DIY Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea

This Mother’s Day, why not treat your Mum to something really special with a homemade Afternoon Tea?  Folláin Traditional Irish Jams, an Irish company who have been producing fresh fruit Jams, Marmalades, Relishes, Salsas and Chutneys for over thirty years in West Cork, have created a simple and beautiful Afternoon Tea menu using their No-Added Sugar Range.

BITE SIZED SMOKED SALMON ROULADE WITH FOLLÁIN CUCUMBER PICKLE
The bite-sized Smoked Salmon Roulade served with tangy Folláin Cucumber Pickle look as good as they taste! Cut small rectangles (12 x 13 inches) of 8 oz good quality smoked salmon and spread a thin layer of the Cucumber Pickle on top. Mix 8 oz cream cheese with 3 spring onions finely sliced and some freshly ground black pepper. Carefully roll each rectangle into a thin sausage and pop into the fridge, the roulades can be made the night before, and are best served with a wedge of lemon.

MINI TUNA MELTS WITH FOLLÁIN NO ADDED SUGAR TOMATO RELISH
Avoid filling up before dessert with these miniature tuna melts! Mix 1 can of flaked tuna with 2 finely chopped spring onions and 50g of grated cheddar cheese. Add a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise and 2 heaped tea-spoons of Folláin No Added Flame Grilled Pepper Relish and mix everything together. Spoon the mixture over crusty wholemeal baguettes which have been torn into bit size pieces. Place in a pre-heated oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the fiery filling is hot!

MOZZARELLA & FOLLÁIN TOMATO RELISH TARTLETS
With store bought pastry, this dish is easy-peasy, but absolutely yummy! Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6 and line 6 tart tins (about 10cm across) with pastry and prick the bases. Line with parchment and baking beans (or uncooked rice or peas) and bake for 10 minutes or until the pastry starts to brown, lift out the parchment and bake for another 5 minutes or until the pastry is crisp, dried and cooked. Place 2 teaspoons of Folláin No Added Sugar Tomato Relish in each cooked pastry case and place a slice of mozzarella cheese on top.  Put the tarts back in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and bubbles.

DROP SCONES WITH NO ADDED SUGAR FOLLÁIN RASPBERRY JAM
These sweet little pancakes are the perfect substitution for traditional Afternoon Tea crumpets. Sift 100g of self-raising flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder into a bowl, then add 15g of coconut blossom sugar, a pinch of salt and stir to mix. Make a well in the centre, crack in an egg and whisk, gradually drawing in the flour from the edge.  Add 125 ml of milk gradually, whisking all the time, to form a smooth batter. Lightly grease a frying pan with a drop of sunflower oil and warm it over a moderate heat.  Drop 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan, keeping them well apart so they don’t stick together.  Cook for about 2 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface and begin to burst and the scones are golden underneath. Flip them over and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes until golden on this side too. Remove from the pan and serve warm with real butter and Folláin No Added Sugar Raspberry Jam.

FRUIT & FOLLÁIN STRAWBERRY CREAM FILLED VOL-AU-VENTS
Your mum will love this twist on the pastry treats! Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6. Glaze the empty vol au vent cases with a beaten egg, sprinkle with coconut blossom sugar and cook for 10 minutes until golden.  Combine 10 fresh strawberries with whipped cream and 2 teaspoons of Folláin No Added Sugar Strawberry Jam. Once cool, fill the vol-au-vents with the Folláin Strawberry Cream and top with fresh hulled strawberries, and torn leaves of sweet basil.

THE FOLLÁIN MESS
These individual Eton Mess style treats look extra cute when served in small jam jars, it also only takes ten minutes to prepare, so you can spend the extra time pampering mum throughout the day! Wash and slice a handful of strawberries. Whisk 200ml of double cream, and stir in 4 tbsp of Folláin No Added Sugar Strawberry Jam. Spoon a layer of the Strawberry cream into your empty jam jars, then add a layer of crumbled meringue, topped with a layer of the fresh strawberries. Repeat the steps until the jam jars are full, and finish with a sprig of mint.

A ROYAL TEA…
To give your mum the royal treatment, finish your DIY Afternoon Tea with a glass of something bubbly!
ROSEMARY AND GRAPEFUIT SPRITZER
Muddle a heaped teaspoon of Folláin No Added Grapefruit Jam with a sprig of fresh rosemary, 4 or 5 strips of grapefruit zest, and ½ cup of good quality blood orange juice in a bowl. Chill for up to 4 hours. For extra charm, make ice-cubes using edible flowers. To serve, pour the grapefruit and rosemary blend over the flower petal ice-cubes in a wine glass. Fill the glass up to about one third, and then top with sparkling wine and garnish with fresh rosemary – refreshing!

Folláin features three different ranges, including; Folláin Extra Fruit Traditional Irish Preserves, Folláin No Added Sugar Preserves andFolláin No Added Sugar or Salt Relishes. The ranges are available from leading supermarkets and independent retailers nationwide, log onto Follain.ie for more information.
Folláin products contain no artificial ingredients, no colourings, no flavourings, no preservatives, no additives and no GM ingredients. They are also fat free, gluten free and suitable for vegetarians. The fruit is meticulously hand prepared and cooked in kitchen style conditions but with the highest level of quality control assured each step of the way.  All Folláin products are then vacuum sealed in premium glass jars for maximum freshness.
For more information on the full range of Folláin products and to get some great recipe ideas, log onto www.follain.ie , or like the Facebook.com/FollainIrishPreserves or follow the conversation on @FollainJams.