Strawberry, Peach and Fig Jam

This jam is straightforward to make, and the fruit combination tastes like wild strawberries, that tiny but full-of-flavor version of a regular strawberry.

I tossed in a Fig simply because I had one left over, and the result was optimal! When making strawberry jam (almost with any jam I make), I add a few drops of lemon juice, which not only contains the pectin that helps set the jam but also gives a nice contrast to the sweetness in the fruits –as the fruits cook, the liquids evaporate, and the sugars become more robust, so even for those of us with a sweet tooth, it might be too much without something to digress it-.

This time around, I used vanilla to accentuate the fruit flavors, so lemon juice was not such a good match. Instead, I added a small pinch of salt to reduce the sweetness. Altogether, a straightforward and lovely-tasting homemade version of a gourmet jam.

The recipe in just 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 package (12 oz.) white chocolate chips

Directions:

• Prepare a 9″x13″ pan by lining it with parchment paper, or greasing it with bit of butter.
• Preheat oven to 350*F.In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices and set aside.
• In another large bowl whisk together the melted butter and sugars. Add the egg, then vanilla and pumpkin and blend together well with the whisk (no need for an electric mixer).
• Pour the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients, add the white chocolate chips and blend together with a spatula or wooden spoon just until fully incorporated.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly in the pan.
• Bake 25-30 minutes, or until it appears set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean.
• Cool fully, then cut into bars as desired.