Friday, December 17, 2010

Cookin' up a storm!

I have been really loving the cooking thing lately, mostly things that aren't a real meal but non the less it's fun. I received this recipe from my friend Laura and I just needed to try it out! Brace you're self...Carrot Cake Jam! For someone who loves loves loves carrot cake this was a given! I'll add the recipe at the end so you can try it too.

Guess who is getting some jam for Christmas! Feel the love my friends!

Can you see the yumminess in there! Oh my goodness! What is jam without some fresh baked bread, oh yes I did!

Courtesy of my mother-in-law and the New York Times I made this No-Knead bread (recipe also at end). I made it with whole wheat flour instead of white flour and it was fabulous!

This would be really great with some hearty soup or something like that but since it's 10am I'm going for some of that delicious carrot cake jam!

Warm bread and fresh jam, how could I resist taking a bite before I photographed it. Such is life.

It's almost that time so I figured I would post another picture of the advent calendar of love from Grandma-in-law! The excitement of it all is so much fun ad I can't wait till Christmas morning when the boys come downstairs and spending time with friends! I can't wait!


Carrot Cake Jam

1 ½ cups finely grated peeled carrots (4-5)

1 ½ cups chopped cored peeled pears, very ripe (about 3-4)

1 ¾ cups canned crushed pineapple

½ cup shredded coconut, sweetened

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

1 package of regular powered fruit pectin

5 cups of sugar

1. Prepare canner, jars and lids.

2. In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine carrots, pears, coconut, pineapple, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard, stirring constantly for one minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam.

3. Ladle jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles and adjust head space, if necessary , by adding hot jam. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to finger tip tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

Yield: 7- 6oz jars.


No-Knead Bread (found in the NY Times)

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

No comments:

Post a Comment