Jammy Rolls

Thoughts:

Continuing my seasonal trend of all things Concord Grapes, I had the sudden idea to make these awesome jammy rolls with some leftover jam. Which, of course, means I’ll have to make more jam. They’re basically made the same way as cinnamon rolls, but are filled with concord grape jam instead of cinnamon sugar. Topped with a little drizzle of lemon icing, and they’re pretty much amazeballs.

Soft, dense dough holds in the gooey grape filling. The lemon icing, which couldn’t be easier to make, perfectly accentuates the flavors of the Concord Grapes, adding a little zing! to their sweetness. Granted, they could be made with any jam you happen to have on hand, but I think the flavor of the grape is robust enough to hold its own against that amount of dough.

So go get yourselves some of the last grapes of the season, and make this recipe for a wonderful weekend breakfast treat!

Continue reading →

Concord Grape Jam

Thoughts:

Concord grapes are such a fundamental element of my autumns that I simply cannot get enough of them. Perhaps because it is one of those increasingly few foods that is still seasonal, and briefly so, at that. I tend to compulsively buy boxes of them whenever I come across them in the store, because I never know if those might be the last of the season.

This is one of the easiest things to make with Concord grapes, and possibly one of the most delicious. It’s essentially the same grape pie filling I’ve used in other recipes, but reduced down to a thicker, jammier consistency. I’ve dispatched it with great effect on crumpets, biscuits, cheesy crackers, and definitely straight from a spoon. It also freezes well, so you can enjoy it during the rest of the year, too.

Continue reading →

Rosehip Preserves – Farseer Trilogy

“I found the castle stirring but not yet fully awake. I ate in the kitchen as I had when a child, finding that there, as always, the bread was freshest and the porridge sweetest. Cook exclaimed to see me, one minute commenting on how much I had grown, and the next lamenting how thin and worn I looked. I surmised that before the day was out, I would be heartily sick of these observations. As traffic in the kitchen increased I fled, carrying off a thick slice of bread well buttered and laden with rose-hip preserves.”

–Royal Assassin, by Robin Hobb

I burned my tongue making this recipe.

Because I couldn’t stop licking the spoon as the mixture cooked. Seriously.

I know that some fictional recipes are quirky and fun, but not ideal for inclusion in the everyday lineup. However, this jelly is immediately going in my annual routine, and a lot of people I know are getting some for Christmas.

Rosehips are the red-orange seed pod that is left after the rose blossoms on a bush die off. Fresh, they are relatively soft and plump, although if you are lucky enough to find some that have overwintered, they will be further softened by the frosts. They have higher levels of vitamin C than oranges, and keep very well when dried. They also have a lovely, unique flavor.

Before adding the sugar, the rosehip puree has a tart earthy flavor. After the sugar, though, it becomes this slightly sweet, winey, decadent jelly that begs to be spread on fresh, buttered scones. For the photo above, I was eager to partake in the jammy goodness, which is why it’s still a big runny. I imagine this jelly would be wonderful on ice cream, scones, toast, sandwiches, cheesy crackers, pancakes, and anything else you can think of.

Definite win!

Rosehip-Wine Jelly

Soaking: Overnight Cooking: up to 1 hour

Makes ~1 cup jelly

Cook’s Notes: I opted for a jelly (rather than preserves) because my rose seeds were so tough; They would have made a terrible addition to a jam or jelly. With fresh rose hips, instead of dried, one would be able to scrape the seeds out much more easily. I’ll try that version as soon as I find some good rose hips!

Ingredients:

1 cup dried rose hips
1 cup red wine (I used a sweet red)
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Soak the dried rose hips in the wine and water overnight. The next day, simmer the whole mixture in a saucepan until the hips turn soft. Strain the whole into a clean saucepan, grinding the meat of the rose hips until you’ve got only seeds left in the sieve, and all the pulp and juices are in the new pan. Place a small plate in the freezer. Add the sugar and simmer this mixture until it has thickened/reduced, and is bubbly. If you place a bit on the chilled plate, it should gel. That’s your indication that it is ready to be poured into a jar.

If you are familiar with canning procedures, you can use then to great effect with this recipe. Otherwise, eat the jelly within a couple of weeks.

Blackberry Preserves

“There was much more than she’d asked for: hot bread, butter and honey and blackberry preserves, a rasher of bacon and a soft-boiled egg, a wedge of cheese, a pot of mint tea. And with it came Maester Luwin.” (I: 113)

Blackberry Preserves

Our Thoughts:

These preserves are bursting with the intensity and vibrancy of spring! Slathered over a buttered scone, the tanginess of the blackberries is balanced wonderfully by the relatively meager sugar content (as compared to commercial jams). A perfect destination for berries that are either fresh off the plant, or at the end of their life, this recipe can be followed using other berries as well, or even mixing berries. If pectin is added and proper canning technique used, these preserves could be saved to brighten up a dreary winter morning.

Continue reading →