Put it in a Jar

by Pastry Chef Lesley Moore

I love jars. I love them small, tall, wide, narrow, with lids, handles, or without…

Jars can attractively display anything- flowers, spices, kitchen staples such as flour, sugar and salt, dry pasta, iced tea, salad dressing, candles…the possibilities are endless.

However, my favorite way to utilize and enjoy jars is for baking and serving desserts. Anything that can be baked in a tin, cake pan or glass casserole dish can also be baked in a jar.

It is a common misconception that jars will easily break in the oven. Jars that are made for canning easily withstand heat up to 400 degrees in a standard oven. The most popular brands of canning jars are Ball, Mason and Kerr. They can be found at most supermarkets or hardware stores this time of year.

My most recent jar dessert at Café Louise was a summer picnic Chocolate Meringue Pie. The same steps are used as with any pie. I press the crust in the bottom of the jar, bake, add the chocolate filling and broil the top with a mile-high meringue!

Whatever favorite dessert recipe I enjoy making, serving or eating, I put it in a jar. I choose the jar based on both the event and the dessert going in it. I like to use a fancier jar filled with something like a rich Crème Brulee or a delectable Flourless Chocolate Cake for a seated dinner. For a backyard get-together, I like a jar with a handle filled with anything from a stacked Strawberry Shortcake to Old Fashioned Apple Pie.

If dessert is on your summer time menu, put in a jar! Or call Café Louise and let us do it for you.