Strawberry Jam with Cacao Nibs

Probably like a lot of older bloggers, one of the first, perhaps the first, food blog that I became aware of was Chocolate & Zucchini, when I heard about it on NPR.  Clotilde's blog was (and is) a wonderful potpourri of fresh recipes and ideas presented by a charming personality who had a distinct voice.

One of the recipes that struck me was for a pear jam made with cacao nibs.  When I made a cherry jam for Steph Chows first Jam Exchange last year, I decided to try to incorporate some cacao nibs into one of the jams I made.  Following Clotilde's lead, I was conservative in the amount of nibs I used in the recipe.  While the lesser amount probably  was the right balance for a jam made from pears, I felt the cacao nibs were overpowered by the cherries.

I was slow at getting around to making the jam for this year's exchange, so I only made some strawberry and lemongrass jam in time for the exchange.  While neither my wife nor I generally eat much jam, once I'm making some I figure I might as well make some more.

Strawberries and chocolate are a combination I enjoy, so I decided to incorporate the cacao nibs into a strawberry jam.  Not wanting to repeat last year's mistake of being too timid with the nibs, I increased the amount to a full cup for the five half-pint jars the recipe makes. I also replaced six ounces of the strawberries with some raspberries I had in the house.  As much as I like the strawberry lemongrass jam, I like this combination even more.  The cacao nibs provide a depth of flavor to the jam, muting its sweetness.  This is a jam to savor with croissants or crackers, one that could even be enjoyed with a glass of port. 

Strawberry Jam with Cacao Nibs

printable recipe

2 1/2 pounds strawberries (I substituted 6 oz of raspberries for 6 oz of strawberries)

3 3/4 cups sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

1 cup raw cacao nibs

Give the strawberries a quick rinse under cold water.  Pat dry with paper towels and hull them.  Place the strawberries in a glass or ceramic bowl and stir in the sugar and lemon juice.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to macerate overnight in the refrigerator. 

Pour the berry mixture into a deep saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Remove about two cups of the berries, then briefly use an immersion blender to get a rough puree of the berries in the pan.  Bring the liquid to a boil and cook to around 220º F, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.  Return the reserved whole berries and the cacao nibs.  Bring back to a boil on high heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring gently.  Pour the jam into jars and seal following standard canning procedures.  This recipe makes 5 half-pint jars of jam.

Strawberry Lemongrass Jam

Steph Chows recently hosted her second annual jam exchange.  I thought I'd miss this one because I was out of the country most of the summer, visiting family and friends in Indonesia.  I'm not really much of a jam eater (I confessed to my exchange partner that I still have jam left from last year's exchange), but I like the idea of an exchange, so when I saw that I still had a chance to participate I did so.

Although I will blog about any recipe that I think is worth sharing, I try to tilt towards Southeast Asian food, or dishes with a Southeast Asian flavor.  Lemongrass is one of my favorite herbs and when I discovered Christine Ferber's recipe for strawberry lemongrass jam, I knew I'd have to make it.  Our freakishly cool summer has extended the strawberry season in Sacramento, and I was able to pick up a flat of six pints of strawberries from the nearby field for $10.

Although I've since bought Mes Confitures, which has a number of different and delicious sounding preserves, at the time I made the jam I found the recipe on The Wednesday Chef's blog.  To get the recipe, please visit The Wednesday Chef's post. 

Strawberry Chocolate Truffle Tart

 When our bookclub gets together, I am usually the one who brings dessert.  We used to be a larger group, with a much greater range of cooking abilities and tastes.  Over time life has intervened, one couple broke up and drifted away, another has found other interests, and what remains is a group who enjoy the shared reading experience and the excuse to get together every six weeks or so, but no real interest in cooking. One is still remembered at the staff lunchroom for devouring cans of Dinty Moore Beef Stew on an almost daily basis throughout the school year, and another does not cook for herself at all, living on tuna fish sandwiches, fast food takeout and raw vegetables.  In other words, they're an easy group to please; just about any home cooked dish wows them.

This strawberry chocolate truffle tart is an exercise in excess.  It's really an amalgam of recipes, with a chocolate crust, a rich chocolate filling, and a traditional glazed strawberry tart topping.  It takes a little time to pull together, but is not at all difficult.  It is impressive looking and quite delicious.

The chocolate crust is from Baking with Julia.  Essentially a pâte sucrée dough with 1/4 cup of cocoa powder replacing an equal amount of flour, it is an easy, forgiving dough to work with and produces a tasty crust.  A printable version of the recipe is here.

Chocolate Crust

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed is recommended)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (4 ounces) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1+ TBS ice water

Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Cut in butter.  With fingers, work butter into the flour mixture until you have a crumbly mixture.  Mound the mixture and make a well in the center.  Stir in the egg yolk  and ice water with your fingertips, like making pasta.  Add just enough cold water for the dough to come together; it should still seem dry and only just hold together.

Wrap the dough in plastic, flattening to a disk, and chill until firm. 

Preheat the oven to 350º F.  Lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Roll out the chilled dough and place into the tart pan.  Prick the bottom of the tart all over with a fork.  Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 14 to 18 minutes, rotating half way through.  When done, remove and let the crust cool completely before filling.

Chocolate Filling

9 oz bittersweet chocolate (I used 60% cacao)
8 oz whipping cream

In double boiler above simmering water or in microwave, melt chocolate.  Add cream and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Filled cooled tart shell and chill in refrigerator for at least one hour before topping with strawberries.

Strawberries with Glaze

2 pints fresh strawberries, washed and hulled,  divided
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch or tapioca starch

Puree 1 pint of strawberries in blender with sugar lemon juice and cornstarch.  Pour mixture into a small saucepan and heat over low until thickened and transparent.  (For a clearer glaze, puree strawberries and filter through a fine sieve before adding other ingredients.) Cool.

Slice remaining pint of strawberries in half and arrange on top of the chilled tart.  Brush glaze lightly over the top of the strawberries.

The tart is probably best served the day it is made.