Blueberry Lavender Jam

Lavandula; The lavenders (Lavandula) are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region south to tropical Africa and to the southeast regions of India. The genus includes annuals, herbaceous plants, subshrubs, and small shrubs. The native range extends across the Canary Islands, North and East Africa, south Europe and the Mediterranean, Arabia, and India. Because the cultivated forms are planted in gardens world-wide, they are occasionally found growing wild, as garden escapees, well beyond their natural range. Because lavender cross-pollinates easily, however, there are countless variations within the species. The color of its flowers has come to be called lavender. Lavandula photo by: John Crellin




Lavender is one of my favorite plants and at one time I had seventeen varieties of Lavandula thriving in my formal gardens. But due to a very cold, dry winter in 1996, even though I heavily mulched, I lost all of them along with many other plants! And 1997 was the saddest spring of my life!

I love to add lavender to recipes and have a delicious Grilled Lavender Chicken recipe that even Mr. Tastebuds enjoys! So I was thrilled when I found the recipe for Blueberry Lavender Jam. But not being a blueberry lover I was surprised at just how good this jam was and proceeded to eat two toasted English Muffins loaded up with butter and this wonderful sweet jam!







Blueberry Lavender Jam
Recipe adapted from Country Living Magazine

2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
1-11 1/2 oz can frozen white grape juice concentrate
3 cups fresh blueberries, washed and drained

1. Make a lavender sachet: Cut a piece of cheesecloth into a 6-inch square, place lavender in the center, and tie into a bundle with kitchen twine.

2. Cook the jam: In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring lavender sachet, grape juice concentrate, and blueberries to a boil. Stir constantly to prevent burning until the berry mixture jells -- about 20 minutes. (To test whether mixture has jelled, place a teaspoonful on a plate and let cool to room temperature. Lightly touch the berry mixture with your finger to see if it has consistency of jelly. If not, continue to cook for 10 more minutes and check again by using the same test.) Cover and steep for 2 hours.

3. Store the jam: Remove the lavender sachet and discard. Divide the jam between 2 pint jars. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.








All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

TFF - Blueberry Crumble

I love using what's commonly thought of as savory herbs in desserts. I've used Tarragon and Basil in cream cheese frosting and it's just wonderful! So when I found Tyler's recipe for Blackberry Crumble and he had added fresh Rosemary I knew I had to try it.

Of course I had to change the recipe just a little bit. I added blueberries along with the blackberries. And in order to make the topping crumble I had to add more flour as well. I was not sure how much 3 sprigs of Rosemary was and since Rosemary is quite a strong herb, I was cautious and minced just enough for 1 1/2 tsp and this seemed to work out just fine. And after tasting the Crumble, Tarragon would work out fabulously as well!!

It was so overcast that I had a hard time taking a good photograph. Finally gave up and moved outside where it was 98 degrees with about 100% humidity. If you look closely at my photos you can see the ice cream melting! ;)







Blackberry Crumble
Recipe adapted from "Real Kitchen" by Tyler Florence

Crumble:
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 c sugar
1 c all-purpose flour (I had to add abt 1/2 c. extra flour)
Needles from 2 rosemary sprigs (I used abt 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh Rosemary. Tarragon would work well too)

Filling:
2 quarts fresh blackberries ( I used blackberries and blueberries)
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c cornstarch
Juice of 1 lemon

Option: Top with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, fresh raspberries and blackberries


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the crumble topping, mash together the butter, sugar, flour, and rosemary in a large bowl. The best way to do this is with your hands. I had to add about 1/2 c. extra flour to make the topping crumbly.

In a large bowl, mix the blackberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice together. Pour the blackberry filling into a 9x13-inch glass baking pan; even it out with a spatula. Crumble the topping over the blackberry mixture. Bake for 1 hour on a nonstick cookie sheet (to catch any overflow) until the topping is brown and the fruit is bubbly.

Serve the crumble with a cloud of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and garnish with fresh red raspberries and blackberries. Make sure the crumble is still a little warm so the ice cream will melt.







Please visit Tyler Florence Fridays and see what the rest of Tyler's groupies are up too this week.







All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Some Spring Cupcakes

I have not posted any cupcakes in a very long time. But I have to confess I've not been baking many cupcakes. Sadly, I think I've lost my cupcake mojo. To help me get back into the swing of things, I baked some Spring Time Cupcakes. I used a new recipe and whipped up one of my feathered fruit frosting and decorated with sprinkles and candy.

The cupcakes were delicious and did not last long at all which was a good thing being it was a very hot and humid 90 degree day. I arranged the cupcakes and went to get my camera and when I returned the frosting was beginning to collapse. OH NO...but that's what happens to any frosting on a hot, humid day. One solution to collapsing cupcakes is to eat them...eat them very fast!







Easy One-Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Recipe Zaar

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening (I used room temperature butter)
3/4 cup half-and-half cream
1 tablespoon vanilla or 1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract (I used 1 tsp vanilla)
2 large egg

Set oven to 350 degrees.

1. Cream butter and sugar until smooth.
2. With an electric mixer gradually add cream, vanilla, eggs and beat on medium speed, scraping the bowl constantly until just blended
3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and add to wet ingredients. Beat on low speed until well blended.
4. Pour into paper-lined regular size muffin tins filling about each liner about 2/3 full.
5. Bake about 20 minutes or until the cupcakes test done (do not over bake as they will be dry).
6. Immediately remove from pans.
7. Cool completely before frosting.



Plum Feathered Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe developed by Big Black Dog

8 ounces cold cream cheese
1 stick butter, firm but not cold
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 fresh purple plums

To make pulp: Cut fruit from pit of plum. Put fruit in blender or food processor and process until smooth and peel is minced as finely as possible. In a small sauce pan heat pulp until it thickens to the consistency of thick ketchup. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Cool. Put in refrigerator until completely chilled.

To make frosting: Combine butter, salt, 2 tsp chilled pulp and cream cheese in mixer and beat on medium speed 2-3 minutes. Add sugar until just incorporated. Don’t over mix. It should be thick but not fluffy. Add vanilla.







All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Fight Back Friday and The Vanilla Conspiracy

I am so tired of flavoring everything with vanilla. Looking back over the years, I've used jugs of the stuff. I've tried the popular and exotic varieties Mexican, Madagascar and Tahitian. And I even tried the natural route with scraping vanilla beans, grinding vanilla beans and even making my own vanilla. Frankly I can't tell the difference any more. It's all just plain vanilla to me.

Lately I'm finding some recipes calling for 2 tsp upwards to 1 TBL vanilla. And it does not stop with just baking, there's vanilla body cream, vanilla lotion, vanilla flavored lip gloss and vanilla scented candles! I guess if we do not ingest enough vanilla, we can now absorb it through our skin too? But when I discovered Vanilla Salt, it all began to make sense.

Is OVEC (Organization of Vanilla Exporting Countries) controlling this substance, increasing the varieties and potency until we are all addicted and dependent? Is Area 51 really a hydroponic vanilla farm? Could vanilla be the intricate thread that weaves a One World Government? Is the Catholic Church involved? The Masons? Maybe Martha? What's the significance of the mysterious "V" on the one dollar bill?

Well, I'm not going to be fooled any longer and I'm standing up and just saying NO to vanilla! It's time to start the weaning process and try something new! And I'm pretty sure you have some wonderful possibilities within arm's reach in your own kitchen.

Click here to continue.



All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes....so good!

Summer is coming and I'm beginning to think of lazy days and lemonade. We just had a horrible Winter Storm last week and although the snow is almost melted now, having a Spring snow storm is down right depressing. I took pictures of the morning after the storm and you can see how our property looks after 12 hours of sleet, freezing rain and snow.

To boost our moods I decided to make some happy cupcakes. I've not made cupcakes in a few weeks and I miss them! What is not happy about a little cake full of sweetness and sunshine!







For the Lemonade Cupcakes I adapted my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe from "Small Batch Baking" by Debby Maugans Nakos.







Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Recipe developed by Big-Black-Dog

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp Instant Pink Lemonade Mix (I used Crystal Lite)
4 large strawberries, carefully diced

Makes 9-10 regular sized cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 10 muffin cups with baking cups and set aside.

Cream butter, sugar and lemonade mix until fluffy. Add vanilla, soda, salt and eggs yolks. Mix in buttermilk and gradually add flour.

Clean berries and remove the stem. With a very sharp knife slice the berries and then dice into 1/4" pieces careful to not crush the berries. If the berries are crushed and then added to the cupcakes, there will be too much moisture and your cupcakes will not bake properly.

Fill each baking cup with about a TBL of batter. Then sprinkle in each cup 5-6 pieces of fresh strawberry. Then add more batter per cup filling each to about 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until a test straw can be cleanly removed.


Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe adapted from Sprinkle's Cupcakes

8 ounces cold cream cheese
1 stick butter, firm but not cold
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine butter, salt, and cream cheese in mixer and beat on medium speed 2-3 minutes. Add sugar until just incorporated. Don’t over mix. It should be thick but not fluffy. Add vanilla.









All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Ol' Fashioned Fudge Brownies

This is my sister's recipe and it's been our family's Brownie Recipe for as long as I can remember. I must confess, and this is difficult from a chocolate addict, but I don't care for Brownies. And as unAmerican as it might be I don't like Chocolate Chip Cookies either!

Fudge Brownies was submitted by my sister and published in "Family Treasured Recipes" a fundraising cookbook organized by the Schnee Elementary School PTA. Schnee was the school I attended while living in Cuyahoga Falls, OH in the '60s. We lived in Cuyahoga Falls for 3 years and I remember having a crush on Brad Lutz the entire time I lived there. On moving day, Brad sort of hung out around our house all day long. :) While I was growing up, my Dad was transferred here and there and everywhere and we averaged about 2 years in any given place. I was sad to leave our home and friends in Cuyahoga Falls but at the same time I was excited to move back to Michigan.

I made the Brownies for my husband on Valentine's Day. And Mr. Tastebud's ate every single one and he was very happy! I decided to up the ante a bit and added a TBL of Nocello, an Italian Walnut Liqueur. Although I only had a few bites of brownie, I do think they were much better with the Nocello! It added a deep buttery walnut flavor and intensified the chocolate.

Nocello has quite an interesting history best described by Internet Wines.

"Nocello, from the Emeligia-Romagna region of Italy, reigns as the pride of Modena, Italy. It was first produced by Monasteries in the Middle Ages as a medicinal curative, but was soon recognized as a sacred treat. According to local superstition, the green walnuts must be picked on Midsummer's Day. The time of picking is essential because of the delicate and ever-changing flavor of the nut. The walnuts must be picked and shelled delicately, then they are soaked in brown oak casks of alcohol in their shells for two years. Distillation follows the aging process, secret ingredients are added, and then the Nocello is ready. When done properly, this long and delicate process creates a velvety chocolate-colored liqueur with hints of sweetness and a slightly bitter finish. It is also known as a digestive aid."





Fudge Brownies
Recipe adapted from my sister, Sherry

2 sq baking chocolate
1/3 c. butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Optional:
1 TBL Nocello
Nuts for topping

Melt chocolate and butter together. Beat in sugar, eggs, vanilla, nuts and Nocello. Add flour, baking powder and salt sifted together to above mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes in a 8x8" greased pan. Do not over bake brownies.





My Brownies laced with Nocello are my entry in Fiesta Italiana hosted by Maryann of Finding La Dolce Vita and Marie of Proud Italian Cook







After our last little blizzard, the sky was such a gorgeous blue I could not resist snapping a few pictures of our property and sharing them.












All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

The Vanilla Conspiracy

I am so tired of flavoring everything with vanilla. Looking back over the years, I've used jugs of the stuff. I've tried the popular and exotic varieties Mexican, Madagascar and Tahitian. And I even tried the natural route with scraping vanilla beans, grinding vanilla beans and even making my own vanilla. Frankly I can't tell the difference any more. It's all just plain vanilla to me.

Lately I'm finding some recipes calling for 2 tsp upwards to 1 TBL vanilla. And it does not stop with just baking, there's vanilla body cream, vanilla lotion, vanilla flavored lip gloss and vanilla scented candles! I guess if we do not ingest enough vanilla, we can now absorb it through our skin too? But when I discovered Vanilla Salt, it all began to make sense.

Is OVEC (Organization of Vanilla Exporting Countries) controlling this substance, increasing the varieties and potency until we are all addicted and dependent? Is Area 51 really a hydroponic vanilla farm? Could vanilla be the intricate thread that weaves a One World Government? Is the Catholic Church involved? The Masons? Maybe Martha? What's the significance of the mysterious "V" on the one dollar bill?

Well, I'm not going to be fooled any longer and I'm standing up and just saying NO to vanilla! It's time to start the weaning process and try something new! And I'm pretty sure you have some wonderful possibilities within arm's reach in your own kitchen.





Fruit Juice -- Some fruit juices (for citrus fruit see below), apple, pomegranate, cranberry, prune, cherry, pineapple, peach etc, must be reduced due to the amount of water in the juice. In a small sauce pan add 1 c. of fruit juice. Over low heat simmer until juice is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Juice reduces quickly and due to the natural sugar content can burn so do not leave unattended and keep the burner LOW. Cool before adding to any recipe. For most recipes I add at least 1 TBL reduced juice and sometimes end up using all the reduction! A reduced fruit juice does not keep long so only make as much as you can use at any given time.

Citrus -- I use fresh Orange, Lemon and Limes and juice them. I use 1 TBL citrus in most recipes. I also add zest to the recipe to increase the flavor. And by zest I mean I zest the entire fruit and use all of it.


Cider -- A true cider is unfiltered, cloudy and should be much thicker then juice. So it's already somewhat concentrated but you still need to reduce for use in a recipe. Use the same reduction recipe as for Fruit. Reduced apple cider will add an explosion of flavor and is wonderful in donuts, pancakes and frostings, and very good in Carrot Cake!

Waters -- Rose, Orange or Kewra waters are fabulous. I use them often in frostings. I start with 1 tsp Rose, Orange or Kewra Water and add more if need be. Although the flavor is somewhat subdued, it adds the most heavenly aroma. Essence stands up better in baking but the concentrate varies per brand so I would start with a 2-3 drops and adjust for taste.

On a side note, I have a shaker of Rosewater on my table when we having "finger" food such as corn on the cob, french fries, tacos or ribs. It nice to sprinkle a bit of rosewater on your hands to refresh after dinner and your guests will forever remember your table.

Syrups -- Of course the first syrup that comes to mind is Maple Syrup which is so good and my Dad's favorite! But if using some commercial syrup brands read the labels carefully. The titles sound so intriguing but pomegranate syrup does not really taste like pomegranate and it's best to reduce the juice and make your own. But some of the varieties do sound intriguing, Toasted Marshmallow for instance. If a syrup passes my taste test, I begin by adding 1 tsp at a time, until I'm happy with the overall taste. Watch at Tuesday Mornings, Homegoods and TJMax and you can pick up bottles of flavored syrup for $3-5.


Vinegar -- I use balsamic vinegar in place of vanilla in any chocolate baked good and LOVE IT! If your willing to give it a try, I use 1 TBL Balsamic Vinegar per recipe. If I'm in a real feisty mood I will use 1-2 TBL!



Liqueurs -- Oh these are the most fun and the varieties seem endless. Lately the markets seem on overload with new liqueurs or maybe I've just finally noticed! I rarely ever shopped in a liquor store before, but now I look at it as a treasure hunt. I love to find the 1 lone, dust-covered bottle of some obscure liqueur pushed way in the back and beyond reach. It's like finding gold! In most recipes I've used 1 TBL Liqueur, but taste it and if you think it needs more add 1 tsp at a time.



Last year my husband gave me a bottle of Nocello Walnut Liqueur for Christmas. I sat the bottle in my kitchen, savoring the perfect day to open it. Finally, when that day came, the smell was intoxicating and the taste is beyond description...sort of like buttery walnuts but not quite. I save the Nocello for very special occasions, like my V-day brownies!






Dark Rum -- YUMMY and one of my favorites. If the recipe calls for vanilla try using 1 TBL Dark Rum and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. It is de-licious! Dark Rum is especially good in flans and puddings and in browned-butter frosting...to die for!



Infused Liquor -- I've been looking for Gran Centenario Rosangel, a hibiscus-infused Tequila. Doesn't it sound wonderful! So far no luck in my area but maybe next Christmas I'll put it on my list! Even if this does not work out for a recipe, how refreshing does a Hibiscus Margarita sound! I want one now!








Next on my list is corn syrup...it's in everything!




Fight Back Friday is hosted by Food Renegade. Please visit and see what the other Renegades are up to!



All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog