cinnamon

Jam Session

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Jam Session! This recipe guarantees to be music to your ears. For once, you can make a single jar of your favorite fruit jam without spending an entire day in the kitchen. Simply put: This recipe is an answer to a time-saving prayer. Adapt to whatever is in season. If your craving today is raspberry, or strawberry, or apricot, or peach, have a jam session in minutes.

JAM SESSION

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups fresh peaches; peeled, diced, and stone removed

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon white wine*

3 discs of spiced ginger, slivered

2 cinnamon sticks

1 lemon

Pinch of sea salt

*May be substituted for water.

Instructions:

Pulse half the peaches in a food processor to make the fruit chunky. Transfer to a 2-3 quart saucepan. Add remaining diced peaches, sugar, wine, ginger, and juice of half the lemon. Slice a section of the lemon with rind on, remove seeds, and drop it into the pan. You will fish it back out later. (The lemon is a natural thickening agent.) Add two cinnamon sticks. Mix well. Cook the peaches over medium-high heat at a boil. It should begin to thicken. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until mixture becomes jam, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Before transferring to a jar, remove the cinnamon sticks and lemon wedge. Store in the refrigerator.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter G

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Clean Plate Club: Green Tea Berry Cobbler! Now you can drink your tea and eat it too. Presenting a unique twist on an old favorite. Green tea combines its earthy flavors with a touch of bitterness to complement the natural sweetness of fresh fruit. The results will astound your taste buds, rounding off the cobbler’s cake-like topping. Choose any combination of fruit; blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, or mulberries. One hint for best results: Spoon the cobbler topping in small portions leaving room for the fruit to “pop” through and become caramelized. That’s the part that makes our eyes roll back in satisfaction.

GREEN TEA BERRY COBBLER

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup boiling water

1 Green Tea bag

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup raspberries

1/2 cup mulberries

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup granola

Powdered Sugar, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a baking dish or iron skillet with butter. Set aside. Place teabag in 1/2 cup boiling water. Steep for 3 minutes. Discard tea bag. Cool tea to room temperature. In a medium bowl, combine berries, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Toss gently to coat; do not crush berries. In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together egg and sugar. Continue for one minute. Add sea salt, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until completely blended. Add green tea. Mix well. Gradually add flour and baking powder. Stir until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan, leaving about 5 tablespoons reserved for topping. Gently layer berries over batter. Spoon remaining batter in dollops over fruit. Bake 10-12 minutes. Scatter granola over the top of the batter. Bake 20 minutes longer or until cobbler is golden brown and a tester comes out clean. Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter O

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Oven-Glazed Pears! Presenting a dessert as sweet as honey and as satisfying as a piece of pie. Make one for yourself or enough for a crowd. The recipe measurements below only need one pear, which is two servings. Perfect for dessert for two. The aroma alone will make your house smell amazing!

OVEN-GLAZED PEARS

Ingredients:

1 slightly firm pear; peeled, halved, and cored

2 tablespoons sweet dessert wine

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon butter, unsalted

Cinnamon to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Arrange pear halves in a small baking dish, cut side up. Sprinkle cinnamon, then vanilla over pears. Dot each pear with butter. Drizzle honey over each pear half. Pour in the sweet wine. Roast for 40 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the dish from the oven. Tilt the dish so the juices pool in one corner. Take a spoon and baste the pears. Turn each pear over and return to the oven to roast 20 minutes longer or until a paring knife inserts easily. Baste occasionally for a caramelized finish. The sauce will thicken slightly. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Glorious Glazed Pecans!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Glorious Glazed Pecans! Go to any big city or farmers market and you’ll find street vendors roasting sweet and savory candied nuts. The bakery aroma practically has you walking on air. Now you can bring this enticing smell and sugary sweetness right into your very own kitchen. I’ve made it a tradition to bake a couple batches for holiday gift-giving. When mixed with an assortment of smoked almonds, wasabi peas, salty cashews, and honey roasted peanuts, these glazed pecans become a gourmet choice for absolutely anyone on your list. In fact, anticipation creates excitement followed by open delight and thanksgiving.

GLORIOUS GLAZED PECANS

Ingredients:

1 pound pecan halves

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg white, room temperature

1 tablespoon water

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. In a small bowl mix sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir well and set aside. In a large bowl beat egg white and water until frothy. Add one pound of pecans and coat well to cover. Pour sugar mixture over nuts. Stir completely to form a coating over pecans. Transfer nuts to the baking sheet. Form a single layer. Bake 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes to form a crystallized finish. Remove from oven. Let cool and then store in an airtight container.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Nutmeg Cinnamon Popovers!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Nutmeg Cinnamon Popovers! Don’t hate me. These bakery-style popovers come with a warning label: Highly Addictive! Perhaps I might include a disclaimer. If you never suffer with sweet tooth cravings or for some unknown reason dislike cinnamon, no worries. For the rest of us, all I can say is “Try to resist licking your fingers!”.

NUTMEG CINNAMON POPOVERS

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

2 cups light cream

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons almond extract

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons sugar

2 cups flour

Topping:

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Move the oven rack one setting below the middle row. Grease a 12-count bouchon pan. In a food processor, combine eggs, light cream, butter, almond extract, vanilla extract, sea salt, sugar, and flour. Blend until no lumps remain and batter is light yellow and frothy, approximately one minute. Fill each bouchon cup 2/3 full. Do not overfill. (Refrigerate leftover batter until ready to make the next batch. At that time, use a whisk to vigorously stir the batter.) Place bouchon pan in the oven; bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Do not open the oven door during baking or the popovers will deflate. When golden brown, remove from the oven. After 2 minutes in the pan, transfer popovers to a wire rack. Do not allow them to cool in the pan or they may turn soggy. Meanwhile place melted butter in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well. Take a popover and brush it with melted butter to coat. Place the popover in the sugar mixture and roll to coat. Repeat with entire batch of popovers.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Wine Lovers Vineyard Cake!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Wine Lovers Vineyard Cake! Every once in awhile a special occasion rolls around where you need a dessert that’s outside the box. By substituting some of the liquid with a sweet wine, such as peach, blackberry, or elderflower, you create an unique taste that intensifies the flavor. I chose a peach passion for this particular recipe. With subtle hints of orange extract, it transformed the rich moist bundt cake into a delectable version of a fuzzy navel. The photo reflects a powdered sugar dusting, but you may certainly opt for a glaze finish instead.

WINE LOVERS VINEYARD CAKE

Ingredients for Cake:

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

2 3/4 cup flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 small box vanilla pudding, instant

3/4 cup white wine

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon orange extract

1/4 cup water

4 eggs

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Arrange pecans in the bottom of the pan. Using a mixer on low speed, blend the flour, sugar, baking powder, sea salt, vanilla pudding mix, white wine, vegetable oil, orange extract, water, eggs, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Scrape sides, as needed. Pour batter into bundt pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until a pick comes out clean and cake is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. To unmold, place a cake plate on top of the bundt pan. Holding tightly, invert.

Ingredients for Glaze:

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

1-2 tablespoons white wine, slightly warmed

Instructions:

To make glaze, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Add vanilla extract and white wine. Drizzle over warm cake.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Easy Energy Balls!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Easy Energy Balls! Do you ever get those mid-morning blahs where all you want to do is go back to bed? Well, here’s a way to get a tasty boost of energy without the guilt of a candy bar. By choosing pure and organic ingredients, you not only reap the health benefits, but you also gain the satisfaction your tummy needs in order to feel full. Make up a batch in minutes, store in the refrigerator, then Grab and Go!

EASY ENERGY BALLS

Ingredients:

1 cup organic creamy dark roasted peanut butter

2/3 cup pure honey

2 cups flaked coconut

2 cups old fashioned whole grain oats

1 cup organic flaxseed

1 cup dark chocolate chips

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup ground nuts

Instructions:

Warm peanut butter just enough to blend well with the honey. Remove from heat and add coconut, oats, flaxseed, and chocolate chips. Mix well. Sprinkle in cinnamon and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly. Roll into 30 bite-size balls, coat in ground nuts, and store in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Pumpkin Roll!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Pumpkin Roll! Announcing a festive cake that looks as though you stopped by the bakery. Anyone can feel like a professional pastry chef with this holiday specialty. In a few simple steps, the rich pumpkin flavor is enhanced by the velvety cream filling. Afterwards all you have to do is sit back and bask in the accolades.

PUMPKIN ROLL

Ingredients for Pumpkin Roll:

3 eggs

2/3 cup pumpkin purée

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Ingredients for Velvet Filling:

8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and line a 10″x15″ jelly roll pan with waxed paper. For pumpkin roll combine eggs, pumpkin purée, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and flour. Mix until well blended. Pour into jelly roll pan and spread evenly to edges. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake 12-15 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove from oven. Sprinkle powdered sugar on a tea towel, turn cake onto towel, and remove the waxed paper. Starting at one end, roll the cake up, and refrigerate for one hour. Meanwhile, combine Neufchâtel cheese, vanilla, butter, and powdered sugar. Mix together until smooth and velvety. After one hour, unroll cake and spread the filling all the way to the edges. Reroll cake and refrigerate two hours longer. Dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Pumpkin Spice Pie

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Pumpkin Spice Pie! It wouldn’t be the a feast without family traditions, whether it’s a circle of loved ones, heirloom tableware, aromatic side dishes, or pumpkin spice pie. No matter how stuffed we are from the bountiful spread, there’s always room for dessert. Am I right? Indeed! Besides, who can resist a touch of creamy custard sweetness surrounded by a golden, buttery crust, even if it is prepared by someone else.

PUMPKIN SPICE PIE

Ingredients:

1 prepared 9” pie crust

15-ounce can puréed pumpkin

2 eggs

15-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Whipped Cream for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Place prepared pie dough in an ungreased pie plate. Crimp edges as desired. Set aside. Combine puréed pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and sea salt. Beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue baking 40-50 minutes until center is firm. If necessary, cover the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil to avoid over browning. A knife inserted will come out clean. Remove from oven. Cool. Garnish with whipped cream, as desired.