jam

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. 

Baked Brie

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Baked Brie!  I typically serve this as an appetizer, with French preserves and almonds on top, but it also makes a wonderful dessert with a light fruity wine. 

BAKED BRIE

Ingredients:

14 ounce wheel of Brie*

1/4 cup apricot preserves 

2 tablespoons almonds, sliced

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

* Camembert is a milder substitute. 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Remove Brie wheel from package and slice off the top surface of the rind. Place the wheel in a small oven-proof dish. Lightly score the cheese. Spread the apricot preserves over the exposed cheese surface. Sprinkle with almonds. Pour the butter over all. Garnish with red pepper flakes on top. Bake the Brie uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is soft and heated through. Serve in the same dish to keep it warm. 

Sliced fruit, deli crackers, and crusty baguettes make a nice compliment to the rich, creamy flavor. 

Apricot-Orange Crumble Bars

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen?  Apricot-Orange Crumble Bars!  Who doesn’t love this saucy little fruit?  Apricots add an exotic touch of class to everything from appetizers to dessert. Try a dollop of jam on a round of baked Camembert cheese sometime.  It is decadent!  My recipe today serves as a breakfast food, an afternoon snack, or a delicate dessert option.  

APRICOT-ORANGE CRUMBLE BARS

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

12-ounce jar of apricot jam

1/3 cup dried apricots, sliced

2 tablespoons orange marmalade 

Directions:

Cream together sugar and butter. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together. Add dry ingredients together. Spread 3/4 of batter into a 9×13 greased dish.  Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  Spread 12 ounce dollops of Bonne Maman Apricot Preserves* on top.  Slice dried apricot pieces over jam mixture.  Fill in with a tablespoon or two of Bonne Maman Orange Marmalade*.  Crumble remaining batter on top.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar.  Bake 350* for 30-35 minutes.  Cool slightly and cut into 24 squares. 

* Bonne Maman is a product of France. 

Xingzi Apricot Crescents

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Symphony of Flavors: Xingzi Apricot Crescents! Need a quick dessert, after school treat, or late night snack? Think crescent rolls. Their light and buttery crust is so bakery-like sweet and flaky you’ll think you deserve accolades from everyone at first bite. Any fruit jam or preserves can be used. I like the chunkier ones simply because it resembles the texture of a pie filling. Obviously you can add canned fruit to really crank things up a level or two. That is the beauty of home cooking. Tweak as much as you like. You can always “eat” the mistakes and start over. Caution: overstuffing the crescent rolls may lead to the preserves spilling out onto the parchment paper as it bakes. 

XINGZI APRICOT CRESCENTS

Ingredients:

I tube crescent rolls

1/3-1/2 cup apricot preserves 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Separate the dough into 8 triangles. Place a dollop of apricot preserves in the wide end of each triangle. Roll up, starting at the wide end and roll to the opposite narrow end. Slightly curve the ends into a half moon with your fingers. Place each crescent roll on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly. Serve warm. 

Quince Essential Baguette

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Symphony of Flavors: Quince Essential Baguette! On your recent trip to the supermarket, you may have wondered about that hard yellow fruit in the produce department that resembles a cross between an apple and a pear. Before you buy one and take it home to eat it raw, think again. Quince is one of those fruits that smells citrusy and fresh, but the flesh is actually quite stringy. You’re better off making jam, jelly, or preserves instead. Cooking transforms them into a softer and sweeter treat worth raving about. I took the shortcut and bought a jar of quince spread instead. 

QUINCE ESSENTIAL BAGUETTE 

Ingredients:

8” bakery baguette 

1.05-ounce jar quince spread

4.4-ounce wedge bleu cheese, room temperature 

1 pound green grapes, seedless

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rub a little water on both sides of the baguette. Place bread on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and slice. Arrange baguette slices on a charcuterie board. Open a jar of quince spread to slather on half a baguette slice. Spread crumbled bleu cheese on the other half. Serve with seedless green grapes. 

Raspberry Nut Granola Bars

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Uplifting Aromas: Raspberry Nut Granola Bars! The jury is still out on whether this fruit crumble can be eaten for breakfast, dessert, or late-night snack. I can attest to the deliciousness of it with my morning cuppa joe. The espresso bitterness balances out the sweetness with perfection. And overnight guests definitely gave it a stamp of approval with a scoop of ice cream on top, making it almost cobbler-like in the dessert category. Giving it a quick zap in the microwave warmed it up as well. My third category, the late-night snack,  must also be true. When I arose the next morning, I noticed there was one less serving under the cake dome than when I turned in the night before. Huh. Must’ve been the family dog. After all, we know they watch TV.

RASPBERRY NUT GRANOLA BARS

Ingredients for Bars:

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup butter, unsalted

1 cup raspberry preserves

3/4 cup fresh raspberries 

2 teaspoons lemon juice 

3 tablespoons brown sugar 

1/3 cup cinnamon almond granola

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9”x13” glass baking dish with nonstick oil. Set aside. Using a mixer, combine flour, sugar, and sea salt for about 10 seconds. Slowly add butter, one tablespoon at a time, on low speed until all the butter has been used. In a couple minutes the dough will pull away from the side of the bowl. Reserve a quarter of the mixture; set aside. Transfer the remaining 3/4 dough mixture to the prepared pan, pressing it create a single layer of crust. For the raspberry filling, combine the raspberry preserves, fresh raspberries, and lemon juice. Lightly mash the larger pieces of fruit, yet allowing a chunky appearance. Pour the raspberry filling over the crust, spreading the filling into an even layer. Crumble the remaining dough mixture over the filling. Cover the top with brown sugar. Finish with a layer of cinnamon almond granola. Bake 20-30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly. The topping will be golden brown. Allow the bars to cool slightly before cutting into squares. 

Figgy Honey-Baked Cheese

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Figgy Honey-Baked Cheese!  Looking for an appetizer that brings in the cheer? It’s easy to create your own version of elegance when you use quality ingredients that begin with cheese. To awaken the taste buds, sprinkle in a few red pepper flakes which compliment the natural sweetness of honey. The crunch of walnuts satisfies those earthy snack-seekers.  Bake it all together for the most captivating sweet holiday aroma. Deck the Halls with boughs of Holly. Fa-la-la-la-la…la-la-la-lah!

FIGGY HONEY-BAKED CHEESE

Ingredients: 

8-ounce wheel Normandy Camembert cheese, double crème 

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons natural honey

2 tablespoons fig jam

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoon walnuts, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place cheese wheel in an oven-proof dish. Score the cheese in a criss-cross pattern. Pour melted butter over cheese.  Drizzle natural honey over cheese. Spread fig jam over cheese.  Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.  Top with chopped walnuts.  Bake 20-25 minutes until cheese is soft and bubbly.  Serve warm with sliced apples, assorted crackers, and baguette slices.  

Fig Jam Pear Puffs

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Graze or Gobble: Fig Jam Pear Puffs! Sweet and spicy pepper jellies or jams make such interesting bedfellows when paired with cheese and fruit. You’ve probably noticed them on a charcuterie tray since cheese has a way of “cooling” the heat that can make hot peppers often intolerant. By adding the honey-like sweetness of ripe figs, the combo becomes a tug-o-war fusion between instant gratification, excitement, and joy to an endorphin rush of pleasant feelings. 

FIG JAM PEAR PUFFS

Ingredients:

8-ounce tube of crescent rolls

4-ounces cream cheese

2 pears, peeled and finely chopped 

1 pinch cinnamon 

1 smidgen ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons blistered jalapeño fig jam

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick oil. Set aside. Unroll the crescent dough onto a work surface. Press seams together to form a rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 6 rows by 4 rows to make 24 squares. Press one dough square into each muffin cup. Cut cream cheese into 24 cubes. Place one cube of cream cheese into the bottom of each dough-lined cup. Cover with a heaping teaspoon of finely chopped pears. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over all. Top off with a small dollop of jalapeño fig jam. Bake 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Cool 5 minutes and then transfer each pear puff to a wire rack. Serve warm. 

PB, Bacon & Jam Burgers

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Bright Ideas: PB, Bacon & Jam Burger! Let the debate begin over peanut butter on a hamburger or an American cheese slice…because you can’t have both. Bacon gets to stay since everyone loves bacon. Amirite?! Peanut butter’s nutty taste actually compliments the beef patty. And it’s salty enough to take the place of cheese. The strawberry jam, with a sprinkling of hot pepper flakes, tickles the taste buds at the back of your throat making it an insanely good experience. I’m kind of a snob now that I’ve tasted brioche buns. Their buttery flavor, and the fact that they keep everything contained, is worth the cost difference. Are we good? Then carry on without regrets.

PB, BACON & JAM BURGER

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons natural peanut butter, creamy variety

1-2 tablespoons sriracha sauce

4 tablespoons strawberry jam

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

8 slices bacon, cooked until crispy

4 lettuce leaves

4 brioche hamburger buns

Instructions:

Combine ground beef, sea salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Divide meat into four equal portions. Flatten into hamburger patties. Set aside. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine the natural peanut butter with sriracha sauce. Stir until smooth. Grill burgers for 4 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer reads 160°F. To build-the-burger, layer two strips of bacon on the bottom bun. Place the hot hamburger patty over the bacon. Immediately spread the peanut butter mixture on top. It will begin to soften and melt. Drop a dollop of strawberry jam on top. Sprinkle red pepper flakes into the jam, if desired. Finish with a lettuce and the top of the brioche bun. Serve immediately.