Saturday, June 27, 2009

Rest of the Jam

Like the sunshine bright sparkles of a punch in the face, this morning I was blinded with poetry. After making gooseberry & blackberry conserve, I thought 'what can you do with the remainder in the pot?' Too hot to lick the spoon, too sticky when cool, too sweet to chew and too bitter to swallow. The shallow, thickening layer quickly becomes grime.

Take a dusty baguette, split it harshly into tough croutons and toss into the pot. They transform, softening lightly, toppling over one other.

Ladling the sticky objects onto a white platter, I felt like a returning general, gleaming in the sunlight, head high and victorious. What should I call these shards of inspiration? Paniniccinos? Sambitos? Whatever their label, they are scrumptious. Here’s a recipe to try:

Paniniccino Sundae (serves 2)

2 tbsp gooseberry jam
1 tsp water
1 cup dry bread, broken into 3cm pieces
2 scoops vanilla ice cream

1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp icing sugar

1. Heat the jam and water, stirring continuously until it starts to bubble.
2. Leave to cool for 5 minutes. Stir bread into the jam.
3. Topple onto ice cream, drizzle with maple syrup, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve immediately.

DIARIT: 8/10

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