Fresh from the Oven: Carrot Cake Jam

Hey Everyone!
Continuing with my canning, I came across this recipe from the Aska Lodge in Georgia, and I had to try it.  I mean, I love carrot cake, especially when it has pineapple in it, so I was drooling over the idea of a jam with similar flavors.

One of the best parts of this recipe is that the ingredients are so inexpensive, and it makes a decent amount.  To get the required 2 cups of carrots, I shredded 3 large carrots.  For the apples, I chopped 2 good sized Golden Delicious and had plenty.  I was extra careful when I cored and chopped my apples that no pieces of the hard core were left.  I would have prefered to cut up another apple than to bit into nasty core in my jam.

The whole process was quite quick.  The recipe calls for a small saucepan, and I did use my medium sized one.  I was afraid that my "small" was too small.  Good decision on my part, as I almost had to go up to the large one to fit everything in. 

Most of the time is spent simmering the apples, carrots and pineapple.  That gave me a chance to clean up the mess I made from all of the shredding and chopping. 

Once you add the sugar, spices and pectin, it smells heavenly!!!  It took a lot out of me to not start lapping the bowl right then and there!!

The recipe made 4 1/2- oz freezer jars worth of jam.  It says it doesn't set 100%, so this is more of a spread than a jam.  I put all of my jars in the fridge for now and I am going to freeze, and give away, the full jars.

Hannah and I sampled a bit of the warm jam and it was so yummy!!  I think next time I'll use actual pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices.  I found the cloves to be a bit strong for my taste and I'm hoping they'll be a bit more mellow in the pre-mixed version.

All in all, a keeper!!!

Happy Canning!!

Sharon

Fresh from the Oven: Evans Cherry Jam

Hello All-

It is that time of year...canning season!!!  I haven't canned much in the past few years, with my big halt taking place when I was pregnant with Hannah.  When we lived in Maine, I was "in charge" of making my Memere's Piccalilli each year for my family.  (Someday I'll share the story of the recipe and how I ended up being the only one with it)  The only problem is that it requires hours of simmering green tomatoes and vinegar in what then was my uber-tiny kitchen.  If you know me in real life, you know that I am not a big fan of vinegar, and having morning sickness and having to smell it in my home was not a good combination.  So, I packed up my pot and jars for another time.  Then we moved to Canada and though I missed it, I hadn't busted out my supplies.  I think the altitude difference worried me and I didn't want anyone getting sick from my creations. 

Fast forward to this summer.  We planted an Evans Cherry tree a few years ago and we had quite a bit of fruit this year.  I didn't want to waste it, so Hannah and I picked the good ones and left a few for the birds. 

I was pretty happy, our 4 year old tree produced about a pound and a half of quality cherries.  Not bad in my book! 

I scoured the Internet for a jam recipe and was having a really hard time.  Finally, I came across this one on the blog, Food on the Food.  It was for a small batch, which was perfect for what I had. 

My only complaint was that I busted out all of my canning supplies, optimistically thinking that I would have more jam than I could eat before we move.  Instead, I only got two jars out of the batch.  It is my own fault...I can't expect a small amount of cherries to transform into gallons of jam.  Had I been more realistic, I would have simply put the jam into freezer jars and called it a day.  Oh well.  Live and learn. 

Hannah and I tried the jam today and it is quite tart.  I think it will be yummy on a sweeter bread.  Though I only got a small amount of jam, I am so happy that I was able to preserve something form our yard! 

Happy Canning!!

Sharon

Fresh from the Oven: Sopapilla Cheesecake

Hey Everyone!!

Man, I have been awful about blogging this summer!!  Between selling the house, having hubby 3 hours away and therefor being on "Mommy Duty" 24/7, I have been pretty drained!!  I'd love to say that free time is opening up in my schedule, but now that the house is sold, we are flooded with moving "stuff" and house hunting.  I can't wait until we are all settled in one city, as a family, in a new home.

Anyways, now that the house is officially sold, I can start trashing my kitchen again!!!  No more quick clean up projects in case of last minute showings.

The first creation Hannah and I made to celebrate being able to fully use the kitchen was Sopapilla Cheesecake.  I saw a photo of this on Pinterest, big surprise, and I had to try it.  I had never heard of it, though in the last week a friend of mine in Texas was making the same thing.  Man, have I been missing out!!

The recipe is quite simple, Pillsbury crescent rolls, cream cheese, sugar, butter, and cinnamon.  That's it!!  And I must say, this dessert is not only addicting, I put it in the dangerous category!!!  I ate so much one night that I actually felt ill!!  (Good ill, as in, I ate more the next day!!)

After making it, I do have a few tips...

First, keep your crescent dough cold right up until you are ready to use it.  Once it starts heating up, it gets gummy and hard to work with.

Next. you could cut back a bit on the cream cheese.  I used 2 full bricks, but it would be just as good with a touch less.  Just be sure that you scale back on the sugar.

I used my food processor to mix the cream cheese vanilla and sugar.  It did a great job whipping it all up so it was super easy to spread.

I used a 9x12 pan.  It worked nicely...I would use this one again for sure!!

The amount of butter that it calls for is way too much!!  You could easily cut the amount in half and still have plenty. 

I baked mine for 20 minutes even and it came out perfect!!

A reader of the blog I saw this recipe posted on suggested making a banana/rum mixture for the top.  As I was eating it, I thought that some apples would go really well with it.  Maybe next time...

This is great hot or cold!!  I put it in the fridge after we ate half sampled it out of the oven.  Hannah liked it warm, so 10 seconds in the microwave did the trick. 

Be sure to invite lots of friends over to help you eat this!!  Hannah and I ended up eating all of it and my waistline will never forgive me!!

I plan on making this many more times.  It was easy and so delicious!!!  A perfect combination in my mind!

Happy Baking!!
Sharon

Fresh From the Oven: Homemade Pasta

Hello All-

As I have said in other posts, my KitchenAid mixer is my best friend in the kitchen.  Despite the amount of use that it gets, I still didn't feel that I was using it at its full potential.  You see, we have some attachments for the mixer and I had never even taken them out of the box!!  One is a sausage stuffer, and since meats fall into hubby territory, he's responsible for dusting that off this summer. 

Another attachment we had was the food grinder/pasta maker.  I put aside the grinder attachment for now (that's going to get lots of use come St. Patrick's Day...I love me some hash!!) and I decided to take the plunge into pasta making.  The attachment that we have allows you to make noodles of various sizes and macaroni.  I decided to try egg noodles, since I had planned to make beef stroganoff for dinner tonight. 

I used the recipe that came with the attachments.  Pretty simple...eggs, flour and water.  It called for very little water, and I don't know if the altitude messed with tings or what, but I had to add quite a bit more water than it called for.  Honestly, I wish I had added more. 

Once I got it balled up and resting, I tackled putting the extruder on the mixer.  It was quite straightforward and not hard at all.  So far so good.

I had read on several websites that pasta making takes lots of practice and I now believe it.  My first few tries were rippled and short.  Oh well...those became the testers...aka lunch!  After a few tries, I got the hang of things.  The problem I ran into was finding room to lay out all of the pasta.  I guess I could have lined the kitchen table with towels, but I didn't know how long it would take to dry.  So, I used a method I read about online where you stretch a broom across two chairs and dangle the pasta over it (on towels of course).  This worked, but I found that when I removed the pasta, much of it cracked at the bend point.  I guess this isn't a big deal if you are cooking it right away. 

For pasta that is going to be stored, I found that simply lying the noodles on a lightly floured cookie sheet worked well.  The noodles stayed flat and would be easier to store.

In the end, I am quite happy with the results.  Hannah and I tried some of the "testers" for lunch and they were yummy!!!  I cannot wait to cook up the rest tonight.

My next adventure is going to be with ravioli making.  Hubby and I went out last night to find some supplies and we couldn't find any!!  All we found was some pasta flour and a fluted edge roller.  I did some digging online and found that Sur La Table has a huge selection of pasta making supplies...and though they aren't located in Canada, they are in Florida near my in-law's house, so I know where I'll be shopping on our upcoming vacation!!

Stay tuned...

Cheers!
Sharon

Fresh from the Oven: Must Have Baking Tools

Hello All!!!

With all of my recent food posts, I thought I would share some of my favorite tools in the kitchen.  First up, the baking tools.  I went through my cabinets and found a few items that I cannot function without.  I'm sure there are more things that should be listed, but these are the first ones that came to mind.  (I am providing links the Amazon pages that I could find for these items...though many of them can be bought at any kitchen supply store)

First up, my Silicone Zone mat.  I have never liked silicone baking pans, but this mat is a must!  My Sister-in-law bought it for me years ago, and I use it on a weekly basis.  I use mine mostly for rolling out dough, and not for actual baking in the oven.  I also use my Memere's old Tupperware mat (you know, the one with the pie crust sizes on it), but the downside to that mat is that it rolls for storage and tends to curl when I am using it.  This silicone mat grips my counter top perfectly and is just the right size for the projects I do.

If there is one item sold on television commercials that is worth trying, it is the Ove Glove!!  Our Aunt bought these for us a few years ago for Christmas, and as you can see from the photo, they are well worn!!  I find regular potholders to be clumsy and difficult to work with.  These gloves are awesome!  Occasionally we feel heat come through the gloves, but it is usually when we are dealing with hot meat pans, and there's no doubt in my mind that a pot holder would have failed much sooner.  As someone who has put these through the ringer, I suggest you get yourself a pair...they typically come one to a package, but are well worth buying two!

Oh Parchment Paper...how do I love thee?!  I'll be honest, I never used to use parchment paper.  To me, it was one more expense on the grocery bill that I didn't see a need for.  Instead, I wasted a lot of money on burnt cookies, and dish soap used to scrub baked on food off of my baking sheets.  Finally, after a batch of hockey pucks burnt Whoopie Pies, I gave in and bought myself a roll.  Now, it is truly my best friend in the kitchen.  I always line my baking pans with it, whether I am baking cookies, heating up chicken nuggets, or making some dish that involves oozing cheese.  I also find myself grabbing it when I do small craft projects with Hannah.  All in all, this is a winner in my book!!

If you watch Good Eats with Alton Brown, you've likely seen a Metric Wonder Cup (or something just like it) before.  I say that because that's where we first became introduced to this kitchen life-saver!  When my husband bought one at a local kitchen supply store, I thought it was a waste of money...WRONG!!!  This little guy has saved me so many times in the kitchen.  What is so amazing about it?  Have you ever tried to get molasses out of a measuring cup, or honey, or syrup?  Not fun, right?  How about when you measure mayo or shortening, only to find that there was an air bubble in the cup and you don't know how much you really measured out?  This little gadget solves all of those problems.  You pull the two pieces apart until they line up at the amount you need.  Then you add your ingredients to the top, and push the yellow part like a plunger to add your ingredients to your mixing bowl.  The top of the yellow portion is flat, so you can scrape it off with a spatula and you haven't missed any of the ingredient you're working with.  It is genius!!  The pieces then come apart, so you can wash them easily.  So handy!!

If you have a Kitchen-Aid mixer, then you can stop reading here.  You don't need to hear me go on and on about how wonderful this item is...you already know it!!  For those who have never felt the power of a Kitchen-Aid...oh man, are you missing out!!  As a child, my Mom had a Sunbeam mixer that she used daily.  It had a bowl that spun, and the smell...how do I describe it?  Burnt motor perhaps?  My Mom used her mixer so much that I think it could rival Jillian Michaels in a workout!  Then she discovered Kitchen-Aid, and has turned all of us into converts along the way. 

My Mom bought me my mixer as a wedding present, and I am so thankful!!  These bad boys aren't cheap, but once you use one, you'll know that they are worth every penny!!  Mine is a Professional model, though they come in all sorts of price points, sizes, colors, and styles.  Personally, I like the drop bowl, rather than the tilting head, so that narrows down the model options.  With all of the available attachments, there isn't much this mixer can't do.  Stay tuned to the blog this summer, when we put ours to the test and make sausage...then we're going to smoke it in hubby's smoker...mmmm...I'm salivating at the thought!!!

Finally, the gadget that I cannot bake without is my telephone.  Oh, and the speed-dial preset that calls my Mom.  She is the reason why I bake, and she has bailed me out of so many culinary blunders over the years!  I love going home for the holidays and baking with her.  I always learn so much and we have so much fun!!  Many of my best recipes come from her, and I am so grateful!!!

So, there you have it, my Must-Have list of baking tools.  Feel free to comment with any of your favorites, as I am always looking for new gadgets to try out!!

Cheers and Happy Baking!
Sharon

Fresh from the Oven: Cinnamon Spirals

Hello All-

Ready for some more kitchen "stuff"?  I made some awesome cookies this week, and I wanted to share the recipe and some pointers with you all.  The recipe is for Cinnamon Spirals, and it comes from the Robin Hood Flour website.

This recipe is proof of why you should always read your recipe before starting to bake.  The first step is to preheat your oven...okay, that's pretty common to see as step one.  The problem is that these are refrigerator cookies, and you don't bake them for at least another few hours, if not the next day! 

Skipping Step One and moving right along, it is all pretty straightforward.  The actual dough is easy to prepare, and the filling is too.  The trouble I had was with the rolling out of the dough and the rolling of the combined dough and filling into a jellyroll shape.  I used parchment paper to roll the dough out on, and I found that the creases it made in the dough caused everything to split once it was jellyroll time.  So, be sure that you don't have any impressions in your dough after you roll it out.  Also, my kitchen tends to be warmer than most (due to ridiculously hot lighting fixtures), so I found that my dough was not rolling nicely for me.  Be sure to keep everything as cold as possible, and I think you'll have better luck.

The recipe says that you can chill your plastic wrapped jelly rolls for up to 24 hours.  This is what I did.  Again, I wanted things to be as cold as possible when it was time to slice.  I also only removed one roll at a time from the fridge so the other one wouldn't warm up too quickly. 

As you can see from the top photo, these little darlings sliced up really well.  Make sure your knife is nice and sharp and you'll be good to go.  I found that cutting straight down worked best, rather than slicing it like bread.  The one time I moved the knife, the roll started to come undone. 

I went a bit thick on my cookies, because...well...do I really need a reason??  Thirteen minutes in the oven was just enough to get them golden brown.

My first attempt yielded 4 dozen-ish.  In all honesty, I have about 3 dozen presentable cookies and 1 dozen "tasters."  The website says that these freeze well, but I don't think they'll last long in my house. 

All in all, these are great, and I'll be making them again...and again...and again!  They have a similar taste to a family favorite that my Mom makes.  When we were little, she would take any leftover pie crust pieces, roll them out, fill with brown sugar, cinnamon and pats of butter, and fold it all up.  Vent the top with some fork pricks, bake at 325 until golden brown, and once cooled, slice into bars.  She always called them "Pets", but we always called them yummy!!! 

Happy Baking!

Sharon