Vintage Family Recipes - Jam Puffs

When I was growing up I used to cook with my Nan. I have fond memories of sitting in front of the gas fire softening the butter for a cake, as well as picking rhubarb and apples from their garden for a pie. I would also help to make jam rolls or parcels using the scraps of pastry left over from pie making. Sadly my Nan passed away when I was about 10, but I'm sure if she was around now she would have a big input in my blog!

This is our crazy family, at what was possibly my Nan's last Christmas. That's me on the left with the bowl cut, the widest flares you ever did see, furry slippers, turtle neck and checked shirt - a trend-setter I was not! That's my Nan in the white jumper holding my baby cousin. 

I'm sharing a recipe for similar jam parcels which includes a recipe for my own favourite pastry rather than my Nans, as sadly she never passed any recipes down apart from her Christmas cake, which I make now (with a few of my own touches). You could make these with any pastry scraps, whether they are puff or shortcrust, and you could fill with marmalade or chocolate spread instead.

Jam Puffs

Leftover pastry

Milk

Jam

Caster sugar

• Roll the pastry out as thin as you can
• Cut discs with a pastry cutter
• Brush around the edges of the discs with milk
• Spoon a little jam into the centre of the discs
• Fold one side of the pastry over the other and press sides together to seal
• Crimp edges with a fork
• Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with a little sugar
• Bake in a preheated 200C oven for around 15 minutes, until golden brown

If you want to make my pastry that's easy to make, yet tastes as good as puff pastry, without the effort, here's the recipe :

Cream Cheese Pastry

250g plain flour

150g butter

150g full fat cream cheese

• In the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour, butter and cream cheese
• Mix on a low speed until it becomes like breadcrumbs and then starts to come together
• Squeeze together into a ball and wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for around 30 minutes

this post has been commissioned by BEKO, who have a range of  induction hobs, and ovens perfect for cooking your own comforting jam puffs, whether it be for Mother's Day on Sunday 15th March, or every day.