I wish I could say that I could keep my kitchen looking like this all of the time, but that would be a very big lie.  As in, it could be seen from space due to it’s inordinate massivenessosity.  That’s pretty big.

Nope, most of the time the surfaces are covered in some kind of food in progress, either at the beginning or the end of the cooking/eating process.  Honestly, that’s the way I like it.

I will freely admit, here and to the world, that I find making pastry really stressful.  I nearly cry every. single. time.  But, when it is done I feel so incredibly pleased with myself that it is worth it.  This is the first time I made pastry with our home grown, home rendered lard so it feels extra achievy.  Yes that’s a word.

As well as knocking up some pastry I’m on a mission to use LOTS of eggs over the weekend.  We have a few, um, dozen that sort of, well, got frozen in the garage and so now are only good for baking.  Any egg laden recipes that you have up your sleeve please feel free to share!

I’ve used a dozen making two quiches (one with cranberry cheese that I’m particularly looking forward to) and I’m thinking a couple of flourless chocolate cakes and some meringues sound like a good idea too.  Sandwiched together with jam and whipped cream…just me and them, snuggled up together…sorry what was I saying?

Did your Mum make jam tarts with pastry offcuts?  Mine always did, doing anything else would, I think, lead to crushing disappointment.  These ones seem extra nice as they are made with the strawberry jam I made this summer, a taste of sunshine while we look out at the white and black landscape outside.

For quality control purposes I have inhaled sampled an undisclosed number of jam tarts and can report that the pastry is extremely flaky and delicious, soft on the tongue cupping perfectly the sweet but tart jam.  Lard and strawberry jam are the perfect partners; definitely worth the mess.