Jammed, Part One (and Marco Polo Cookies)

I found a new obsession to mull over before I sleep at night.

Sometimes I do things because I’m too idiotic to realize that just because I can (it never seems to occur to me that I “might be able to” is more apt) doesn’t necessarily mean I should.

But this was precipitated by a slight emergency:

I’m almost out of my Marco Polo tea jam.  Tea jam is simply what it sounds like:  jam made from tea.  Mariages Freres introduced this confiture marvel in 1986.  After sampling some at Lan’s in Paris, I picked up several jars and brought them back as gifts, keeping one for myself.  I’ve been siphoning it slowly but I’m down to about two toasts’ worth now. And I really wanted to make Marco Polo Cookies.  I suppose I could ring up Lan and offer an exchange of Mac and Cheese for Mia for more tea jam from Mariages Freres.  But that would actually make sense.  So instead, I’m trying to make my own tea jam.  Sigh.  Yeah.  You read that right.  I’m going down the same path as I did during the 12 hour quilt episode.

The ingredients look simple enough: tea, cane sugar, lemon and pectin.  The first three ingredients I already have.  The last one I picked up from the grocery store.

Pectin is derived from the cell wall of plants and are generally found in apples, plums and oranges.  Pectin is what keeps the wall of the fruit hard; as it breaks down, first to pectinic acid and then to pectic acid, the fruit gets softer.  Think about apple after a week or so –it goes from crisply resistant to soft and mushy.  As a commercial additive, pectin is used as thickening agent in processed foods.  It is extracted from fruit peel and pulp by adding hot water; pectin dissolves in the hot water.  When an acid is introduced, pectin forms a gel – hence, its use in making jams and jellies.

So, now I had ingredients and no recipe.  I consulted the jam and jelly instructions that came with the pectin. The fast and easy method required one box of pectin, 1 quart of fruit, 1 cup of sugar and refrigeration time.  The cooked method required one box of pectin and 2 quarts of fruit, 1 cup of sugar and room temperature set time. 

I thought it would make more sense to do one quart, to test things out.  I poured a quart of water into a six quart pot, sliced 2 lemons in half,  and measured out 1 cup of cane sugar (you see the impending disaster, don’t you?).  I set the pot on a hot stove and waited until the water began boiling.  Now, on any given day, I’m pretty good at measuring how much tea should go into my French press for the right flavor and color – not too dark and not too light.  Why a pot should be any different baffles me but I was so flustered by the exercise (not to mention that I cook on feel and not on precision, which makes me a lousy baker – and jam making is spiritually related to baking) I began dumping handfuls of loose tea into the pot.  Needless to say, as the water continued boiling, the tea looked like a black river of leaves.  So I added another quart of water, rationalizing that the cooking recipe for jam had called for two quarts of fruit.  As the water continued boiling, I added the pectin, the sugar, and squeezed all the lemon juice I could.  Pouring the mixture into a several glass jars, I turned them upside down for five minutes for the “inversion” method of sealing and let them sit at room temperature, per instructions, for 24 hours.

Today I have three jars full of sweet tea with lemon.  No congealing process has occurred.

And it has just occurred to me why:  2 quarts of fruit are much heavier in volume and texture than two quarts of flavored, scented water.  Genius.  The twelve hour quilt was a far easier endeavor.

Back to the drawing board.  But how lovely to have something to rock me to sleep again.

Marco Polo Cookies

1 1/2 cups very finely ground hazelnuts

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

14 T (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp

Marco Polo tea jam (or other jam as you prefer)

Heat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment, set aside

In a largebowl whisk together hazelnuts, flour, sugar and salt. Pour into food processor. Add butter and pulse until the dry ingredients and the butter form a crumbly mixture. Do not over process.

Using a 2 inch pastry cutter as a guide, spoon dough into the cutter, and press the crumbs to make a cookie about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Spoon about 1 -2 teaspoons of jam on the dough and spread almost to the edge of the cookie.   Sprinkle some crumb mixture over the jam.

Bake on the lowest rack for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 300 and move to the highest rack for about 9 more minutes.  Be sure to pay attention – depending on how hot your oven gets, you may not need the extra bake time.  The cookies are done when golden brown.  Don’t let them brown too much or they’ll taste burnt and bitter.  Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool. Store in airtight container.

VERY IMPORTANT:  THE COOKIES AND JAM ARE BLAZING HOT WHEN THEY COME OUT OF THE OVEN. Don't eat them fresh out of the oven or you'll burn your mouth pretty badly (I speak from experience). These cookies are meant to be enjoyed cooled, not warm.

Comments

[maz]

Also, did you use Marco Polo tea for the jam, not ordinary tea? It has that lovely distinctive flavour that you get in the gelee. I'm also nearing the bottom of my jar and have to source some more. Good luck with your next attempt.