Confiture

A confiture is any fruit jam, marmalade, paste, sweetmeat, or fruit stewed in thick syrup. Confit, the root of the word, comes from the French word confire, which literally means 'preserved'; a confit being any type of food that is cooked slowly over a long period of time as a method of preservation.

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Firmed up and sweetened fruit juice and fiber makes for a spreadable fruit between layers of cake and filling macarons.

Planning

  • Prep Time:

    10 minutes

  • Bake/Cook Time:

    20 minutes

  • Chill/Set Time:

    30 minutes

  • Servings:

    Makes approx 1 cup -enough to fill 1 layer in a cake

Preparation

  • Materials

    Citrus juicer (or just squeeze by hand)
    Stainless steel or copper mesh strainer/sieve
    Zester
    Double Boiler with steamer and stainless steel mixing bowl.
    Blender, food processor or sieve to puree the berries
    Extra mixing bowls
    Spatula
    Wooden Spoon
    Hand Whisk
    Cutting board, knife
    Prep bowl for the butter
    Prep bowl for the hot puree mixture

  • Prep

    Squeeze lemon (or other citrus) juice and zest the rinds.
    Puree berries and strain through a fine wire mesh strainer. 
    Stir and push on the solids with the back of a rubber spatula until all of the liquid has been extracted.

  • Oven/Stove

  • Shopping List

    Your choice of fruit
    Lemons
    Chambord, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Framboise
    Vanilla Paste or Extract
    Granulated Sugar
    Gelatin

Ingredients

  • Apricot Jelly

    Apricot Puree 225g 
    Apricots, roasted, dried  50g
    Gelatin 6g
    Granulated Sugar 30g 
    Syrup (Cane, Golden, or Maple) 10g
    Cinnamon  ground

  • Raspberry Compote

    Raspberries (fresh or frozen 227g (8oz)
    Lemon Juice 2 tbsp
    Lemon Zest ½ lemon
    Granulated Sugar 200g (1 cup)
    Gelatin 6g

  • Strawberry Preserves

    Strawberries 4 cups
    Granulated Sugar 1 cup
    Lemon Juice
    Zest of 1 lemon
    Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Framboise, or Chambord - Optional

Steps

  • Apricot Jelly

    STEP 1:  Skin and dice the apricots and place on a parchment lined baking sheet

    STEP 2:  Drizzle with syrup and ground cinnamon

    STEP 3:  Cover with foil and bake at 325F for 15 minutes

    STEP 4:  Remove from oven and cool

    STEP 5:  Bloom the gelatin in a little water while you puree the apricots

    STEP 6:  Heat the puree and sugar, over medium heat stirring constantly until all of the sugar dissolves thoroughly.

    STEP 7:  Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl and whisk in the gelatin. It will thicken quickly. Apply to your dessert or pour into an airtight jelly jar and store in the refrigerator.

  • Raspberry Compote

    STEP 1:  Heat whole raspberries, lemon zest and juice in a saucepan over medium heat.

    STEP 2: When you have berry juice stir in the sugar. Add a little water if you need it. Stir constantly until all sugar is thoroughly dissolved.

    STEP 3: Meanwhile bloom the gelatin in a small bit of water.

    STEP 4: When the sugar is dissolved and the mixture thickened a bit, remove from heat, pour into a mixing bowl, and stir in the gelatin. It will thicken quickly. Apply to your dessert or pour into an airtight jelly jar and store in the refrigerator.

  • Strawberry Preserves

    STEP 1:  Small dice the strawberries .Heat strawberries, lemon juice, zest, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved.

    STEP 2: Gradually bring to a boil for 1 minute then reduce to medium or medium-low.

    STEP 3:  Continue cooking on medium to medium-low heat for about 20 minutes. You want to let the strawberries soften and break down.

    Watch the consistency and when you have a nice sauce with soft strawberries remove from heat and pour onto a dessert or into an airtight jelly jar and refrigerate.

Notes

FLAVORING
Grand Marnier, Framboise, Chambord, or Cointreau

COLORING
No coloring necessary. You can add a little red gel food coloring if you want to pump up the fruit color.

SERVING
These are good for between cake layers and filling macarons.
Use as a topping or garnish:
Apricots and nuts
Raspberries and mint leaves
Strawberries and mint leaves
Whipped cream

STORING
Pour the sauce into an airtight mason or jelly jar. Store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. This can also be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months

VARIATIONS
Use the same recipe for other berries and citrus, or stone fruits like mango and peach. If you want smooshier strawberries mash them up with a pastry cutter or potato masher after they are cooked. Flavor variation: Add Grand Marnier, Framboise, Chambord, or Cointreau

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