Spiced Christmas Jam

 Ingredients:

40 ounces frozen unsweetened strawberries or 2 1/2 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled

1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries

5 pounds sugar (no that is not a typo, 5lbs)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 (3 ounce) packets of liquid pectin (I use Ball liquid pectin)

Directions:

1. Fill a boiling water canner about 2/3rds full with water and bring it to a boil.

2. Pulse strawberries and cranberries in a food processor or blender and then place prepared fruit into an 8 quart sauce pan.  Add sugar and spices and stir.  Bring to a full roiling boil; boil for 1 minute, stir.

3. Remove from the heat; stir in the liquid pectin and return to a full rolling boil.  Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

4.  Skim off any foam with a spoon.

5.  Ladle the jam mixture into hot prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops.  Wipe the jar rims and threads clean if needed.  Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands finger tight. Place jars on elevated rack in canner and then lower the rack into canner.  Make sure the water is covering the jars by about 2 inches.  Place the lid on the pot and bring water to a gentle boil.  Process Jam 10 minutes. 

6.  Remove jars and place on a towel to cool.  After 24 hours check the seals.  If the lid springs back, jam is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.

One recipe makes 12 - 8 ounce jars.

Snickerdoodle Bread

Ingredients

LOAVES:
2½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup sour cream
1 package Hershey's cinnamon chips

TOPPING:
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions
To make the loaves, mix butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix well. Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients and mix until all combined. Add cinnamon chips and stir into batter. Set aside. Spoon batter into 4 mini loaf pans until about 2/3 full. Mix topping ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle over the batter in each loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 38 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan.

Steamed Pudding

 

Ingredients:

2 TBSP butter, softened

2 TBSP granulated sugar

1 whole egg

1/2 cup molasses

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup boiling water

Additional water for steaming

Directions:

1.  Allow butter to soften before preparing recipe.  In a bowl, combine softened butter, sugar, and egg with mixer, add molasses.

2.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix well.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture.  Stir gently, add boiling water to the combined mixtures, and stir to form a smooth batter.

3.  Lightly coat the inside of the Steamed Pudding Mold with butter or non-stick cooking spray.  Pour butter into the mold.  Seal mold by locking the lid in place.

4.  Select a pot large enough to fit the mold inside.  Place a small, round cake rack in the bottom of the pot to keep the mold level.  Add enough water to the pot to jus cover the rack; the mold should not sit in the water.  Bring water to a boil.  Carefully lower the sealed Steamed Pudding Mold into the pot and onto the rack.  Cover the pot and lower the heat to a simmer. Steam for 2 hours.  Check water level occasionally to make sure the pot doesn't run dry.

5.  After 2 hours, carefully lift the Steamed pudding mold out of the pot using oven mitts and allow it to cool so it is warm to the touch.  Then, remove the lid and place a serving plate, upside down, over the mold opening.  Firmly hold the plate against the mold and flip them over together, releasing the pudding onto the plate.  Slice and serve the pudding while still warm.  Drizzle with a generous amount of the vanilla cream topping.

VANILLA CREAM TOPPING

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup whipping cream/heavy cream

Directions:

Beat egg yolks.  Stir in vanilla.  Add confectioners sugar and mix until well incorporated.  Add whipping or heavy cream and blend.  Do NOT whip or fluff.

VARIATIONS

Add 1/4 to 1./2 cup finely chopped nuts or diced dried fruits, including dates, cherries and raisins

Mix 1 tsp of vanilla into the pudding batter before steaming.

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

25 lbs tomatoes (about 80 medium), cored
4 large green bell peppers, seeded
4 large onions, cut into wedges
2 cans (12 ounces each) tomato paste
1/4 cup canola oil
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
8 cloves of garlic minced
4 teaspoons dried oregano, (8 tsp fresh oregano)
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
Bottles Lemon juice or Ball Citric acid

Directions:

1.  In a dutch oven, bring 2 quarts water to boil.  Using slotted spoon, place tomatoes, one at a time, in boiling water for 30-60 seconds.  Remove each tomato and immediately plunge into ice water. Peel and quarter tomatoes; place into stock pot.  ( I core my tomatoes, and run them through the food process with skins still on for a smoother sauce, my family doesn't like chunks of tomatoes in their sauce, in other words I skip this step.)

2. Run seeded green bell peppers, and onions in batches in a food processors until finely chopped; transfer to stockpot.  Stir in next 11 ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness.

3.  Discard bay leaves.  Ladle hot mixture into hot sanitized jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space, add 1 tsp lemon juice or citric acid for quart jars 1/2 tsp for pint jars. Wipe rims.  Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight.

4.  Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water.  Bring to a boil:  process 40 minutes.  Remove jars and cool.  After 24 hours place any unsealed jars in fridge for immediate use.

Rhubarb Cinnamon Jam Recipe

Ingredients:

6 cups Rhubarb - chopped
1 cup water
1 box Sure-Jel
1/2 tsp butter
6 1/2 cups of sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1.  Bring a boiling-water canner, 3/4 full with water, to simmer.  Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water, rinse with warm water.  Pour boiling water over flat lids in a saucepan off the heat.  Let stand in hot water until ready to use.  Drain well before filling.

2.  Place the chopped rhubarb along with the water in 4-qt saucepan and bring to boil on high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer until the rhubarb is tender (about 2-3 minutes).  Measure 4 1/2 cups of prepared rhubarb into large pot.

3.  Slowly stir the pectin and lemon juice into the prepared rhubarb.  Add butter to reduce foaming.  Bring to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.

4.  Slowly stir in the sugar and cinnamon and return to a full rolling boil for 1 minute, making sure to stir constantly to avoid boiling over.  Remove from heat and skim off any foam with metal spoon.

5.  Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling within 1/4 inch of tops.  Wipe jar rims and threads.  Cover with two-piece lids.  Screw bands on.  Place jars on elevated rack in a canner.  Lower rack into canner.  Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches, add boiling water if necessary.  Cover, bring to a gentle boil.  Process for 10 minutes.  Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely.  After the jars have cooled, check the seals by pressing middles of lids with finger.  If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.

Yields: 5 - 12 ounce jars or 7.5 - 8 ounce jars.

Flan Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups full-fat milk
2 vanilla beans (or 2 tsp vanilla extract or 2 tsp vanilla paste)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place six 1-cup sized ramekins in a 9x13 baking dish.  Fill up with warm water (directly from the tap is fine) until the ramekins stand about 1/4 - 1/2 in water.  Set aside.

2.  In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, cook 1 cup sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved and liquefied with a golden brown color. Stir constantly and be careful not to cook it too long.  The sugar burns very quickly.  Immediately spoon into warmed ramekins equally.  If the sugar gets to firm while spooning into the ramekins, place back on the heat in-between for a few seconds to liquefy again.  Let stand until you are done with the filling.

3.  Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk eggs and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar on medium-high speed until creamy for about 2-3 minutes.  Add milk and vanilla and stir to combine.  Pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove most of the air bubbles.  Divide into the ramekins equally.  Cover each ramekin with aluminum foil separately and seal tightly.  Bake for 60-70 minutes.  The Flan should wobble like a pudding or jelly when moved.  Remove from water bath and let cool to room temperature.  Chill for 4 hours in the fridge.

4.  Before serving, run knife around the sides where the flan is touching the ramekins.  Flip over the ramekins onto plates.  The sugar syrup will run over the flan like a sauce.  Don't scrape out the remaining hard sugar from the ramekins.  For easier cleaning, fill the ramekins with hot water from the tap and let stand until the hard sugar crust dissolved.  Store leftovers in the ramekins in the fridge up to one day.

Italian Sub Salad

Ingredients:

2 hearts of romaine, chopped
1/2 lb salami, chopped
1/2 lb provolone, chopped
8 oz package mini fresh mozzarella balls
1 cup shredded Parmesan
1 package mini pepperoni
1 cup milk pepper rings
1 small purple onion, thinly sliced
1 package cherries tomatoes, slice in half
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon dried basil

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.  Whisk together ingredients or salad dressing.  Cover and set aside.
2.  In a large bowl.  Add Romaine lettuce.  Top with meats, cheese, and remaining veggies.  Sprinkle with pepper and basil.
3.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight (to let flavors meld).
4.  When ready to serve, toss, and drizzle with dressing.
5/. Serve cold garnished with fresh basil.