It Ain't Too Much for Me to Jam

Tea with jam, jam and bread.. or cake, whatever...

I've been really wanting to make a jam-based culinary treat for a couple of weeks now. I don't know, there's something so warming and wholesome and perfect for winter about a warm, jammy cake. And after the sparkle of Christmas is but a distant memory, and yet it's still bone-chillingly cold outside and the warmth of the sun on your skin seems such a long way away, a few baked treats are just what you want to cheer the winter melancholy. Plus, you know, we've got pantloads of Grandad's jam to use up before it goes bad...

But after Roly-Poly-Gate when everything went terribly wrong, I had to regroup and find a recipe for something less complicated.  You know, a recipe that doesn't demand that I know the difference between length-ways and width-ways and other "rocket science" details such as that.
To inspire me and get my confidence back that I could actually produce something with jam in it that would look and taste like it's supposed to, I dug out my copy of Michael Jackson's Dangerous album, and spent a good hour or so dancing along to (I'm sure you know where this is going) track numero uno on repeat... Jam:

Remember when Michael Jackson was the coolest thing on the planet? Ahh, good times..

On the fifth repeat, it was then that I realised: you know what? It bloody ain't too much for me to jam, Michael, you're so right! Man, that guy is wise, have you ever listened to his lyrics? It's good stuff guys. Except for Blood on the Dancefloor. What the hell that's about is anyone's guess...

And so I took another look in Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer, and decided upon Mary Poppins' "Strike-Me-Pink!" Raspberry Jam Cakes.

...And this was just my portion. Oh, you think I'm kidding..

Despite my apprehensions in my baking ability, I managed to carry out the very easy instructions, and they turned out exactly as Jane described in the book: light enough so that you can eat large quantities as Mary Poppins has a large appetite (yeah, I tested that out); small enough so that they can be eaten in two or three dainty bites as Mary Poppins is, well, dainty; 

There's nothing that isn't improved with jam in the middle: TRUST

And, all the jam is contained in the middle, so you don't get your fingers sticky. Mary Poppins never got sticky fingers. That would never do.

I don't mind so much about that though. All I care about is that it ain't too much for me to jam... uh-huh shamawn.. hee-hoooo