jam and meringue little baskets

silk ribbon from https://www.instagram.com/corcortezfloral/

These little baskets are a favorite of mine ever since childhood. So when Bartlett House https://www.instagram.com/bartletthouseghent/ sent me their wonderful variety of jams I knew I had to make them. These little baskets involve a layer of pastry, a layer of jam and a layer of walnut meringue.

I fell in love with the variety of unique flavors that Bartlett House has to offer in their jams, and I also fell in love with their presentation. My favorite out of these is the cherry apricot jam, since cherries are my favorite summer fruit. The jams came tightly and securely packed accompanied by a personalized message. Definitely, a game changer in terms of presentation.

Given I wasn't able to decide which flavor to use in these little baskets, I just used them all. The end product was amazing, and I definitely adored the jewel jam colors.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

for the pastry:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

• 1/4 cup vanilla granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 3 tablespoons cold water

for the filling:

• 60 teaspoons assorted jams (I used Bartlett House https://www.instagram.com/bartletthouseghent/)

for the topping:

• 2 cups roasted walnuts, finely ground

• zest of two lemons

• 4 egg whites, room temperature

• 1 cup granulated sugar

to decorate:

• 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the pastry first. In a medium sized bowl place the flour. Start rubbing the butter in by using your fingertips until the mixture resembles small crumbs. Add the vanilla granulated sugar, egg, and water, and work all the ingredients into a soft, pliable dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours (can be made a day ahead).

2. Meanwhile get the baking tins ready (you will need about thirty 2 1/2 inch wide round small tart shapes). Brush them with melted butter and set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Divide the dough into thirty equal sized shaped balls. Using your hands, press a dough ball into each tart tin (see bellow picture for reference; scrape the excess dough off).

4. Place about two teaspoons of jam in each tart shell and set aside.

5. In a medium sized bowl beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually incorporate the granulated sugar, beating after each addition. Carefully fold in the roasted walnuts and the lemon zest. Pipe a spoonful in each tart shell on top of the jam, making sure to cover the jam surface completely.

6. Bake for about an hour then remove on a cooling rack. Allow for the tarts to cool down for about two minutes and then by the help of a kitchen towel remove the tarts from the tins. Place them back on the cooling rack and allow for them to cool completely before dusting with confectioner's sugar.