And what better way to use the jam than in a roly poly? This is an old British dessert, which can also be called Dead Man’s Arm (or leg) because in the old days it would be steamed in an old shirt sleeve.
This recipe is one of my mother’s favourites and it has been in the family for years in various different forms. There are older recipes which use suet in the pudding but this one is a lot easier. It’s a fast and easy dessert, which will be loved by kids and adults alike if they are anything like our family. If you can make scones, you can make this really easily.
Jam roly poly
125g butter, softened
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
½ cup jam
¾ cup boiling water
½ cup white sugar
75g butter, melted
Zest of one lemon
Rub butter into the flour and baking powder until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add milk gradually and mix until it forms a dough. Place dough on a floured surface and roll out so it’s 1cm thick. Ensure it will fit the length of a 20cm x 30cm baking dish dish once rolled up. Spread jam over dough, roll up and place into greased baking dish.
Mix the water, sugar, butter and lemon zest together before pouring over the roll. Bake for about 45 minutes in a moderate 180°C oven until golden brown. We serve this hot with ice cream on the side.
Easy plum jam
I like to make plum jam using red-fleshed varieties as it gives the jam a rich colour. I grow Hawera plums, which are perfect for this recipe.
1kg fresh plums
1kg sugar (I use Chelsea Jam-Setting Sugar)
Remove the stones from plums and cut into small pieces. In a large saucepan, combine chopped plums and sugar and cook over a low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat and boil rapidly for 4 minutes.
Remove from heat, test a small amount on a cold plate (the surface of the jam should wrinkle when a spoon is pushed through it). Spoon into hot, sterilised glass jars and seal.
To sterilise jars, wash them thoroughly, then run through the hottest cycle of your dishwasher, or place in a 100°C oven for 10 minutes. Make sure the jars haven’t cooled down when you pour the hot jam in or they might crack. To sterilise lids, place in boiling water for five minutes.
If you have pretty jars but no lids, you can get sticks of preserving wax in supermarkets and hardware stores. Melt the wax in a double boiler, then pour over the jam until the jar is full. Let the wax set hard and you will have sealed the jam.
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