Savory Strawberry Balsamic and Cracked Black Pepper Jam

We are finally into spring and May is one of my two favorite months of the year. I love the luscious color of the grass and the deeper green taken on by the tree's foliage. 

Farmer's markets seem to just spring to life.

And strawberries are in season! A couple years ago I came across this wonderful homemade jam recipe from the beautiful blog Honey & Jam.  I loved the idea of making a savory sweet flavored spread.

This is a rather easy recipe to execute. First rinse and hull your berries and then chop them into smaller pieces. Then in a smaller pot add...

5 cups of chopped strawberries 

3 1/2 cups of sugar 

1 - 2 (depending on how much heat you prefer) teaspoons of cracked black pepper 

6 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar 

1 tablespoon butter 

I also use one packet of unsweetened fruit pectin

Heat ingredients in the pot until they begin to meld together. Simmer on the stove for about 15 to 20 minutes, until mixture becomes translucent and thickens.

Ladle the hot jam into prepared jars, and then making sure the rims are clean, place the lid on top and screw on the ring. Set jars aside and wait until you hear the "ping", this means your jars are sealed.

Once cooled you can enjoy this delicious jam. Actually right after I shot these pictures I had the jam with cream cheese...sooooo yummy! You can also try it on an English muffin with a few strips of bacon to add even more of a savory salty taste.

I hope you are all enjoying a beautiful spring week!

XO

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Strawberry Rhubarb and Cheese Danish Ring

With summer just a month away, I love picking and baking with fresh rhubarb. Yup we have a rhubarb plant right in our back yard. When I went to college out in Lancaster Pennsylvania, rhubarb was very plentiful. Almost every home that backed up to campus had at least 3 or 4 plants. Admittedly I never had rhubarb when I lived out there, it wasn't until I really began to experiment with cooking and baking that I took the opportunity to taste this red stem. 

Now I love rhubarb paired with strawberries. Typically I make strawberry-rhubarb jam, but I came across this recipe in the June 2nd issue of First magazine and thought I'd give it a whirl!

What I like about the recipe, aside from the rhubarb, strawberries, cream cheese and white chocolate, was the fact that the dough used is actually two types or refrigerated dough, making this recipe fast and easy.

Spring Danish Ring

1 3/4 cups chopped fresh rhubarb stems

1 3/4 cups chopped strawberries

1/2 cup strawberry preserves

2 T. cornstarch

1 8 oz pkg refrigerated crescent rolls

2 pkg. 8 oz refrigerated dinner rolls

1/2 cup (4 oz) Neufchatel cheese at room temp

1 oz white chocolate for baking, melted

In a medium post over medium heat, bring the first three ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 15 minutes while stirring. In a small bowl mix together the cornstarch and 2 T cold water, add to the pot. Simmer one minute and then remove from heat and let cool. Drop 10 tablespoon size dollops of the strawberry rhubarb mixture onto a plastic or wax paper lined baking sheet. Freeze for one hour. Set the remainder of the mixture aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 9" springform pan with wax paper and spray with cooking spray. Unroll the crescent rolls and press into the bottom of the pan. Separate the biscuits and roll them with a rolling pin or press them out with your fingers until thin. Now wrap each one of the frozen dollops in a biscuit making sure to pinch it closed, and place around the edge of the pan. Spoon the remainder of the strawberry mixture into the center.

In another small bowl mix the cheese with the white chocolate and swirl all but about 3 T into the fruit mixture. Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes ( it took closer to 35 minutes in my oven) or until the dough is golden in color. Remove from oven let cool. Unmold the rind and drizzle with remaining cheese/chocolate mixture. 

The kids just got home from school and were chomping at the bit to try a slice. It got 2 thumbs up from my two.

Wishing you a great Memorial Day Weekend!!!

XO

Easy Bisquick Chocolate Waffles

My kids love ANYTHING chocolate!!!

And since they have been having a lot of fun on their snow days off making waffles using the new waffle iron I got for Christmas, I asked them if they'd like to try making the waffles chocolate. And of course the answer was  a resounding YES!

This recipe is so simple that my eleven and nine year old had absolutely no problem making these yummy treats. Pretty much you just fellow the directions on the side of the package and then add in some powdered cocoa and vanilla.

To make 8 waffles you will need...

2 c. Bisquik (I use the Heart Smart mix)

1 1/3 c. low fat or fat free milk

2 T. vegetable oil

1 egg

1 T. powdered cocoa
2 T sugar

1 tsp. of real vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients until blended then pour onto hot waffle iron and let bake for about 5 minutes. You can reheat the waffles in a toaster until crisp.

Top with your favorite chocolate friendly fruit like raspberries, strawberries or even cherries and serve them with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for a fun dessert!

Enjoy!!!

XO

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All You Need is a Spoon ~ No-Bake Cakes in a Jar

Have you the recent  Women's Day magazine?  These were featured on the cover of April's issue and when I saw it I thought what a perfect Easter dessert idea for the kiddies. This is one recipe with a few variations to switch up the combo. This dessert is so easy and no mess...all the kiddies need is to open the jar, grab a spoon and enjoy!

To make the basic batter all you need is...

1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese at room temp.

3 T. sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1 T fresh lemon juice

For the strawberry cheesecake you will need...

1 cup of crushed graham crackers

10 oz. of fresh strawberries, pieces and slices 

1/2 c strawberry jam

4-5 8 oz. jelly jars

For the chocolate hazelnut cake...

 Omit the lemon juice in the batter recipe and add 1/2 cup of hazelnut spread like Nutella. 

Then use.. 

brownies, broken up

whipped cream 

and miniature chocolate morsels

5-6 8 oz. jelly jars

For the lemon blueberry pound cake use...

Lemon pudding instead of the batter recipe 

pound cake, cut up

blueberries

whipped cream

4 8 oz jelly jars

To make the basic batter...

In a large beat the cream cheese with the sugar. Gradually add the cream, the whole mixture sure begin to thicken after about two minutes of high speed beating. Add either the lemon juice or Nutella.

In the empty jars add 2 T. of the crushed graham crackers or broken up brownie. If making the lemon blueberry cake start with the lemon pudding. Next add a full tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture and top it off with some of the fresh strawberries and the jam, or for the hazelnut cake add more brownie. For the lemon pound cake layer the pound cake and blueberries on top of the pudding, Repeat in all cakes with one more layer of cream or pudding on the top. Refrigerate with the jar lid screwed on for at least 2 hours before serving. Place a few strawberry slices, whipped cream, miniature morsels, or blueberries to finish off the top.

Happy Saturday!!!

XO

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Super Santa Snack!

Earlier today my sister-in-law sent me this recipe via Facebook and I have to say that I just went crazy for them! The picture which accompanied the recipe was so cute that I knew in that moment I would be making these by the end of the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All you need are some fresh strawberries, not frozen, 8 ounces of cream cheese, 3-4 tablespoons powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Using a paring knife, cut the bottoms of the strawberries to make the Santa hats and then cut out the stem. In a mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla using a hand mixer for about one minute. Place mixture in frosting gun or into a plastic baggie with the corner snipped off, and pipe the frosting onto the base of the Santa to make the Santa head. Put the hat on top and decorate according to the picture (I used chocolate jimmies for the eyes) and you have your Santa!

Thank you so much to my sister-in-law Lisa for this adorable idea!

Have fun making them!!!

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Strawberry Banana Jam

It was 2 summers ago that I first tried my hand a jarring fruit jams...so I made peach jam, blueberry jam, strawberry jam and even strawberry rhubarb jam. But I have to say that out of all the jams I've jarred, this one is my absolute favorite!!!