I’m really in canning mode recently! I’m still a relative novice to canning, so I stick to sources I trust so I can preserve safely.
Freshpreserving.com is the ultimate source, so when I saw this recipe for Caramel Apple Coffee Jam, I knew I had to try it!
Using coffee in a jam intrigued me; I was interested to see what the flavor of this jam was like!
This is the first time I’ve worked with pectin in a recipe, which is basically a gelling agent that gives jams and jellies their texture. It is a starch found naturally in fruits and vegetables, so a lot of recipes for canning use a bit of acid to create the thickening needed. (I’ve also used chia seeds to create this texture in the past too.)
Ingredients (makes about 6 half pint jars):
5 apples, peeled and diced (about 7.5 cups) – I used honeycrisp apples
Barbecue season is upon us, and many of us are hoping to enjoy some socially distant outdoor time with friends and family. So I wanted to share the perfect recipe to bring along to a barbecue: homemade baked beans!
This recipe takes about an hour and a half to make but can be made ahead of time. The beans can be served warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients (makes 10 servings):
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used a yellow pepper)
2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 tablespoon hot sauce (I used Tobasco Chipotle)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons stone ground mustard (or any mustard you prefer)
This past weekend was my husband’s birthday. So to celebrate, I made him a special treat with some of his favorite ingredients: Almond Peach Crisp! My husband absolutely loves peaches, so I try to make him peachy foods from time to time.
This recipe makes about two servings, but can easily be multiplied to serve a crowd (I was afraid if I made too much, he’d eat it all in one sitting!)
Ingredients (serves 2, multiply as needed):
Peach Filling:
2 (10 oz bags) frozen sliced peaches, defrosted
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
a pinch of salt
Almond Crumble:
1/4 cup each of:
flour
old-fashioned oats
brown sugar
sliced almonds
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
I can’t tell you how many times my InstantPot has saved me for dinner. All too often, I’ll look up from my computer at 7pm and realize I haven’t even thought about what we are going to eat! This recipe for Pressure Cooker Chicken Adobo is one of those time-saver meals – it takes about 45 minutes to make. (For comparison, my Pork Belly Adobo recipe takes about 2 hours to make, not including time to let the meat marinate!)
This recipe comes together quickly but tastes like it’s been cooking all day. Ah, the magic of the InstantPot!
Ingredients:
4 drumsticks
4 chicken thighs
ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 large onion, chopped
2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
I know I’m a little late to the “whipped coffee” or Dalgona coffee trend, but I wanted to hold out for St. Patrick’s Day to make this awesome Whipped Irish Coffee!
Whipped coffee became quite the trend early in the pandemic. It’s made by whisking equal parts instant coffee granules, sugar, and hot water until it holds stiff peaks. You serve it on top of hot or warm milk, and then stir to combine, so adding whiskey to this lovely mix seemed like a no brainer to me.
Irish coffee is actually traditionally enjoyed the opposite way… kind of. Whiskey, sugar, and coffee are stirred together and then topped with heavy cream, while this whipped Irish coffee has the milk on the bottom rather than on top (although with whipped coffee, you do stir the milk and coffee together before enjoying). This recipe is to make the whipped Irish coffee iced, but you can easily adapt it to use warmed milk instead. If you’re looking for another spin on an Irish coffee, I also have a recipe for a Frozen Clover Cocktail you might want to try.
Ingredients (makes 2 servings):
1/4 cup instant coffee granules (normal ground coffee won’t work!)
1/4 cup sugar (or brown sugar to make it a touch more of a traditional Irish coffee)
I have used Butcher Box(note: affiliate link) for a while now, and love the quality of the meat and seafood they offer. I tend to switch up what comes in my boxes so I can work with different cuts. My latest box had a boneless pork butt, so I figured it was about time I created and shared a pressure cooker pulled pork recipe.
I do have a few other pulled pork recipes on my blog, and they are all fantastic, but they are slow cooker based. So here’s a recipe that helps get that yummy pulled pork on your table a bit faster using an Instant Pot or other multi cooker without losing that cooked-all-day flavor!
I’m having a little bit of a red velvet takeover on this blog. After making the Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies, I knew I wanted to make a Whoopie Pie version perfect for the holidays, specifically Red Velvet Peppermint Whoopie Pies! In case you don’t know what a whoopie pie is, they are cake-like cookies with creamy goodness sandwiched in between. They are quite popular in the Philadelphia area due to the influence of the Pennsylvania Dutch. In fact, I had whoopie pies at my wedding (along with cannolis and cupcakes)!
Whoopie pies are a lot easier to make than they look (I promise). These little guys are filled with a peppermint cream cheese filling, so they will get you right in the holiday spirit in no time!
Ingredients (makes 12 whoopie pies):
Red Velvet Cookies (makes 24 cookies):
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
2/3 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (0.67 oz) tube gel red food coloring, about 1 tablespoon
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Peppermint Cream Cheese Filling:
2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
I am a big fan of my slow cooker (I have 50+ slow cooker recipes on my blog); especially recipes I can set them and walk away (or leave my house) for 4 to 8 hours. But like a lot of people, I’ve been home quite a bit more, given the pandemic, so I decided to try to make a recipe that requires you to stay a bit closer to your slow cooker – Slow Cooker Granola.
My mother-in-law mentioned making granola in her slow cooker, and how great the results were, so I wanted to try to make my own version!
This recipe is very adaptable, you can substitute in any nut, oil, liquid sweetener, and dried fruit you prefer. This recipe also makes a good amount of granola, but if your house is anything like mine, it will be gone before you know it!
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
5 cups old fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free oats to ensure this is gluten-free)
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds (or any nut you prefer; omit to make nut-free)
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon each of
ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg
salt
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup agave (or maple syrup or honey if you prefer)
1 tablespoon almond extract (or vanilla extract to make nut-free)
Note: I was sent a bottle of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
It seems like everyone has really taken to home baking while staying-at-home during this pandemic. I’ve been impressed with everyone’s sourdoughs, banana breads, and other baked goods! So why not add another awesome option to your repertoire: Cinnamon Rolls, or more specifically, Brioche Cinnamon Rolls!
Nielsen-Massey recently published a new video showing how to Knead Dough by Hand, which comes in handy while making this recipe.
This recipe for Brioche Cinnamon Rolls is based off a recipe from the Nielsen-Massey website as well.
Ingredients:
Dough:
2 tablespoons milk
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 2/3 cups flour, divided
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large whole eggs, divided
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cubed
Cinnamon Roll Filling:
1 cup almond flour
1 egg white
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Pure Almond Extract
Vanilla Icing:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract
Note: I received a bottle of Nielsen-Massey’s Pure Vanilla Extract in order to write this post. All opinions are mine alone.
I have quite a few holiday cookie recipes on my blog. I even highlight a cookie recipe on my Instagram every day leading up to Christmas. But I have never tried to make fudge before. So when Nielsen-Massey contacted me about highlighting their Holiday Flavors Bundle, I was excited to find a holiday-themed Gingerbread Fudge in their recipe section!
The fudge uses Nielsen-Massey’s Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, one of the extracts included in the Holiday Flavors Bundle. The Holiday Flavors Bundle also includes their Pure Almond Extract and their Pure Peppermint Extract, so you’re all set for your holiday baking!
Source: https://nielsenmassey.com
Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract, like Nielsen-Massey’s Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
sprinkles, if desired (I used red and green sprinkles)
I can’t believe the holidays are almost here! This year, we are heading up to my husband’s brother’s house, and I’m in charge of bringing a dessert. I’ve been testing different recipes for a couple of weeks now, and this Eggnog Bundt Cake is definitely the winner!
Not only will it travel well (hooray!) it’s simple to make and has the flavors of the season.
The richness of the eggnog with a hint of nutmeg is in both the bundt cake and the glaze. (There is no alcohol in this cake though!)
Note: I was sent OXO’s 8-Piece POP Container Baking Set in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
Have you picked up on my love of S’mores yet? 🙂 As a city girl, I don’t get the opportunity to enjoy an actual s’mores over an open fire very often, so I love creating the same flavors at home in baked goods and other treats. So you know I jumped on the opportunity to make a batch of Marc Murphy’s Smores Cookies to support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.
Every year, OXO makes a commitment to donate up to $100,000 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, donating $100 for every blog post (like this one). In order to help me make this post, OXO sent over their new 8-Piece POP Container Baking Set.
source: https://www.cookiesforkidscancer.org/
I have been using POP Containers for years, and couldn’t wait to use the new and improved versions! As always, the POP containers are a must-have to keep your pantry organized. The clear containers are airtight, stackable, space-efficient, and the new versions are completely dishwasher safe! I use POP containers for everything from my baking supplies to grains, lentils, dried beans… you name it! The 8 piece baking set includes two 0.4 qt containers (great for baking powder, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, etc.), one 1.1 qt container (perfect for brown sugar), and two 4.4 qt containers (sized to fit 5 lb bags of flour and sugar), along with some other baking-centric goodies: two 1/2 cup scoops that secure to the underside of the lids and a brown sugar terracotta saver that keeps brown sugar soft and clump-free. Besides now being completely dishwasher safe, another upgrade is the handy fill line, so you don’t overfill your POP containers.
source: oxo.com
I couldn’t wait to fill up my new POP containers. I used the 4.4 quart containers for flour and sugar (I clearly need to add sugar to my grocery list!), and added the 1/2 cup measuring scoops to the containers. I filled the 1.1 quarter container with light brown sugar, and, after soaking the Brown Sugar Saver in water for 15 minutes, secured it to the underside of the lid.
Lastly, I filled the 0.4 quart containers with baking soda (hooray! no more worrying about the potency of my open baking soda!) and my graham cracker crumbs.
I adjusted the original recipe just a bit, so visit this link if you’d like to see the original.
Before I share the recipe for these absolutely amazing Tahini Millionaire Bars, I first wanted to describe what a traditional Millionaire Bar is. Millionaire Bars, or Millionaire Shortbread, are layered bars consisting of shortbread, caramel, and chocolate.
I love making millionaire bars as a make ahead dessert for parties.
Recently, I was experimenting with the concept of millionaire bars, but wanted to try to incorporate a new flavor into the mix – tahini!
Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds and has a consistency a bit thinner than peanut butter. The nutty flavor works great with chocolate and caramel!
This recipe for Tahini Millionaire Bars also uses almond flour to bring out even more nuttiness, so these bars are also gluten free!
I don’t eat many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches these days. But on the rare occasion that I make myself one, I’m in heaven. There are few combinations as good as sweet jelly and salty peanut butter! Which is why I’m so excited to share this recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Cookies!
I have a recipe for peanut butter cookies passed down from my great grandmother that I make every Christmas. So when I had a recent craving for PBJ, I figured a cookie version of it would be a fantastic adaptation! The cookie recipe below is based off of my great grandmother’s original recipe but is adapted slightly (I’m pretty sure peanut butter chips didn’t exist when she made this recipe!) And if you’re looking for other yummy cookie recipes, you can find plenty here!
Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter chips
2 (12 oz) jars jelly of your choice (I went with blackberry jelly. Feel free to use your favorite flavor)
I love the combination of chocolate and pumpkin together. So when I was trying to think of an update to a traditional cookie, my mind went right to these flavors, which brings me to this recipe for Chocolate Pumpkin Rugelach.
Rugelach are the perfect cookies for this combo. Traditional rugelach uses an apricot spread that is sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, walnuts, and raisins, and then rolled into a spiral. The pumpkin butter takes the place of the apricot spread, and mini chocolate chips are substituted in for the walnuts and raisins.
