Spiced Orange and Fig Preserves

Figs, like dates and apricots, are one of those fruits that many of us are familiar with in its dried form (or its cookie form for those of us who grew up believing that eating sleeves of Fig Newtons was a healthy way to snack), but that we rarely have the opportunity to eat fresh. This is mainly because fig season is so short, but also because figs do not thrive in most places in the States and are extremely perishable.

Moving to the Lowcountry of South Carolina my husband and I were used to the fertile earth and amicable growing conditions of Virginia and our first year here attempted to sow our garden with as little thought to fertilizer and pH levels as we had in previous years. Big mistake. What few plants actually yielded fruit were extremely disappointing: our tomatoes never fully ripened, and even our watermelons were mealy and flavorless. Our sole source of horticultural joy has come from the massive and abundant fig tree in back of our house, which we had absolutely nothing to do with planting…

Fresh figs are incredibly luscious and sweet and are an excellent source of dietary fiber, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and E.  Eating a fresh fig is a study in texture — the toothsome resistance of the skin, velvet juiciness of the flesh, and crunchiness of the seeds. The fig is sensual too, conjuring images of Adam and Eve preserving their modesty only with fig leaves and stands of hair, and when figs become ripe they are purple and swollen and leak a milky substance from their base. I also always think of Hermann Hesse describing Kamala’s lips (in Siddhartha) as being the color of “a freshly cut fig.” What a lovely image….

Anyway (apparently I’m feeling a bit loquacious today), if you can get your hands on fresh figs, do so. They are delicious to snack on, a great way to dress up salads or baked chicken, and are absolutely divine transformed into preserves. This recipe makes a wonderful gift and is a delightful addition to any cheese plate, pairing especially well with funky, robust blues and mellow goat cheeses.

 

Ingredients:

Yields 24 oz. preserves

– One whole orange

– 4 c. fresh, sliced figs

– 4 Tbsp. filtered water

– 1 Tbsp. minced ginger

– 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

– 1/4 tsp. ground cloves

– 1 vanilla bean, scraped (optional)

– 3/4 c. honey

– 2 tsp. fruit pectin*

*Pectin is a thickening agent, usually extracted from citrus fruits or apples and is available in many grocery stores and most health food stores.

 

Directions:

1. Wash and rinse your jars; let stand in hot water. Meanwhile, boil your lids and rings in a large pot to sanitize. Let stand in hot water also.

2. Zest your orange.

3. Chop orange, removing remaining peel, seeds and membrane

4. Remove stems from figs and chop. You do not need to remove skins

5. Place orange, figs, and water in a medium-sized saucepan and cook over low heat

6. Add ginger and spices. Scrape in vanilla, if using. Bring mixture to a boil.

7. Measure out honey. Stir pectin into it, then add mixture to boiling fruit. Stir vigorously for 2 minutes to dissolve pectin.

8. Return to a boil, then remove from heat

9. Remove your jar lid and ring from your large pot and return water to a boil

10. While waiting for water to boil fill your jar(s) to 1/4” of top and wipe clean. Do not overfill or jar will not seal properly.

11. Screw on lid (with ring) tightly. Place jar into boiling water to cover. Boil for 10 minutes. Add 10 minutes boiling time for each additional jar.

12. Remove jar (carefully!) from water. Let cool. Check seal — lid should be sucked down/un-popped.

13. Label and enjoy! Jam should last about 3 weeks once opened.

 

I put one of the jars of preserves in a gift basket I gave to my sister for her birthday, along with a big hunk of blue cheese, a sheep’s milk cheese washed in Prosecco, a goat cheese, fresh pear, toast points, and some baked goods:

I’m a total geek when it comes to birthdays, and a firm believer that nothing can compare to a thoughtful handmade/homemade gift…

 

 

Raspberry Jam

This recipe for Homemade Raspberry Jam is not only delicious, but surprisingly quick and easy to make. Raspberries won’t be in season much longer, so preserve some while you can!

This recipe is for a small batch of jam, but you could certainly multiply the measurements to make larger quantities.

Ingredients:

– 2 cups of mashed raspberries

– 1/2 c. honey or 1 c. sugar

– 3 Tbsp. water

– 1 tsp. fruit pectin*

 

*Pectin is a thickening agent, usually extracted from citrus fruits or apples and is available in many grocery stores and most health food stores.

 

Directions:

1.  Select the jar you wish to put your jam in. It can be a mason jar, or an old pickle or jelly jar — whatever you have available. This recipe will yield about 16 oz. of jam, so you do want whatever jar you choose for this to be pint-sized.

2. Wash and rinse your jar; let stand in hot water. Meanwhile, boil your lid and ring in a large pot to sanitize. Let stand in hot water also.

3. Wash and mash your raspberries. You can use a pestle, fork, a hand-juicer — whatever you have handy!

4. Put fruit into a saucepan with the water and cook at medium heat, stirring frequently. Bring to a boil

 

5. Measure out honey or sugar; thoroughly mix pectin into sweetener

 

6. Add pectin-sweetener mixture to boiling fruit. Stir vigorously for 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin.

 

7. Return to a boil and remove from heat

 

8. Remove your jar lid and ring from your large pot and return water to a boil

 

9. While waiting for water to boil fill your jar to 1/4” of top and wipe clean. Do not overfill or jar will not seal properly.

10. Screw on lid (with ring) tightly. Place jar into boiling water to cover. Boil for 10 minutes.

11. Remove jar (carefully!) from water. Let cool. Check seal — lid should be sucked down/un-popped.

12. Label and enjoy! Jam should last about 3 weeks once opened.

Jam-Filled Sandwich Cookies

 

These may be the most delicious thing I’ve ever made. If not, they’re definitely close to the top of the list. Of all of the sweets in the world, sandwich cookie-type-things are definitely amongst my favorites. Whoopie Pies, French Macarons, Oreos….I’m salivating just typing this. Though not as refined  (or anywhere near as difficult to make) as the macaron, these jam-filled cookies are elegant in their own right, and certainly just as delicious. Shoot, I’d take one of these over a whole sleeve of Oreos any day! You wont believe how incredibly easy these are to make — especially if you opt to use store-bought or pre-made jam.

 

Ingredients:

– 12 oz jam of any flavor. I used the Sweet Plum and Blueberry Jam that I made a couple of weeks ago, but peach, raspberry, apricot, or strawberry would be wonderful choices too — get creative!

– 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter

– 1 c. sugar

– 3 Tbsp. lemon zest

– 1/4 tsp. salt

– 2 large egg yolks

– 2 1/4 c. flour

– powdered sugar, for sprinkling

 

Directions:

1. In the bowl for an electric mixer (you can do this by hand, but your arm may get tired!) combine butter, sugar, lemon zest and salt

2. Beat until light and fluffy — 2-3 minutes

3. Add egg yolks and mix well

4. Add flour, one half at a time and beat until well-incorporated

5. Divide dough in half. Form first half into a long log, about 1 3/4” – 2” in diameter. Wrap log in wax paper

6. Repeat step six with second half of dough

7. Chill both rolls of dough in the refrigerator until firm, at least two hours. If you are in a hurry you can place dough in freezer, but let it chill in the refrigerator at least one hour first. Can be done one day ahead.

8. If making your own jam for these cookies, or using the recipe linked above, make it now so that it has time to cool.

9. Once dough has chilled sufficiently, preheat oven to 400F

10. Line baking sheet with wax paper

11. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into thin rounds, about 1/3” thick — you may have to reshape rounds a bit with your fingers — and place on lined baking sheet

12. Bake cookies one sheet at a time on a rack in the center of the oven. Bake for 10 minutes — edges should be golden brown

13. Allow cookies to cool completely, sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired

14. Spread as much jam as desired on flat side of cookie, then top with another cookie, thus making a sandwich

15. Try not to eat them all at once….

Super-duper close-up:

Yum….These were so good I had to make my stepson hide them from me….

 

Adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2009

Blackberry Shortcakes with Lemon Biscuits

I was so excited to find what appeared to be ripe, gorgeous local blackberries at the market the other today. Upon getting them home however, I discovered them to be horribly sour. Like, so sour as to almost be inedible. I assure you, my disappointment was immense… Since they couldn’t very well be eaten alone, I figured that the best thing to do was to make something sweet and delicious out of them. Inspired, I decided to do a spin on the classic strawberry shortcake. I love citrus in desserts, and berries with citrus are one of my favorite flavor combinations, so I decided to add lemon zest to the biscuits. The result was a bright, and surprisingly light dessert, and incredibly easy to make.

Ingredients:

Yields 6 Shortcakes

Berries:

– 5 c. blackberries

– 2/3 c. powdered sugar

– 2 Tbsp. water

 

Biscuits:

– 3/4 c. chilled buttermilk

– 2 Tbsp. lemon zest

– 2 1/4 c. flour

– 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

– 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

– 1 tsp. baking soda

– 1/4 tsp. salt

– 6 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter (3/4 stick)

– 1 Tbsp. raw or demerara sugar

 

Directions:

Berries:

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan

2. Stir over medium heat until berries soften and become syrupy — about 10-15 minutes

3. Remove from heat and let cool. Berries should be served at room temperature. Can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated.

 

Biscuits:

1. Preheat oven to 425F

2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper

3. Combine buttermilk and lemon zest in a small bowl

4. In a large bowl mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. Be sure to break up any large clumps of sugar

5. Cut butter into small cubes and add to four mixture

6. Rub butter into flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs

7. Add the buttermilk mixture and combine with a fork until just blended. Dough will be sticky and may seem “loose” but don’t add more flour!

8. Transfer dough to a clean, lightly floured surface. Knead 4-5 times, but be careful not to overwork (over-handling will make your biscuits tough)

9. Pat dough out until about 3/4” thick

10. Using a 3” cookie cutter (you could also use a greased drinking glass or mug if you don’t own a cookie cutter), cut dough into rounds

11. Combine dough scraps, pat out, and cut into rounds until no dough remains. You should have 6-7 in total

12. Place rounds on your lined baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar

13. Bake biscuits at 425F for 15 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean

14. Cool slightly — about 15 minutes

15. Using a serrated knife, cut each biscuit in half. Spread blackberry mixture over each bottom-half, dividing equally. Place top half of biscuits on blackberries, then top each with an equal portion of the remaining blackberry mixture.

16. Top shortcakes with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Serve and enjoy!

Adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2009

Sweet Plum and Blueberry Jam: How to Make Jams

Plums always remind me of me childhood. I grew up in central California where we had several fruit trees growing around our house — lime, dwarf apple, orange, lemon… but my favorite was the plum tree in our front yard. It was the perfect size to climb, and I loved to swing on its branches. I eagerly awaited the appearance of the tiny fruits each May and tore them down greedily, often before they even had the chance to ripen; chewing the sour flesh, spitting their tiny pits as far as I could….I love how such small things can transport you: how smells (for me; eucalyptus, black pepper, chlorine, horse manure), or sounds (wind chimes, steel guitar), or flavors (black walnut, wild licorice, sour plum) can take you instantly back to some shadowed, half-forgotten piece of childhood…..Anyway, I still look forward to eating plums this time of year — even if I must buy them from the market instead of plucking them from the boughs of my own fragrant and sun-filled tree…

This recipe is for a small batch of jam, but you could certainly multiply the measurements to make larger quantities. Similarly, the plums and blueberries could be replaced here with any kind of berry, cherries, currants, any stone fruit, pears — even mangoes or kiwis! Get creative and make something wonderful!

Ingredients:

– 1 cup of peeled, sliced, and pitted plums (about 1 lb. whole)
– 1 pint blueberries
– 1/2 cup honey or 1 cup sugar
– 1 Tbsp. any unsweetened citrus juice (I used grapefruit juice this time)
– 3 Tbsp. water
– 1 tsp. fruit pectin*

*Pectin is a thickening agent, usually extracted from citrus fruits or apples and is available in many grocery stores and most health food stores.

Directions:

1. Select the jar you wish to put your jam in. It can be a mason jar, or an old pickle or jelly jar — whatever you have available. This recipe will yield about 16 oz. of jam, so you do want whatever jar you choose for this to be pint-sized.

2. Wash and rinse your jar; let stand in hot water. Meanwhile, boil your lid and ring in a large pot to sanitize. Let stand in hot water also.

3.  Peel, pit, and slice plums, make sure to catch as much juice from the plums as you can

4. Place blueberries in a bowl and mash using a pestle, or any other blunt kitchen instrument. (Tip: Mash blueberries a bit at a time: it’s much easier than trying to mash them all at once, and this way you can ensure that you mash the proper amount according to how much fruit and juice your plums wind up yielding)

5. Combine fruits, making sure that you have at least 2 cups of fruit and juice

6. Put fruit into a saucepan with citrus juice and water and cook at medium heat, stirring frequently. Bring to a boil

7. Measure out honey or sugar; thoroughly mix pectin into sweetener

8. Add pectin-sweetener mixture to boiling fruit. Stir vigorously for 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin.

9. Return to a boil and remove from heat

10. Remove your jar lid and ring from your large pot and return water to a boil

11. While waiting for water to boil fill your jar to 1/4” of top and wipe clean

12. Screw on lid (with ring) tightly. Place jar into boiling water to cover. Boil for 10 minutes.

13. Remove jar (carefully!) from water. Let cool. Check seal — lid should be sucked down/un-popped.

14. Label and enjoy! Jam should last about 3 weeks once opened.

I’ve never claimed to be a patient woman…I decided to try my jam for breakfast the next morning. Here’s what it looked like when I opened it:

I spread it on a couple of pieces of coconut-oatmeal bread (recipe to follow shortly) and it was absolutely heavenly — soooo much better than Smucker’s or any of those other store-bought brands! Hey, I’ve never claimed to be humble either…..:)