Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

  
     This cookie needs few words. Buttery tender almond shortbread that practically melts in your mouth. Bright sweet-tart raspberry jam filling the center, contributing a bit of contrast in taste and texture. These are first to disappear from the cookie tray. Most requested at my house. Needs few ingredients and easy to prepare. Make some for a friend. Make some for yourself. You'll both be happy. Need I say more?

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints
Recipe from Land O Lakes

Cookie Ingredients
1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam (or your favorite flavor)

Glaze Ingredients
1 cup confectioners sugar
2-3 tsp. water (more if needed to get desired consistency)
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

Directions

• Combine butter, sugar and 1/2 tsp. almond extract in mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.
• Add flour, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.
• Cover, and refrigerate until firm- at least one hour. (Cookies will spread more if dough is not chilled.)
• Preheat oven to 350F
• Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on parchment covered baking sheets.
• Make indentation in the center of each cookie with your thumb. (I used the handle of a wooden spoon.)
• Fill each indentation with 1/4 tsp. of jam.
• Bake 14-18 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute on cookie sheet and then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Whisk together glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

Very Berry Jam - Make Your Biscuits Smile!

     Blackberries are finally ripe for the picking in our parts, and I didn't waste time getting to my favorite little berry patch to pick some of those deep purple gems. There were a few raspberries left hanging on the canes as well- right next door to the blackberries- and they just happened to find their way into my mouth basket when I wasn't looking.  I love picking berries, especially when there are no thorns to contend with. And I love making jam. If you've never had homemade jam, you don't know what you're missing. One taste of this sweet and tart delight on your biscuit or toast will definitely spoil you- you'll never want the store bought kind again.

     I picked several quarts and headed home with berry stained fingers and my tooth set for some delicious, berry jam! Jam just makes a biscuit smile, and this jam is the easiest ever. It's really more of a method than a recipe, and you can easily adapt it to whatever (and however many) berries you have. No pectin needed- just berries, lemon juice and sugar. You can make a big batch and can it, or if you just want to make a little bit you can store it in your refrigerator for a couple of weeks- if it lasts that long!

Very Easy Very Berry Jam
Ingredients:
Berries- I used a mixture of Blackberries and Raspberries
Lemon juice- I used 1 Tablespoon for every cup of berry juice/pulp
sugar- I used 1 cup for each cup of juice/pulp.

To make the jam, I used the guidelines for making jam without pectin from the National Center for Home Food Preservation. If you're planning to can your jam, first prepare your jars.

Wash berries and place in a large saucepan. Mash berries and gently heat over low heat (do not boil) to release juice. I heated mine for about five minutes. If you don't want seeds in your jam, you can strain this mixture through a sieve or through several thicknesses of cheesecloth. I like the pulp and a few seeds in my jam so I ran mine through a Foley food mill to remove most- but not all- of the seeds. Measure the juice/pulp and put it into a large pot. (Don't try to cook more than 5-6 cups of juice/pulp in a batch.) Stir in 1 cup of sugar and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice for each cup of juice/pulp.

Bring to a boil and boil rapidly, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Use one of the following methods to determine when your jam is ready.

• Boil until the mixture reaches 220F on a candy thermometer. (See this chart for altitudes other than sea level.)
• Boil until the mixture falls of the spoon in a "sheet" rather than a stream.
• Drop a spoonful of the mixture on a cold plate and put it in the freezer for a few minutes. Take it out and see whether or not it is thick enough. (The jam will thicken as it cools.) 

Remove from heat, skim off foam (if there is any) and pour jam into prepared jars. If you are canning your jam, follow instructions here. If you are not canning your jam, it will keep in your refrigerator for about two weeks.

Luscious Meyer Lemon Curd

 Hubby's been craving lemon curd ever since we he finished the jar my sister gave me for Christmas. We haven't had many sweets here lately, and finding these lovely Meyer lemons on our date night in Wegman's  last night motivated me to remedy that situation. A bit sweeter than an ordinary lemon, Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. (I've been wanting to try them for ages but my local grocery doesn't carry them) I could think of no better way to share their sunshine than with this lovely lemon curd!

And oh, is this lemon curd sweet, tart and delectable- the bright lemon flavor shines! I ate way too much of it just scooped out of the jar with a spoon, but I have plans for whatever is left after my willpower takes effect. I know it's great on English muffins, but I'm thinking of tarts, cupcakes, trifles...the possibilities are endless.

Look at the gorgeous color! That's thanks to my sweet little free range hens and their beautiful eggs. The yolks are such a deep golden color they've spoiled me for run of the mill grocery store eggs.

If you can't find Meyer lemons, just use the regular lemons you can find at your grocery. The curd will still be amazing, and you'll wonder why you waited so long to make it. It's easy to put together, and makes a fabulous versatile spread that's perfect for anything from breakfast to dessert.

Meyer Lemon Curd
adapted from this recipe
Ingredients
juice of 4 Meyer lemons (mine ended up being about 2/3 cup)
6 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
small pinch of salt
1 stick butter, cut into chunks
1 Tablespoon Meyer lemon zest

In a heavy bottomed pan, stir together sugar and egg yolks. Add lemon juice and pinch of salt. Cook (medium heat) and stir constantly with wooden spoon until mixture thickens enough to coat your spoon.  (This takes about 10 minutes. You don't want to cook it too fast or hot, or the eggs will curdle.) Add butter one chunk at a time,and continue to stir until each piece is melted. Pour mixture through a fine strainer and then stir in the lemon zest. Pour into clean jars and store in the refrigerator.  (Keeps two weeks in the refrigerator.)

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Sweet Barbecue Meat Loaf

 Hubs came home the other night with a pound of extra lean ground beef. Do you think maybe it was his way of hinting that he needed a break from the mainly vegetarian fare I've been dishing up lately? While red meat isn't exactly the first thing I think of as being on a heart healthy diet, hubby's cardiologist actually gave it his blessing. Who knew? I found this recipe for meatloaf  (in the American Heart Association Cookbook) that I spiced up just a bit to incorporate ingredients I had on hand.

 The original recipe makes a meatloaf glazed with barbecue sauce, raspberry spread and crushed red pepper flakes. I substituted my Habañero Gold Jelly for the raspberry spread and pepper flakes, and ended up with a sweet spicy glaze that gave the red pepper and onion studded ground beef just enough zip to make it a treat. It was great hot for dinner, but what I'm looking forward to are the meatloaf sandwiches I can make with the leftovers!

Sweet Barbecue Meat Loaf
adapted from The New American Heart Association Cookbook, 8th edition
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (lowest sodium available)
1/4 cup habanero gold jelly* slightly melted
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup uncooked quick-cooking oatmeal
2 egg whites
*the original recipe calls for 1/4 cup all-fruit raspberry spread plus 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. 
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly spray with cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, stir together the barbecue sauce and jelly.
• In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup barbecue sauce mixture and the remaining ingredients. Shape the mixture into an oval and place on baking sheet.
• Spoon the remaining barbecue sauce mixture on the top and sides of the meat loaf.
• Bake for 50 minutes, or until the meat loaf registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. Let the meat loaf stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

This post has been submitted to the Hearth-n-Soul blog hop at Girlichef.

Seedless Blackberry Jam

"Quickberry! Quackberry! Pick me a blackberry!"

 Can you name that book?  It's Jamberry, by Bruce Degen. I only read it hundreds of times when my boys were small. It sure came back to me yesterday when I saw the rows and rows of loaded blackberry canes stretched out in front of me, loaded with plump ripe berries.

Twelve pounds I picked. One dozen pounds of shiny purple berries. And I had a hard time stopping at that! On my way back to my car I kept seeing berries I had missed, berries that I just couldn't leave on the canes. But I did. Just so there would be some left for you. So you could make this.

I picked my berries with the idea of making jam with no added pectin, but when I got home with my gorgeous haul, I read that slightly under-ripe berries were the ones I needed. Not enough pectin in the fully ripe ones. (I guess I should have researched a little bit before hand, but that would have been too logical.)

Looking further, I found a lovely recipe that uses fully ripe berries but adds a little bit of tart apple to supply enough natural pectin. It set perfectly! Not only scrumptious for your morning toast or scones, it would also be a lovely filling for your favorite layer cake or thumbprint cookie.

Seedless Blackberry Jam (no added pectin) printable recipe here
Recipe from Fancy Pantry by Helen Witty, and found on astray recipes
yield: about 6 half pint jars

Ingredients
6 cups ripe blackberries, washed
2 1/2 cup tart apples, coarsely chopped- include skins and cores (I used small "not quite ripe" apples from our tree) The pectin is found mainly in the skin and the core of the apples.
1 cup water
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I doubled this)
5 cups sugar (approximately)

Directions

• Prepare jars and lids (per manufacturer's instructions) for canning- 6 half pints

• Put half of the blackberries in a large pot and crush with a potato masher. Add the rest of the berries and crush. Add apple pieces and water to the crushed berries.

• Cook mixture over medium heat until apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Stir often to prevent sticking. You may add another 1/2 cup of water if the mixture gets too thick.

• Once fruit is very soft, run through a food mill or press through a fine sieve, using a large spoon or spatula. Discard the skins and seeds that are left.

• Rinse out your pot. Measure the fruit pulp and put it back into the pot. You should have about 5 cups.

• Add enough lemon juice to make the mixture pleasantly tart. Heat over medium high heat, dissolving sugar.

• Increase heat and cook rapidly, stirring often. Cook until mixture reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the mixture falls in a sheet off of your spoon. You can also try putting some of the mixture onto a cold dish to see if it is jelling.

•  Once mixture is ready, remove from heat and ladle into hot prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headroom at the top of each jar. Position lids and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

• Remove from boiling water bath and set aside to cool and seal.

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Strawberry Jam With a Twist

It would have been a shame to waste a perfectly good sundae, wouldn't it? Seriously. Somebody had to eat it before it melted and before I knew it my spoon was scraping the bottom. What was so special about it? It was the strawberry jam made with fresh strawberries and a touch of balsamic vinegar.

I was looking for something to make with the strawberries I picked this past weekend, and found this recipe for jam on Savory Sweet Life. I don't usually attempt jam on a week night, but this recipe looked so quick and easy I couldn't resist. There was no pectin to worry about, and since it made a small batch, there was no need to sterilize or seal jars. It made just enough to put in my refrigerator to enjoy all week.

Treat yourself to some of this now that strawberries are in season. You'll be so spoiled you won't even want the stuff from the grocery store again. The good thing is, this recipe is so quick and easy you won't need the stuff from the grocery store again! If adding balsamic vinegar to your jam seems a bit too risky for you, this recipe works just as well with lemon juice instead. Whichever you choose, it will be sure to add a bright spot to your day.

Strawberry Jam with Balsamic Vinegar 
recipe slightly adapted from Savory Sweet Life
Ingredients
2 cups chopped strawberries (packed into measuring cup)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar or lemon juice
Directions
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir together strawberries, sugar and balsamic vinegar (or lemon juice) until boiling. Boil, stirring occasionally until your mixture reaches 220 degrees, or until thick and syrupy. (Mine took about 20 minutes.) Pour into a glass jar and refrigerate. Delicious cold or warmed on biscuits, french toast, waffles or ice cream. (Or whatever else that can be made more delicious with some strawberry goodness.)

Some Like it Hot!

                                                                   Habanero Gold Jelly
Jelly, that is. I meant to make this in August, when the habanero peppers were at their sizzling peak at my brother's produce stand. But I didn't. I meant to make it again in November, right after I used my very last jar. But the peppers I bought for it slowly disintegrated in my vegetable bin, forgotten behind a head of cabbage. This time however, I was determined to follow through...those neglected peppers were calling me, and I'm so glad I listened this time!
Since I made it last weekend, I've eaten it almost every day. (Trying to make up for lost time?) This jelly (more of a jam, really) is superb over cream cheese on toasts or crackers. Its sweet/savory combination of apricots, peppers, and red onions also makes an unforgettable glaze for pork or chicken. It's a great jelly to make in the winter...the habaneros will warm you right up!

Habanero Gold Jelly
(printable recipe)

1/3 cup finely sliced dried apricots
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup finely diced sweet red pepper
1/4 cup finely diced habanero peppers, including seeds (omit the seeds and membranes if you're a wimp you prefer a milder heat)
3 cups granulated sugar
1 pouch Certo liquid pectin

• Cut apricots into 1/8 inch slices. (I dice these slices as well.) Measure into a large deep stainless steel saucepan with vinegar; let stand 4 hours.
• Individually, cut onion and peppers into 1/8 inch slices; cut slices into 1/4 inch dice. Measure each ingredient; add to apricots.
• Stir in sugar.
• Over high heat, bring to full rolling boil. Stirring constantly, boil hard for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Immediately stir in pectin, mixing well.
• Pour jelly into hot jars, dividing solids equally among jars and filling each jar to within 1/4 inch of top rim. Wipe rims. Apply lids.
• Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Cool upright, until lids pop down, about 30 minutes.
• When lids are concave, but the jelly is still hot, carefully grasp jar without disturbing lid and invert, twist, or rotate each jar to distribute solids throughout the jelly. The jar can be inverted temporarily but do not allow it to stand upside-down for prolonged periods. Repeat as necessary during the cooling/setting time, until solids remain suspended in the jelly.