Savory Cheddar and Pepper Jelly Cookies

My goodness my blog has been orange lately! In fact I've posted three orange-colored recipes in the last few weeks, Carrot Cake Jam, Basil Banana Pepper Jelly and Pickled Carrots! And since I had several people ask me what I do with my Hot Pepper Jellies, I am posting another orange recipe today but this time it's cookies!

I have to admit that I think the Savory Cheddar and Pepper Jelly Cookies are about the best cookie I have ever tasted and I remember exactly the day I tasted my first one. I was at a friend's house for a long weekend and she loves to cook and bake. So you can imagine how much food there was plus at least six or seven different varieties of cookies. I remember looking at the platter of cookies and picking out a few to try. Well, when I bit into the Cheddar cookie with the delicious tangy, spicy filling, I immediately returned to the platter and took a few more cheddar cookies and then a few more. No one else could get near the cookie platter...LOL!

The Cheddar Cookies are very easy to make and only have four ingredients, butter, Cheddar Cheese, flour and Pepper Jelly. But don't let the limited ingredients fool you, these cookies pack a punch, an excellent tasting punch too! Also, it is a small recipe and I always double it but still the cookies are gone within 24 hours. I use my home-canned Pepper Jellies and for this recipe I used the last of my Habanero Gold Jelly. But you can use any store brand of Pepper Jelly as long as it's made with some variety of hot pepper. You do need the spicy, hot pepper flavor to balance the Cheddar Cheese so make sure to read the label carefully.





Savory Cheddar and Pepper Jelly Cookies
Recipe adapted from "Thanksgiving 101" by Rick Rodgers

8 oz (2 cups) Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
6 TBL (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup flour
1/3 cup hot pepper jelly

Place cheese and butter in a food processor (could be creamed by hand or mixer); add flour and process until the mixture forms a soft dough. Gather up the dough and divide into two flat disks. Wrap in wax paper and freeze until chilled, about 45 minutes. (You really don't need to chill the dough)

Position two racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 400°. Line two baking sheets with parchment or use nonstick sheets.

Using 1 teaspoon dough for each, roll the dough into small balls and place 1 inch apart on the sheets. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or 1/2-inch-thick dowel, poke an indentation in each cookie. I use the handle of my dough whisk to form the indentation for the jelly. Place a dollop of the jelly into the indentations.

Return to the oven and bake, switching the positions of the sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking, until the tops are very lightly browned, about 10 minutes. (Cookies will continue to crisp as they cool.) Transfer to racks and cool completely. Recipe makes about 20 cookies.

Can be baked up to two days ahead. Store at room temperature in an airtight container and separate layers with wax paper.








All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Carrot Bread with Carrot Cake Jam

We've had such gorgeous weather the last few days, I'm almost ready to put my flannel-lined bluejeans away for another season! Today I was outside for the better part of the day in a long-sleeved t-shirt and I loved every minute of it! Spring is such a fun time of the year! And I am anxious to get into spring cooking which always means lots of vegetables, big salads and grilled beef!

One of my favorite vegetables is carrot so I was happy to see that Carrot Bread was on the agenda for HBinFive. Besides the usual Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Salt and Yeast, the recipe calls for Coconut, Carrots, Walnuts and Dried Fruit. After much indecision, I decided to use dried apples and cherries for the fruit.

Then I took a look at my somewhat long ToDo List which is always lurking in the back of my mind and decided to make some Carrot Cake Jam which I thought would pair nicely with the Carrot Bread. But the jam recipe called for Powdered Pectin and I've never worked with it before. I have no problem with Liquid Pectin but the Powdered can be tricky. My fears were unfounded because my jam came out just fine but don't you think I need more practice? One success could have been a fluke, right? Just to be on the safe side, I think I should make more jam!



See that gorgeous blue sky..spring is finally here!


Carrot Cake Jam
Recipe adapted from The Complete Book of Home Preserving

1 1/2 cups grated, peeled carrots
1 1/2 cups cored, peeled pears
1 3/4 cups canned pineapple, including juice
3 TBL lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 package of powdered pectin
6 1/2 cups sugar

In a large saucepan, combine carrots, pears, pineapple with juice, lemon juice, and spices. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in pectin until dissolved. Bring back to a full boil, add sugar all at once, bring back to another boil and boil hard for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, skim off foam. Ladle into sterilized jars with 1/4 inch head space. Process jars in a BWB for 5 minutes.

Makes 6 half pints.











All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Pickled Carrots

Carrots?? Yes, carrot is the theme for this months Can Jam. Carrots can not be canned in a Boiling Water Bath and since I don't own a Pressure Canner, my only alternative is to pickle them. So here I am faced with picking a recipe for Pickled Carrots..okay now say that three times really fast!

I looked but could not find a recipe I thought would work for us. And when I'm in a situation like this, I usually call my Mom. But she said she never canned pickled carrots and come to think of it I don't remember my Mom pickling much of anything! Darn, I can usually count on Mom for a recipe!

But I did finally find a Pickled Carrot recipe in a pamphlet from our local County Extension Office and with some minor additions, black pepper corns and fresh Dill, it should be pretty good. But I can't tell for sure until I taste them in a month or so. But if anything, my Pickled Carrots are pretty but of course I'm partial to anything in a canning jar!





Pickled Carrots

2¾ pounds peeled carrots
5½ cups white distilled vinegar at least 5% acidity
1 cup water
2 cups sugar or Splenda (I used Splenda)
6 tsp black pepper corns
2 teaspoons canning salt
8 teaspoons mustard seed
4 teaspoons celery seed
4 large cloves of garlic, cut in half
1 large sprig of fresh Dill per pt jar

Makes 4 Pints

1. Clean and peel the carrots. You can slice the carrots crosswise into rounds or slice them into sticks. I used the Baby Carrots which just fit a 1/2 pint jar perfectly.

2. In a large pot combine the vinegar, salt, sugar or Splenda and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and boil for about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add carrots and bring to a boil.

4. Prepare the jars. Put 2 tsp mustard seed, 1 tsp celery seed, 8-10 Black Pepper Corns in the bottom of each clean, hot pint jar.

5. Pack the hot jars with the hot carrots, leaving 1/2" head space. Pack the jars fairly tightly. I packed my carrots standing on end which was not easy with a hot jar and hot carrots but it can be done!

6. Don't forget to add your slices of garlic and sprig of fresh Dill per jar.

7. I used my pyrex measuring cup to pour the hot pickling liquid into each jar. Still making sure to leave at least 1/2" of head space. The carrots should be totally covered with the pickling liquid.

8. Remove air bubbles by sliding a knife inside the jar or gently shaking the jar. Adjust head space if needed.

9. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel and put the lids on each jar. Make sure that you screw the lid on to just finger tighten.

10. Process jars in a Boiling Water Bath for 10 minutes. Remove and place on a flat surface covered with a thick kitchen towel. Let cool.

11. Anything pickled should be left unopened for at least a week, to let the flavors develop.







Can Jam, a monthly canning event, is hosted by Tigress of Tigress in a Jam. Canning is so much fun, you really should try it! The February Theme, Carrots, was chosen by fellow CanJammer, Doris and Jilly Cook.










Into my 7th week of the Ten in 10 Challenge. I'm still doing my weight exercises every day while I watch the news. And I've started repeating the exercises while watching the Olympics. I find that if I have something interesting to watch on TV I will exercise longer! However, last week I was sick for the entire week so did not work out at the gym at all. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. By the way, even though I am not dieting, I've lost 6 lbs.





All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Light Citrus Strawberry Spread

I love to can late at night when everyone is asleep and I'm all alone in my kitchen. I count out the lids and get the water bath ready. I prep the vegetables or fruit and sneak a little taste here and there. I sterilize my jars and line them up, squeaky clean and gleaming, on my kitchen counter. The smell of the fresh tomatoes or peaches fills the air as it comes to a boil! I carefully fill the jars with the recipe du jour, screw on the lid and then and only then is it ready for the finale.... the Boiling Water Bath (BWB). After twenty minutes, I remove the jar and wait in anticipation to hear the most wonderful sound in the world and that's the PING of a sealing lid! I swear I can hear the PING three rooms away!

When I get up in the morning and wander into the kitchen for my first cup of coffee, and see all my jars lined up, I feel so accomplished. Is there anything more gorgeous then freshly canned goodness?







Light Citrus Strawberry Spread
Recipe adapted from "The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving" by Ellie Topp

Makes 8 - 4oz jars

1 large orange
4 c strawberries, washed and hulled
1 TBL lemon juice
2 TBL granulated sugar
1 box light (low-sugar) fruit pectin
1 c granular low-calorie sweetener (I used Natur, All Natural Sweetener)

1. Grate 2 tsp zest from orange; place in a large stainless-steel or enamel saucepan. Remove and discard remaining white rind from orange. Chop pulp and place in a 4 cup measuring cup.

2. Mash strawberries; add to orange. You should have 3 cups of fruit.

3. Combine fruit, lemon juice, sugar, and pectin in saucepan; mix well. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sweetener, return to a boil, and boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly.

4. Ladle into sterilized jars and process in a BWB. Once opened, keep in the refrigerator and use within 3 weeks.

Tasting Notes: This spread which is actually more like a butter, is very tart. I did add an additional 2 TBL granular low-calorie sweetener which was perfect. Mr. Tastebuds loved it and it was very good on Rice Pudding!



I've joined another monthly event! You're probably thinking "Michelle don't you have enough to do?". I know but I hate to miss out on anything and I like being busy! Can Jam, a monthly canning event, is hosted by Tigress of Tigress in a Jam. Canning is so much fun, you should really try it!











I'm now starting my third week of the Ten in 10 Challenge and so far I've worked out 7 times in 10 days...WOOT! And I bought some 2 lb weights to start some weight training at home. I'm going to be following "8 Minutes in the Morning for a Perfect Body" by Jorge Cruise.



All Rights Reserved 2008-10 © BigBlackDog

Apple Maple Butter

The first time I made Apple Maple Butter I could not believe such a gorgeous taste developed from such a simple, no thrills recipe. I now make it several times a year and it's always a welcome addition to our table! I especially like to make my Apple Butter when we're having a winter snow storm and the wonderful smell of apple, cinnamon and maple just fill up the entire house. It just makes me feel so warm when the house smells so good.

I do have to confess that the reason I make butters is because I can not make jelly. For the life of me I can not hit the jell point no matter what thermometer I use and I've tried and tried and tried. But failure leads to other things and in this case my discovery of butters! I dearly love making butters because you can adjust the sugar content and since we'd rather taste the natural flavors rather then sugar, butters work out very well for us. So when making my butters, apple, peach, rose hip, plum or pear I do cut the sugar in half and it's perfectly delicious.

When making my Apple Maple Butter I use at least 3-4 different varieties of apples: Granny Smith, Gala, Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, Macintosh, Fuji, Rome, Cortland or Jonathon but any good cooking apple is just fine. However, I think the addition of Honey Crisp and Cortland made my best batch ever, but these varieties are not easy to find!

And I never peel my apples, yes even for apple pie I use the peel. So much wasted time in peeling each apple and it's so unnecessary. I would never eliminate flavor from a recipe and the apple peel contains so much good flavor, why waste it? So I just take the whole apple and slice off pieces down to the core, chop up to about 1/2" pieces. So simple and no wasting time peeling or coring apples.

To make this recipe even more time saving, I use my crock pot ie: slow cooker. I just dump everything in the slow cooker for about 4-5 hours, on high for the first hour and then I turn it down to low, and let it cook down until it's very thick and then can it up. However, you do not need to use a slow cooker, you can make the Apple Maple Butter on the stove in a heavy-bottomed pan with exactly the same results. However, if using the stove top you will need to stir it often to avoid scorching.








Apple Maple Butter
Recipe adapted from my friend Nancy

12 cups finely chopped apples (about 6 lbs)
6 cups sugar (I use abt 3 c sugar)
1 cup maple syrup (Grade "B" if possible but I usually use Log Cabin Syrup)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice (I use 1/4 tsp allspice)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (I use 1/4 tsp nutmeg)
1/4 teaspoon cloves (I skip)

1. Combine all ingredients in a large deep pan or slow cooker. (See Note if using a slow cooker.) Slowly bring to a boil. Cook until very thick. Stir frequently, so it doesn't stick.

I like my apple butter with small pieces of apple still intact but if you'd like a consistent spread you can use an immersion stick blender or food processor to blend thoroughly. If the butter has cooled, make sure to bring it to a slow boil for 15 minutes before canning.

REMEMBER this is a butter not jelly. So the consistency should be like a VERY thick apple sauce. If you take a spoonful the butter should stay mounded and not flatten out at all. If the butter does not mound it is not thick enough and needs to be simmered for another hour or so.

2. Sterilize 5 pint jars, then place upside down in a 325 F oven for about 15 minutes. Boil 2-piece lids for 20 minutes and then leave submerged in hot water until you need them.

3. Ladle hot apple butter into hot jars to within 1/4 inch of top for head space.

4. Remove air bubbles by sliding a rubber spatula between the glass and butter.

5. Re-adjust the head space to 1/4 inch.

6. Wipe jar rim to remove any stickiness.

7. Center lid on top of jar; apply screw band just until finger tight.

8. Place jars in a hot bath in a canner and process for 10 minutes. Make sure that the jars are completely submerged in water with at least 1" of water above the jar tops.

9. Remove jars and place on a towel.

10. Jars are sealed when the lids pop and are curved down, (concave).

11. Label jars and store in a cool, dark place.

NOTE: If using a slow cooker put all ingredients in the slow cooker. Turn on high until the butter starts to boil and then turn down to low. Stir occasionally.










The End
(But I have 5 more pints!)






Foodie Friday is graciously hosted by Michael of Designs by Gollum. Please visit Designs by Gollum and see more wonderful creations!






All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

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

Cherry Whiz Salsa!

Several years ago a friend mentioned they would like to make a Cherry Peach Salsa from American Spoon that they had purchased. I asked them to send me a jar and I'd see what I could do. I love nothing better then trying to copy excellent recipes.

I waited to try my hand at experimenting with the recipe until the Michigan Peaches were in season because in my opinion there is no better peach then the peaches grown in Michigan! Well after a few tries and adding a little of this and little more of that, I think I nailed it if not made it better!

It's now three years later I am still making my Cherry Whiz Salsa and it's one of our favorites! Now I am not much for hot, spicy food but the Cherry Whiz Salsa has such a nice blend of sweet and spicy that I can't seem to get enough of it. And in the winter when we have two foot of snow on the ground, it tastes especially good.

The Michigan peaches were late this year so I was unable to find fresh cherries and had to use fresh frozen. If I had known frozen cherries would have given me such a beautiful rosey color I would have used them in the first place.

Would you look at that gorgeous color!






Cherry Whiz Salsa
Recipe developed in the kitchen of Big-Black-Dog


6 c chopped peaches (about 5 pounds)
1 large fresh tomato (I used a German Pink Heirloom Tomato)
2 c chopped sweet black cherries
1 1/2 c chopped red onions
3 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 large sweet red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 c finely chopped cilantro
1/2 c white vinegar
2 TBL liquid honey
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1. Sterilize 8, 1/2 pint jars, then place upside down in a 325 F oven for about 15 minutes.

2. Blanch peaches, cool in cold water, peel, pit and chop to about 1/2" pieces to measure 6 cups.

3. Blanch tomato and cool with cold water, peel, remove seeds and cut into chunks.

4. In a large stainless or enamel cooking pot, combine peaches, cherries, tomato, onion, Jalapeno peppers, sweet red pepper, cilantro, vinegar, honey and garlic.

5. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.


6. Adjust seasonings to taste.

7. Add some cayenne pepper if you desire a spicier taste.

8. Ladle salsa into hot jars to within 1/4 inch of top for head space.

9. Remove air bubbles by sliding a rubber spatula between the glass and salsa.

10. Re-adjust the head space to 1/4 inch.

11. Wipe jar rim to remove any stickiness.

12. Center lid on top of jar; apply screw band just until finger tight.

13. Place jars in a hot bath in a canner and process for 10 minutes. Make sure that the jars are completely submerged in water with at least 1" of water above the jar tops.

14. Remove jars and place on a towel.

15. Jars are sealed when the lids pop and are curved down, (concave).

16. Label jars and store in a cool, dark place.







Click!, a photography event, is always hosted by Bee and Jai of Jugalbandi but this month Jugalbandi is also hosting Monthly Mingle. Meeta of What's for Lunch, Honey, is the originator of Monthly Mingle, a themed event for food bloggers.






All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesdays -- Biscuit de Savoie

This week for Whisk Wednesdays are weekly recipe is Biscuit de Savoie or Sponge Cake. As soon as I read the recipe it reminded me of a long ago Home Economics class. When I was in 8th grade we had to take Home Economics, not my favorite subject. But during the cooking section I remember making a Jelly Roll and it was pretty good by 8th grade standards! So in place of just a regular cake I made a Jelly Roll and used some of my home canned Nectarine Raspberry Jam with Drambuie and Cointeau!

The Jelly Roll was fun and very good, but it was a tad on the sweet side. Next time I make a jelly roll I will use fresh fruit and no additional sugar! So after taking my pictures, I packed it up and this baby graced the table at our local firehall! The firemen love me! ;)







Biscuit de Savoie
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

7 eggs, separated
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. potato flour

Garnish:
Confectioner's sugar for dusting
Whipped cream
Fresh fruit, raspberries, strawberries or peaches

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare 10"by15" jelly roll pan by greasing pan and cutting a sheet of parchment paper to fit in the bottom.

Combine the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat with whisk, or an electric mixer, until pale yellow and creamy. Combine the flours and fold into egg mixture.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/3 of the beaten whites into the batter until thoroughly blended. Then gently fold in the remaining whites with a spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan.

Bake at 400F for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cake is golden and springs back when lightly touched.

Dust a large dishtowel with powdered sugar.

When cake comes out of the oven, loosen edges of cake, then place the sugared towel on top of the cake (yes, some will come off), then invert the pan so the cake comes out onto the towel (which should be lying on a table or counter). Trim off the firm edges.

Beginning with the short side, roll cake and towel up together. Place towel wrapped cake on a wire rack and let cool.

When cake is cool, gently unroll and spread with jam (or jelly) and re-roll. Place on a serving plate.

Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar and/or top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with fresh fruit and sprig of fresh mint.





Nectarine Raspberry Jam with Drambuie and Cointeau
Recipe graciously shared by RobinKate at the Harvest Forum

1-1/2 cups sugar
1 1.59-oz pkg Ball® Simple Creations® Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin
2 cups peeled and chopped nectarines
2 Tbsp Drambuie
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Cointreau
2 cups raspberries
5 Plastic Ball® (8 oz) Freezer Jars

1. STIR sugar and contents of pectin package in a bowl until well blended.
2. COMBINE nectarines, Drambuie, lemon juice and Cointreau in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring constantly, until nectarines become soft and transparent, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool 15 minutes.
3. ADD raspberries to nectarines and mix well. Crush raspberries and nectarines with a potato masher. Add fruit mixture to pectin mixture. Stir 3 minutes.
4. LADLE jam into clean jars to fill line. Twist on lids. Let stand until thickened, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.






Sugar High Friday is graciously hosted this month by Candice of Mmm, Tasty. Please visit Mmm, Tasty for some more "local" treats.








Rebecca of Chow and Chatter gave me a Tasty Award! How cool is that! Thanks so much!





All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Daring Bakers and Lavish Crackers!

This month's Daring Bakers challenge was so much fun! We love crackers although I've never made them before, unless you count bread sticks. But I've wanted to try crackers for the longest time. I was so happy when Shel of Musings from the Fishbowl and Natalie of Gluten A Go Go announced this months recipe!!!


Actually I made the Lavish recipe 3 different times. The first time I just put sesame seeds on top. Next I actually added freshly ground pepper to the recipe and 1/2 c. of sour dough starter and topped with coarse salt. And finally, I added ground sesame seeds and again some sour dough starter and then topped with whole sesame seeds. I got this cool sesame seed grinder and just had to try it out and it worked out great. I really like 2 and 3 the best!



Lavish Crackers
Recipe adapted from "The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread" by Peter Reinhart

1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 Tb agave syrup or sugar
1 Tb vegetable oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb water, at room temperature
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test (see http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-if-Bre … ong-Enough for a discription of this) and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

or

2. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

or

4. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

6. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.




All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog

A dehydrating experience

Last year I bought a dehydrator at an Estate Sale for $10. It had never been used, included 7 drying trays and even had the original user's guide and sale receipt inside. Needless to say I was very happy to finally get my dehydrator! But we were still under construction and I was able to use it until now!!

When I was at my Mom's a few weeks ago, we ran into a sale on Compari Tomatoes. A sweet little devil of a tomato and we just love them so I bought a quart. Upon returning home I found that Sam's Club had Compari's in a huge 3 lb. container for a very good price. So we were swimming in Compari Tomatoes and I knew it was time to finally test the dehydrator.







I decided to use my favorite Tomato Drying recipe for my dehydrator test drive and it worked out perfectly and I was very happy with the results. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of the final product. I put the tasty slices in a dish on my kitchen island and within a few hours all were gone. Everyone passing through my kitchen was eating them like candy and of course you can't stop with just one!

You can still oven dry the tomatoes which turn out very well. But it does take some time and having my oven on for 4-5 hours, even though it's a low temperature, I can just imagine the electric meter spinning around and around and around!! The dehydrator takes longer but far less energy and the tomatoes are the same....delicious!







Oven Dried Tomatoes

In large bowl combine:

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar (I use 18 year Balsamic)
1 Tsp. Lemon juice

1. Leave skin on and cut tomatoes into slices about 1/8" thick.
2. Remove seeds.
3. Place tomatoes in the mixture and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours.
4. Set oven on 200 degrees.
5. Take tomatoes out of mixture and spread on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. It's fine if the tomatoes touch.
6. Oven takes about 2-3 hours to dry set at 200 degrees. Size of pieces will determine time.

The Oven Dried Tomatoes freeze beautifully. They are especially wonderful in pasta dishes, salads or just as a snack.


All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog

Another beauty....Zesty Red Onion Jelly!

Rosie, Rosie Bakes a Piece of Cake, and Pixie, You Say Tomahto, I Say Tomayto, are hosting "Putting Up", a Canning Event and my entry is the Zesty Red Onion Jelly. I am so excited finally a blog event involving Canning...one of my favorite kitchen adventures.

I dearly love to can and it is so easy. Really, canning is no big deal, although many people think that it's so time consuming, but truly it's not. Just to show you how easy canning is here is a picture of the total ingredients for Zesty Red Onion Jelly! And this prep probably took me less then 10 minutes to prepare. The most time consuming thing was waiting for the Boiling Water Bath (BWB) to boil!





I did cheat a bit when prepping this recipe. It's best to make Red Onion Jelly when the onions are freshly picked and not wintered. The gorgeous color of the red onion would be stronger. In the back of my mind my natural dyeing experience kicked in and I knew exactly how I could save some of the color. But I'm sure using freshly harvested onions would insure even a deeper hue to the jelly. But I did pretty darn good with the color even with last years onions!


Onion skin, any onion skin, contains dye. So I just immersed the red onion skin in the required 3/4 c. white vinegar and popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds, just enough the to heat the vinegar. It worked beautifully, and more natural dye was infused into the vinegar! YES!!! I left the vinegar to cool to room temperature and then poured it through a strainer. The results were exactly what I had anticipated and saved quite a bit of color.

The Zesty Red Onion Jelly was posted by dear, sweet Zabby on the Harvest Forum at Garden Web. She clipped the recipe from an Ottawa newspaper long since lost to never, never land.





Zesty Red Onion Jelly
Recipe adapted and generously shared by Zabby

1 cup diced red onion
2 tsp lemon zest
3/4 cup white vinegar
3 cups granulated sugar
1 pouch (85 ml [3 fl oz]) liquid pectin


Cut red onion into 1/8 inch slices; cut slices into 1/4 inch dice. Measure 1 cup into a large, deep stainless steel saucepan. With a sharp knife, cut a wide strip of paper-thin yellow peel from lemon; cut into thin strips and measure 2 tsp into saucepan. Stir in vinegar and sugar.

***Over high heat, bring mixture to a full, roiling boil. Stirring constantly, boil hard 1 minute. Remove from heat. Immediately stir in one pouch Liquid Pectin, mixing well.

Pour jelly into a hot jar, dividing solids equally among jars and filling each jar to within 1/4 inch of top rim (head space). Wipe jar rims. Centre lids on jars & screw on bands. Process in BWB 10 minutes.

Cool for about 30 minutes, then, when lids are concave but jelly is still hot, carefully invert & twist jars to distribute solids throughout jelly. (**Do not let them remain upside down for long periods**) Repeat as needed during the cooling/setting time, until solids are nicely suspended.







All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog

By any other Name..Habanero Gold Jelly

I love to can and I love to stand back and look at all my freshly canned jars all lined up and gleaming. And the ping of the lids sealing is just the sweetest sound. And when I open the door to my pantry and see all the goodness just waiting to be opened...gawd there is just nothing more beautiful. My Habanero Jelly is my entry to the Art You Can Eat #3 Go Local blogging event.

Habanero Gold Jelly is our all time favorite and we go through jars of it. We are not jelly fans nor hot pepper fans....who'd a thought!! But it's sweet/tangy taste is absolutely addictive and once you taste it, you can not stop eating it. This addiction problem is why I only can Habanero Gold in half pints!

My friend Carol used her vast canning experience to develop the "Big Batch" version "to increase the small yield...because liquid pectin is expensive". And she did just that, doubling the yield yet not interfering with the taste, and it is fabulous!

The Habanero Gold Jelly Recipe is reprinted in the new "Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving", but they do not credit Mr. Rouleau for developing the original recipe which is a shame.







Carol Clark's "Big Batch" Habanero Gold Jelly or Hot 'N Sweet Confetti Jelly
Recipe inspired by "Bernardin Guide to Home Preserving" by Bob Rouleau


1 cup minced dried apricots (1/8" dice) *See Carol's Notes
1-1/4 total cup minced red sweet pepper and minced red onion (1/8" dice), approximately half-and-half.
1/4 cup Habanero peppers **See Carol's Notes
1-1/2 cups white vinegar
6 cups sugar
1 3-ounce pouch liquid pectin

*Note: Could use dried peaches or pears instead.

**Note: For extra-hot, increase Habaneros to 1/2 cup and reduce red sweet pepper/red onion combination to 1 cup total.

Prep apricots, peppers and onion. Place in a large, stainless or other non-reactive pot. Add sugar and vinegar. Bring to the boil and cook 5 minutes.

Pull off the burner; allow to cool, cover and let sit overnight. Stir occasionally if convenient.

Note: 4-6 hours would be plenty, so the time doesn't need to be any greater than the soaking time for apricots in the original recipe.

Next day, bring the mixture back to the boil and stir in liquid pectin.




Boil hard 1 minute. Pull off the heat. If necessary, skim foam. (I did need to skim a bit.) Let cool 2 minutes, stirring to distribute solids.

Pour into jars. Stir to distribute and remove air bubbles. Do the usual with the jars and lids, Boiling Water Bath 10 minutes. When jars are sealed, "agitate" to distribute solids throughout the jelly.

Reprinted with Carol Clark's written permission.


Pink Popper Jelly
Developed in the Kitchen of Big-Black-Dog and inspired by my friend Carol

Same as Carol's Big Batch Habanero Gold Jelly with the following changes:



3/4 c. minced dried apricots
1/4 c. minced dried cherries
1 1/2 Habneraro peppers, diced (I'm soft when it comes to hot pepper!)

The Pink Popper Jelly is a rosy orange and the taste is just different enough to justify the name change. We love the Pink Popper Jelly and I only use MI Dried Cherries because they're the best!!

In the picture to the right my Pink Popper Jelly is the bottom jar and the Habanero Gold Jelly is the top. You can plainly see the difference in color but you'll have to imagine the taste!



Check out my Savory Cheddar and Jalapeno Jelly Cookies!


All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dogs

Savory Rolls with Sun Dried Tomatoes

My baking buddy Lucy sent me this recipe and I made it and was surprised at how easy it was and so delicious too!! And it's one of those recipes that you can substitute just about any thing in your refrigerator and not be disappointed in the outcome.

And I got to use my new vintage bark cloth pastry cloth to roll out the dough and it worked out beautifully!!! I was at a huge estate sale a few months ago and there were oodles of kitchen items and vintage linens and I stocked up!! The large piece of bark cloth was a true treasure and I thought it would work out as pastry cloth but still it had to be tested. Being I love anything vintage I am thrilled.

Bread rolls with Arugula and Confit Tomatoes
Recipe adapted from Pip in the City

Dough:
Dry yeast, 15 grams (around 1 tablespoon)
Water, 600 cc (around 20 fl oz or 2 1/2 cups)
All-purpose flour (0000), 1 kilo (2.2 pounds)
Salt, 22 grams (1 1/2 tablespoons)
Butter, 85 grams (6 tablespoons)

Filling:
Arugula, 2 bunches
Grated parmesan cheese, 200 grams (around 1 1/4 cups)
Prosciutto or serrano ham, 200 grams, or a bit less than 1/2 a pound (we used bondiola, which is a type of Italian sausage, I´m sure a pastrami would also work great here)
Sun-dried tomatoes, 12 (here, we used confit tomatoes my mother had made, we must have used 20 or so, but they are much milder than sun-dried tomatoes, and much yummier, in my humble opinion)
Olive oil, as needed


My Substitutions and additions:

*I cut the recipe in half and yield was 20 rolls.
*Spinach substituted for Arugula
*No meat
*4 Green Onions, sliced fine

1. For the dough, dissolve the yeast in 100cc of lukewarm water. Add the softened butter and then, little by little, the flour and the salt, alternating this dry mix with the rest of the water (we did this in 3 times).

2. Form a soft dough and knead it for a few minutes.

3. Divide the dough in 2 and shape it like a ball. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.

4. Roll out each of the balls giving it a rectangular shape. Distribute the arugula/spinach leaves on the dough, then the grated cheese, the prosciutto (or bondiola), and the tomatoes and green onions.


5. Sprinkle with a bit of olive oil and roll the rough, starting from the longest side of the rectangle. Cut portions every 1" thick.

6. Put them on slightly-oiled pans or use parchment paper. Cover them and let them double their size.

7. Preheat the oven to 390°.

8. Bake for 25 minutes.


When I make the Savory Rolls again I will make them with Oven Dried Tomatoes and I think they will be even better!


Oven Dried Tomatoes

In large bowl combine:

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar (I use 18 year Balsamic)
1 Tsp. Lemon juice

1. Leave skin on and cut tomatoes into slices about 1/8" thick.
2. Remove seeds.
3. Place tomatoes in the mixture and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. Set oven on 200 degrees.
5. Take tomatoes out of mixture and spread on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. It's fine if the tomatoes touch.
6. They will need to Oven dry for about 4-5 hours. Size of pieces will determine time.

The Oven Dried Tomatoes freeze beautifully. They are especially wonderful in pasta dishes or salads.


All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog

Canning with the Snow Drifts

I am a canner, wholeheartedly and with every breath I take and jar I have!!

But in the winter there are no home grown tomatoes or peaches or apples. So I am not above mail ordering citrus and I found a wonderful Kumquat Grower in Florida that has absolutely gorgeous fruit.

Kumquats have a very thin skin and do not travel well so the Kumquats we have in our stores here in IL are ridiculously expensive and half are rotten or moldy...yuck!! The Kumquat season is December through March so when we're neck deep in snow and sub zero temps, sunshine can be had in a box of Kumquats. Oh how I love Kumquats and eat them whole, seeds and all....pure heaven and I don't even have to bake!

Last year I ordered 10 lbs of Kumquats and when they arrived, it was so fun opening the box of Orange Goodness! We were in construction at the time and we were living in the basement and I had a temporary kitchen with a hot plate, microwave and no oven!! It was desperate times but I managed. And the tangy sweet goodness of the Kumquats was just the pick-me-up I needed!

So about a month ago I ordered another 10 lbs of Kumquats. But this time I was ready for canning, more specifically Kumquat Marmalade. Now, we're not fans of jelly, jam or marmalade but since I'm a canner I still make it in small batches. And jellies and marmalades make wonderful gifts too and there is nothing more beautiful then a full pantry!!!





Kumquat Marmalade

3 qt Kumquats (about 5 1/2 pounds)
2 c Water
3 1/4 c Sugar
3 oz Liquid pectin

Wash Kumquats and crosscut in half. The pits should be on the wider half and just pick them out and discard. Place kumquats in a FP and pulse until chopped and you can still recognize pieces of rind.

Combine kumquats, peeled lemons, and 2 cups water in a heavy pot; bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered, 45 minutes.

Add sugar and bring to a rolling boil. Boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add pectin.

Pour marmalade into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace; wipe jar rims. Cover with metal lids; screw on bands. Process marmalade in boiling-water bath 10 minutes.

Yield: 12 half pints.




I had to put another picture of my pantry. I never tire of opening the door and looking at all the goodness!

All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog