Great British Baking Show Bakers Meetup Group

Equipment: cake tin 20.5 X 25.5 X 5 CM (8” x 10” x 2”), buttered

Notice for step 4: You can either (1) top your shortbread with raspberry jam then top with chocolate then crumble or (2) just add the crumble on top of the raspberry jam.

Ingredients for the shortbread:
30g cornflour (US: Corn Starch)
300g plain flour (US: all-purpose flour)
30g icing sugar (US: powdered sugar)
80g caster sugar (US: extra-fine granulated)
220g unsalted butter, chilled and diced

Instructions
Heat oven to 325 F

1. Put soft butter in a bowl and beat with wooden spoon or electric mixer until creamy
2. Sift the icing sugar into the bowl and beat into butter (low setting if using electric mixer) Beat in castor sugar. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then beat thoroughly for a couple of minutes until the mixture is fluffy.
3. Sift Corn Starch into the bowl and beat in. Sift flour into the bowl and mix until crumbly.
4. Set aside a quarter of the shortbread mixture for topping (Skip if you are going to top with chocolate)
5. Tip the crumbs into the prepared cake tin and spread evenly. Gently press out the mixture, being sure to press it into the corners of the tin too. Prick all over with a fork.
6. Carefully add jam over the shortbread (recipe below). Sprinkle with remaining shortbread.
   Place in the heated oven (325 F) for about 35 minutes until pale golden.
8. (you can use a seedless jam from the store but it is fun to make jam)

• Ingredients
• Equal weights of redcurrants and raspberries (e.g., 500g of each)
• An equal weight of jam sugar to the total weight of the fruit (e.g., 1 kg of sugar for 1 kg of fruit)

Equipment

• Large, deep-sided saucepan or preserving pan
• Potato masher
• Saucer (chilled in the freezer for testing the set)
• Sterilized jars and lids
• Sugar thermometer (optional, 105°C/221°F is the target)

Instructions

1. Prepare the fruit: Strip the redcurrants from their stalks. Combine the redcurrants and raspberries in a large, deep-sided saucepan.
2. Pulp the fruit: Apply low heat to the fruit mixture and bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer until the fruit has pulped.
3. Add sugar: Once the fruit is pulped, add the pre-measured sugar to the pan.
4. Dissolve the sugar: Continue heating over a low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved.
5. Boil the jam: Increase the heat and bring the mixture back up to a rolling boil. Boil rapidly for a few minutes.
6. Test for setting point:
7. Saucer method: Place a small dollop of jam onto the pre-chilled saucer and leave it for a minute or two. Push your finger into the jam; if the surface wrinkles, it has reached its setting point and is ready.
8. Thermometer method: Cook until the jam reaches 105°C (221°F) on a sugar thermometer.
9. Pot the jam: Carefully pour the hot jam into sterilized jars using a jam funnel if available. Seal the jars tightly with their lids while the jam is still hot.