Plum & Orange flower jam - the hills are alive with the sound of music

This past summer was a bumper crop for plums here in BC. With a mission of plum jam on my mind, I goose stepped myself down to Santa Barbra Market and loaded up with some of the most juicy and precious looking plums on hand. After trying orange flower water in cake, I knew that summer fruits were better with a blessing of this most holy of waters. I cooked the whole mess outside on the side burner of the bar-b-que and then put it all through a water bath out there too. If that bar-b-que was masculine before, well, it's now wearing tutus, at afternoon tea while belting out show tunes.  "the hills are alive, with the sounds of music"

What you'll need to get in touch with the princess within:
12 cups of cut up juicy plums
1 cup cherries
2 cups of sugar

3 - 4 tbsp of orange flower water
1/16 cup lemon juice

package of certo pectin

Method - slowly cook plums so as to avoid adding any additional water.

Once cooked down use an emersion blender to buzz the fruit and skins, some might consider a food mill instead, to remove the skins and mash the fruit - up to you. However I chose to keep the skins on account of the colour and pectin content.

Add the sugar, flower water and pectin and go back to the heat. Taste and adjust for sweetness and continue heating until the jam sets. 

Once jarred and ready, water bath those precious ruby fruity flowered gems as usual, and for the love of microbe fearing gods, process as per the instructions. 

12 c. fruit & sugar 

buzz up the fruit and skins 

add orange flower water

jam hot tubbin'

 Warning - this jam will induce your inner girl to come skipping out, twirling about and endeavour to turn everything fabulous and pink. Enjoy the flirtation with femininity with whipped cream and cake and a summery rosa with bubbles, cause pink it so hot right now.

St. Cherry of Golden Saffron Cake

Cherry & Rose Water & Saffron Cake
I recently had the chance to be touched by the new holy trinity and felt it needed to be piously honored,
I get it, your mind is spinning & a whirl wind of thoughts are trying to mend together scent and taste. But be still your cranium jello dusty devil. Just make the cake and trust in what the Persains have been right about all along.  


The Rightious Ingredients
1 Tbsp butter,softened
2/3 cup non-fat milk
1 tsp saffron threads
1-1/3 cups cake flour
1-cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg or 1/4 cup thawed frozen non-fat egg substitute
2 Tbsp rose water 1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup of fresh pitted cherries

Rose/Holy Water Syrup:

3/4 cup sugar 

3/4 cup water 3 tsp rose water - or to taste. 

The Ritual: Prepare a 9-inch cake pan with butter. 

Combine 2 tablespoons non-fat milk and saffron threads in small saucepan. Heat and stir just to simmering. Remove from heat.

Add the dry ingredients together, flour,  1 cup sugar, baking powder and baking soda. 

In a seperate bowl mix your wet ingredients and mix well. saffron/milk, remaining milk, egg, rose water and vanilla. 

At this point I like to asking St. Honorious, patron of bakers to watch over the oven, protect me burns and help divert those pesky pet hairs from finding their way into my batter.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. easy on the mixing, spare the rod, save the cake. 
Put your batter in the pan & drop the cherries on top 

Bake at 375 degrees F. until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean.


While the cake cooks add 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water in a pan, heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and add the Rosewater and allow it to cool. 


Spoon the rose water syrup over the cake. Cut in pretty diamond shapes and go ahead and eat this cake on the good china. 


Welcome, you are now converted, baptized in the warmth of a hot oven. 
Now, go convert the masses.