Put the batter on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

6. Let cool completely.

7. If you only use one kind of jam, you can cut the cake in two (like we usually do). Here we cut it in six because we wanted to try it with the three different jams. But let’s say you have only one jam: cut the cake in two,

put jam on one part of the cake, put the other side on top the first one, cover with a sheet of parchment paper, put something heavy on top in order to make the jam penetrate the cake better and put in the fridge for about one hour.

8. When ready, cut in small portions, and enjoy!