Cranberry Orange Spice Jam

It's the end of my jam making run, as the holidays are over and the gifts have been given.  I do have one more gift giving occasion in a week or two, and they are all awesome and culinary adventurous folks.  So I went to the leftover fruits and ingredients from the Christmas jam making sessions.  I took what bits and pieces I had and searched the internet on amazing ways to combine them.   Up first, Cranberry/Orange.  I still wanted a holiday taste included so I'm using some spices to compliment the flavors of the fruits.

I started by the recipe listed here, but didn't like the ginger idea, and wanted more spices than the cinnamon.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/11/cranberry-orange-jam-with-crystallized-ginger-recipe.html

So my ingredient list looks like this.

2 oranges

1 package of cranberries (fresh)

2 cups apple juice (or cranberry juice if you have it)

2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice (or you can do 1/2 TBLS of your four favorite)

1 box of pectin

4 1/2 cups of sugar

I followed her idea, cut the oranges, took out the seeds, and put them peel and all into the food processor to grind them into a pulp :)  (marmalade like?)

Did the same with the cranberries and added both fruits to my big jam making pot.

I covered them with juice to cook them, hoping to add more flavor than water alone.

Also included the spices at this time, and simmered the whole thing until the cranberries seemed cooked.  10-12 minutes.

Stir in the pectin and combine, heat to a boil.

Stir in the sugar all at once, combine and heat to a boil.  Pretty much stay with it at this point, you want it to get to a rolling boil but you don't want to burn it on the bottom of your pan. (trust me, the clean up ain't fun)

Once it gets to a hard boil, time it for one minute and turn it off.  If you are a ginger fan, you can add some crystallized ginger here at the end.

Ladle into your jars and complete your usual jamming process.

Beef and Bacon Pie - A Feast of Ice and Fire

Of all the recipes in the book, " A Feast of Ice and Fire", by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel & Sariann Lehrer, I had most been looking forward to the Beef and Bacon Pie... and it did not disappoint.

"Part of  him wanted nothing so much as to hear Bran laugh again, to sup on one of Gage's beef-and-bacon pies, to listen to Old Nan tell her tales of the children of the forest and Florian the Fool." - A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

I got the egg wash all wrong, so it isn't as pretty as it is tastey this time!

As I tend to do, I went a little off recipe for this one.  I liked so much of both recipes in the book (Medieval and Modern variations) that I ended up with something that was a little in the middle.

9-12 strips bacon, diced

1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat

salt and pepper to taste
1 onion diced
1/2 medium potato diced
1 cup diced fruit (prunes, raisins, dates, or any combo)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup beef broth
2-3 tablespoons of flour
2 pastry dough sheets (for 9inch pies)

1) Preheat oven to 375
2) Cook the diced bacon in saucepan over medium heat, until all the fat has run out
 - drain fat and return bacon to the pan.
3) Add to the pan:  Beef, onion, potato, vinegar, fruits and broth
4) Add in the flour and cook on low until the juices form a gravy
5) Turn off heat and let the mixture cool
6) Line the pie tin with one pastry dough and fill it with the meat mixture
7) Add the second pie dough as a lid, trim off excess, pinch closed the edges
8) Brush with egg wash for pretty finish
9) Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown

Onions In Gravy - A Feast of Ice and Fire

Another great recipe worth holding onto from my new cookbook, "A Feast of Ice and Fire" by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer

" Ben Stark laughed. ' As I feared. Ah, well I was younger than you the first time I got truly and sincerely drunk.' He snagged a roasted onion, dripping brown with gravy from a nearby trencher and bit into it. It crunched."  - A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

The onions simmering in the gravy just before they were done.

1 bag of pearl onions (10 oz or so)

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/3 cup apple juice

1 tablespoon of flour

3 cups beef stock

Splash of brandy (optional)

 (I used my bacon bourbon)

Cut half the onions into quarters and set the remaining whole onions aside for now.

Place honey and butter in frying pan and the quartered onions, cooking for about 8 - 10 minutes or until they become golden brown.  Be sure to keep on stirring so that they do not burn

Add the cider in three splashes letting it come up to heat before adding the next splash.

Sprinkle the flour over the pan to make sure it fully incorporates, then add the stock and the reserved whole onions.

Bring this mixture to a simmer, cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Reduce the heat and continue to cook until it reaches your desired consistency.

You can taste it and add additional salt and pepper or the booze at this point.

Lemon Cakes - A Feast of Ice and Fire

in like manner, we had Lemon Cakes after lunch, the recipe came from the book, "A Feast of Ice and Fire" by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel & Sariann Lehrer.

"Later came sweetbreads and pigeon pie and baked apples fragrant with cinnamon and lemon cakes frosted in sugar, but by then Sansa was so stuffed that she could not manage more than two little lemon cakes, as much as she loved them." - A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

This is what was left after lunch was served.

I used the books recipe for "Elizabethan Lemon Cakes" on page 165.  They are a cookie but very cake like, hence the name.

If you follow the directions you get 36 small little cakey-cookies and if you let your boyfriend help he doles them out into about a dozen man sized portions.  This kept them very cake like on the inside which was a hit for our crowd.

The original original recipe came from LUCAYOS COOKBOOK 1690  (not that is not a typo)

The redacted recipe for a modern kitchen thanks to the great authors of my new favorite cook book is as follows.

2 1/2 cups flour (plus more as needed)

2 cups sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Grated zest from 2 lemons

1 egg

2 egg yolks

and for the glaze

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon milk

1) preheat oven to 350 degrees - grease a baking sheet (or two)

2) in large bowl add flour, sugar and cut in the butter.

3) add zest and egg, and egg yolks.

4) mix  - add more flour if needed

5) roll dough into small 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet 

6) Bake for 15 minutes, until tops just begin to turn golden

7) allow to cool for a minute, then move to cooling rack

8) Mix sugar and milk until very smooth, drizzles over the cooled cookies.

Cheese-and-Onion Pie - A Feast of Ice and Fire

Also from the book "A Feast of Ice and Fire" by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel & Sariann Lehrer, I served the an version of the Cheese and Onion Pie for our lunch.

"Moon Boy mounted his stilts and strode around the tables in pursuit of Lord Tyrell's ludicrously fat fool Butterbumps, and the lords and ladies sampled roasted herons and cheese-and-onion pies." - A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

The photo shown here also has the stuffed grape leaves of Dorne on the plate. 

2 medium potatoes (peeled and cut into bite size cubes)
2 medium onions (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
   * original recipe called for an aged cheddar, I had an apple wood smoked cheddar
   * I also encourage trying other tasty aged or smoked cheeses as your taste buds see fit
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Pie dough - 2 rounds
1 egg white for glaze (optional)

1) Preheat oven for 350 degrees
2) boil potatoes 10-15 minutes, drain and set aside
3) boil the onions 2-3 minutes, drain and return to saucepan
4) coat the onions with the flour, add the milk and cream to the pan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes.  (looks like an onion rue at this point)
5) Add potatoes, cheese and cayenne - stir well, season with salt and pepper as needed
6) Line a greased pie tin with one pie dough round, fork the bottom and fill with the goodness
7) brush rim with egg or water and place second pie dough on top
8) trim, and crimp to close the pie dough, make four holes in the center top, brush with egg white
9) bake 35 - 45 minutes or until golden brown, allow to cool to just above room temp before serving

Oatbread - A Feast of Ice and Fire

From my new book "A Feast of Ice and Fire" by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel & Sariann Lehrer, we held a feast for our friends as we watched Season 2 of "Game of Thrones" in a marathon!

Afternoon snack was Oatbread.

"Tyrion listened with half a ear as he sampled seetcorn fritters and hot oactbread baked with bits of date, apple and orange, and gnawed on the ribs of a wild boar" - A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

This recipe makes 2 loaves, we doubled it because we knew we were going to want leftovers.  The 6 of us at the party ate through one loaf in the afternoon and another loaf at dinner.

1 1/c cups warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons of dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 1/2 -3 cups all purpose flour  (or oat flour?)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp
1/3 cup diced dates
1/3 cup diced candied orange peel
1/3 cup peeled, diced apple
some more rolled oats for topping (optional, but it makes the presentation)

1) combine warm water, yeast and honey in a large mixing bowl
2) let it sit for 5 minutes until it become bubbly, that is the yeast doing it's thing
3) Add oats, 1 cup flour, salt and butter.  Stir until completely combined.
4) add the fruits and work into the mixture until they are distributed evenly
5) gradually add in the rest of the flour until it becomes a cohesive mass of dough
6) flour your working surface, and turn the dough out onto it, kneeding for 8  minutes
* when you poke it and it bounces back, you are done
7) grease a large bowl, place the dough in it, cover with a clean dish towel to store in a warm place until it has doubled in size.
8) Then punch it down, divide it in half and form into two round loaves.
9) wet the tops with a little water and sprinkle with the optional rolled oats.
10) lightly score the tops with a X shape
11) place loaves on baking sheet, cover with clean towel and sit for an hour (they should double in size again)
12) Preheat over to 400 degrees
13) bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown


Serve with butter, or jams (appletini in thyme worked well)

Sunday Morning Mimosa Jam

I found the inspiration recipe here

http://www.recipelink.com/mf/20/3829

with a little help from my friend Nonne... I decided to change it up and add a few things!

1 Cup Champagne (I bought the small bottle so I wouldn't be tempted to drink the rest while cooking)

1 Cup Orange Juice

1 Cup Pineapple Juice (thanks for the tip Nonne)

1 Cup Orange pulp ( the pieces of one orange in a food processor)

1 Orange peel, diced (thanks again to the food processor)

All this goodness into a pot (whatever you like best for making your jam)

bring to a boil

add 1 box pectin

bring to a boil

add 4 1/2 cups sugar

bring to a boil that will not stir down, time at this stage for 1 minute (stirring constantly)

remove from heat and follow normal canning processes!

Kiwi Strawberry Daiquiri Jam

So by now you must be wondering what kind of crazy drunk lady I must be...

Well the truth is I don't drink, well not very often and never very much.

I just thought that cocktail inspired jams would make a great gift basket to donate to events I go to.

And now on with the show...

I began (as always) with the work of some one else, I mean really, why reinvent the wheel.

So I started with this recipe...

http://www.food.com/recipe/kiwi-strawberry-daiquiri-jam-227481

And here's what I ended up with as my recipe:

1 Cup kiwi peeled and crushed (I used about 6 large kiwi and put them in my food processor)

1 lb frozen strawberries crushed (thawed and put in food processor)

1 Cup pineapple juice

1/3 Cup lime juice

1/2 Cup rum ( I used the last of my Dragonberry Bacardi and the rest with pineapple rum)

throw it all in your jam pot, bring to boil

add one box pectin

boil

add 3 cups sugar

bring to that very special boil that will not go away (even when you stir it)

stir this for at least 1 minute

when it reaches your favorite jamming consistency (you can just the plate method or if you know what the bubbles should look like, or you just want to go for the 1 minute timer) then you remove from heat and fill your jars, and do your canning thing!

I hope you all enjoy this installment of jamming my butt off :)

Pina Colada Jam

As always I start with some one else's brilliant idea, but this time I don't have the link back to where it all began. :(

So here's my notes on my finished product.

3 Cups crushed pineapple - I used can to be easy about it, Dole 20 oz can (needed a little more than one can)

1 Cup crushed orange - I had one giant orange, disected it and put it in the food processor, I might used canned orange next time to see if it makes things easier (and cleaner)

the rind of one orange chopped - again my friend the food processor saved the day

1/2 cup coconut - the original recipe did not specify - liquid, flaked, ? I found this cool coconut product at the BevMo, try your local alcohol warehouse store in the mixers section

1 cup rum - I used pineapple, ( I must note this is MUCH more than the original recipe called for, but since the above mentioned coconut stuff was pretty thick, I figured more liquid couldn't hurt)

bring these ingredients to a boil,

add 1 box pectin

bring to a boil that will not stir down,

add 4 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup honey

bring back to that pesky boil that will not stir down

keep stirring as it boils about 1 minute

remove from heat and process as usual with the jarring of the jam, etc.

Since this is now my 4th jam/jelly recipe in a month, I think I should take a minute to note this special tip:

after you are done with kitchen pots, pans, utensils etc that have jam all over them, soak them immediately. you really don't want to find these dirty dishes a day later with jam caked and dried on !!!

Appletini in Thyme Jam

Inspired by this drink

http://www.oprah.com/food/Apple-and-Thyme-Martini-Recipe

and my experience making this jam

http://seraphinasspread.blogspot.com/2012/03/mojito-jelly.html

I embarked on an adventure for yet another cocktail jam/jelly.

1 Cup water

1/2 Cup Vodka (green apple smirnoff is nice)

bunch of Thyme

put the first three ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let cool 15-20 minutes

1 Cup Apple Juice

1 Cup diced apples

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 Cup apple liquer?

add the next ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil

1 box pectin

3 cups sugar

add the pectin, bring to a boil you can not stir down

add the sugar, bring back up to a boil, when you can't stir down the boil, stir for another 1 minute

remove from heat and process as you would any other jam/jelly

Mojito Jelly

I began with this recipe as my inspiration...

http://robbingpeter.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/mojito-mojo/

My version:

1 Cup water

1/2 Cup Pineapple Rum (it is what I had around)

bunch of mint (remove stems, tear leaves up a bit)

First three ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, remove from heat and let cool 15+ minutes

1 Cup fresh squeezed lime juice (10-12 limes)

2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 Tablepoon additional rum (or more)

a few drops green food coloring

add next three ingredients bring to a boil that you can not stir down

1 box pectin

3 Cups sugar

add the pectin and bring back to a boil you can not stir down

add the sugar and bring back to a boil you can not stir down

continue stirring at this boil for 1 minute

remove from heat and follow your regular canning procedures

Bacon Jam

I've been in love with making jam and jelly since about October of 2011. (GWW to be exact)

I've loved onion jam, and savory blueberry jam as much as, if not more than strawberry margarita and dutch apple.

So my next jam adventure: BACON JAM

I began searching through recipe after recipe until I found one that I thought would agree with me.

http://www.food.com/recipe/bacon-jam-463068#ixzz1q4042wNN

I followed it almost entirely....

1 lb bacon, (cooked in the oven for about 20 minutes at 375) then chopped into pieces

4 garlic cloves minced

1/2 large yellow onion sliced

4 tablespoons brown sugar

a few dashes of chipotle Tabasco sauce (although many other recipes called for Siracha)

1 cup brewed coffee

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup

and the extra water

I followed directions from the original recipe:

cooked the bacon

sauteed the onions and garlic

added back the cut up bacon - with the rest of the ingredients (minus the water)

simmered for the 2 hours, adding water along the way

I cooled the mixture and then added it to my food processor in two batches

...

but here is where I was perplexed....

1) this was a lot of effort and only a few tiny jars of "jam" would result

and

2) this was nothing like jam... no pectin... no sugar... no jamming process at all.

So I took this spread and added into to my favorite jam pot.

added in a splash more apple cider vinegar

a splash more balsamic vinegar

and 3 cups apple cider or apple juice

bring to boil

add pectin, stir, bring to boil

add sugar, stirring constantly until boils, continue 1 minute more

then do your jamming process as usual.

the taste testers in the house at the time of completion liked it, but mentioned it could stand to have a stronger bacon flavor...

things to consider....

a) I got rid of as much bacon grease as I could in the interest of healthy arteries... you could leave some in, or cook the onions in it as suggested in the recipe I started from.

b) use less apple cider (apple juice) and sugar in the final jamming cooking.

overall a nice first attempt and all 11 mini jars will be donated to the St Jude's tournament at Allied Gardens on 3/25/2012... but if it rains and the event is cancelled, they may find their way to another good cause near you!