Jam Jar Trifles

Jam Jar Trifles are one of those great summertime mason jar desserts that is not only delicious but very quick and easy to make as well! It is also very adaptable.
You can use any summer fruit in it or combination thereof. Today I have used fresh strawberries because it is the beginning of strawberry season here in Nova Scotia, my favorite time of year!

I am one of those people who only eats things like strawberries while they are in season. I have occasionally eaten them out of season, but the disappointment in flavor is hardly worth the expense!
Right now the local markets and shops are filling with them and we are eating our fill of them while the opportunity it there!
The nice thing about these, aside from their ease of preparation and deliciousness, is that they are adaptable to whatever fruit you happen to have in season!

Fresh berries are mixed together with a small bit of jam to sweetened and make a kind of a sauce, and then layered together in jars with store bought pound/madeira cake and a lush lemon cream!
These go together so quickly and there is no need to put the oven on, which makes for the ideal summertime dessert.
You can also make them several hours ahead of time, so you can layer them up, cover and chill until serve time. I do not recommend making them anymore than a few hours ahead.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE JAM JAR TRIFLES

Very simple store cupboard and fresh ingredients. You also need six straight sided jam jars or glasses to set them up in.You will need:

2 cups summer fruits (sliced strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, sliced peaches, etc.)
4 TBS jam, loosened with a fork (type depends on the fruit you use)
1 slab of pound cake (in the UK Madeira cake)
6 straight sided jam jars or glasses

For the lemon cream:

1 cup (240ml) heavy or whipping cream
4 TBS good quality lemon curd

To finish:

a small quantity of whipped heavy or whipping cream to garnish (can use squirty cream)
grated lemon zest (optional)
mint or lemon balm sprigs to garnish (optional)

Today I use fresh strawberries and the last of my sister's homemade strawberry jam from last year. Oh so delicious.
You don't need to limit yourself to strawberries however. You can use any kind of soft fruit that you like and enjoy, along with a corresponding flavor of jam.
Some other options are: Blueberries, blueberry jam. Raspberries, raspberry jam. Blackberries, blackberry jam. Black or red currants and currant jelly. Peaches or apricots, peach jam, etc.

I can promise you all are delicious.

You could of course make your own cake for this, but we are talking about a quick and easy dessert here, so I like to use pound cake that I buy at the shops and slice into half inch slices.
In the UK, the equivalent of pound cake is Madeira cake. I suppose you could really shake things up and use a Jamaican ginger cake with blueberries or black berries, but I think that pound cake has a pretty simple flavor that goes with anything.

You can make your own lemon curd for this of course, but again, for the sake of ease, I have used a good quality ready made lemon curd. There are some really good ones out there.
By double or whipping cream I mean heavy full fat cream.

HOW TO MAKE JAM JAR TRIFLES
Nothing could be easier. I promise you. These are so delicious they are bound to become a firm favorite it your repertoire of summer desserts!

First make the lemon cream. Pour the cream into a chilled bowl. Add the lemon curd. Whip with an electric whisk until thickened and soft peaks form. Cover and chill.To prepare the fruit, slice any berries that need slicing. Measure the fruit into a bowl and stir together with the jam. (For strawberries, use strawberry jam. Blueberries, blueberry jam. Raspberries, raspberry jam. Blackberries, blackberry jam. Peaches or apricots, peach jam, etc.)Cut the pound cake into 1/2 inch thick slices. Using a jam jar cut circles out of the cake the circumference of the jars. You will need two slices for each jar.

If you are whipping your own cream to top, don't do this until just before you are ready to serve.

To assemble, place one cake round in the bottom of each jar. Top with a layer of berries, then a layer of the lemon cream. Repeat layers to fill jar, ending with lemon cream and a small dollop of berries on top.Cover and chill until serving time. When ready to serve add a dollop of whipped cream and some lemon zest (if using). Garnish or not with mint or lemon balm leaves. Serve immediately and enjoy!

And there you have it! A really simple, quick and easy summer dessert that everyone it sure to love! Your family and guests will think you slaved all day.
Nobody need to really know how quick and easy they were to make. That can be our little secret! Stand back and take a bow!

If you are looking for quick and easy summer desserts you might be interested in these ones as well:
EASY BLACKBERRY AND LEMON DESSERTS - All you need for these are a few simple things. Berries, water, sugar, Greek Yogurt, cream, lemon curd and some crisp meringues. Easy peasy. Not a lot of sugar either. Only 2 TBS, which is quite reasonable. QUICK AND EASY BANANA PUDDING - You basically only need a few things. Bananas. Vanilla Pudding. Vanilla Wafer Cookies. Whipped Cream. Layer up and enjoy! NO BAKE CHEESECAKE - A delicious doddle if you use a ready made graham cracker crust. We like to enjoy ours with cherry pie filling spooned over top. Simple and really tasty!

Yield: 6Author: Marie RaynerPrep time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 MinLayered with plenty of delicious flavors and textures, these simple easy desserts make a great option for a quick and easy summer dessert! These are layered in straight sided jam jars, but you can layer them in any pretty straight sided clear glass or jar. These go together very quickly and can be made several hours ahead of time and chilled until you are ready to serve them.

Ingredients

You will need:

2 cups summer fruits (sliced strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, sliced peaches, etc.)
4 TBS jam, loosened with a fork (type depends on the fruit you use)
1 slab of pound cake (in the UK Madeira cake)
6 straight sided jam jars or glasses

For the lemon cream:

1 cup (240ml) heavy or whipping cream
4 TBS good quality lemon curd

To finish:

a small quantity of whipped heavy or whipping cream to garnish (can use squirty cream)
grated lemon zest (optional)
mint or lemon balm sprigs to garnish (optional)

Instructions

First make the lemon cream. Pour the cream into a chilled bowl. Add the lemon curd. Whip with an electric whisk until thickened and soft peaks form. Cover and chill.
To prepare the fruit, slice any berries that need slicing. Measure the fruit into a bowl and stir together with the jam. (For strawberries, use strawberry jam. Blueberries, blueberry jam. Raspberries, raspberry jam. Blackberries, blackberry jam. Peaches or apricots, peach jam, etc.)
Cut the pound cake into 1/2 inch thick slices. Using a jam jar cut circles out of the cake the circumference of the jars. You will need two slices for each jar.
If you are whipping your own cream to top, don't do this until just before you are ready to serve.
To assemble, place one cake round in the bottom of each jar. Top with a layer of berries, then a layer of the lemon cream. Repeat layers to fill jar, ending with lemon cream and a small dollop of berries on top.
Cover and chill until serving time. When ready to serve add a dollop of whipped cream and some lemon zest (if using). Garnish or not with mint or lemon balm leaves. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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