Jellies and Jams in the Pastry Kitchen

Jellies and jams are frequently used in the pastry kitchen: Jams serve as fillings for cakes, cookies, and sweet pastries. Jellies are used for glazes, charlottes, and mousses. Raspberry and apricot jams and, infrequently, sour cherry and black currant jams as well as finely cut citrus marmalades are the most important jams for pastry making. The recommended jams and jellies for use in cake making are those that are high-quality, firm-textured, and redolent of the base-fruit flavor. Inexpensive mixes will result in an unpleasant, sweet-sour taste, runny texture, and unusable end product. If a commercial product is loose, it can be thickened by cooking it over low heat until the desired consistency is reached.