Raspberry Charlotte ~ #TheCakeSliceBakers

Cake is for life, not just for birthdays.

Blueberry Jam Rose Buns

These beautiful Blueberry Jam Rolls are shaped like roses, and not only

are they delicious, but they are so easy to make!

Aloha Linzer Cookies - #Creative Cookie Exchange

Aloha.  Most people think of this word as hello or goodbye but it is so much more.  You could say it is the word for love, but that would not be totally accurate either.  Aloha can mean love, affection, peace, compassion, respect, kindness, and sympathy but the simple truth is that it is a way of life. It is a connection to each other and to nature, and a code of behavior as to how we should live our lives.

Iced VoVos ~ #CreativeCookieExchange

I wasn't quite ready for Valentine's Day decorations in the stores the day after Christmas, however I'm definitely ready now which is perfect timing for the #CreativeCookieExchange.  The theme this month is Put On Your Red and Pink for Valentine’s Day!  I guess I took it literally since my cookie has both red and pink.

Sticky Toffee Bundt Cake with Cranberry Jelly Glaze #BundtaMonth

When I found out that the theme for this months #Bundtamonth was Jam I was really surprised, not by the ingredient but by the fact that I immediately knew that I wanted to make a bundt version of a Sticky Toffee Pudding.  Considering that this is a very sweet dessert I thought that a cranberry jelly glaze would be the perfect foil for that sweetness.

The flavors in this cake are perfect for this time of year.  To me the sticky toffee flavor is such a comfort  food, especially if you make a little vanilla custard to go with it.  Also, I just love cranberry season and always end up with multiple bags in my freezer so that I can continue to enjoy them throughout the year.

Razzleberry Crumb Bars

How fun is the name razzleberry?  Recently, I saw a jar of razzleberry jam sitting on the shelf at my local grocery store.  Having never heard of it before I couldn't resist purchasing it just so I could taste it.  A single berry known as a razzleberry doesn't actually exist, it is just a name that was given to the combination of raspberries and blackberries used in a pie - or in my case, Razzleberry Crumbs Bars.  It was funny that when I was searching online I did find that there are two berries that are an actual cross between a red raspberry and a blackberry- the Tay berry and the loganberry, but they were not given the cool name of razzleberry.

After searching for a good crumb bar recipe, I decided that I would use my newly purchased jam, and a mix of fresh raspberries and blackberries.  I used a blueberry crumb bar recipe that I found on My Baking Addiction (love this blog!) as a basis for my bars, and then made the necessary changes so that I could incorporate the two berries.  I decided to add some almond meal to my base, but I did not want it in the crumb topping too.  To divide the base and the topping I mixed the flour, sugars, salt and baking powder and added the butter to make a crumb mixture and then took out half of the crumbs mixture, reserving it so I could sprinkle it over the berries. Almond meal was then added to the remaining mix in the food processor, along with the other half-cup of flour.  This did make my base a lot wetter than the original recipe, but it wasn't a problem.

Raspberries and blackberries really are a match made in heaven, and these bars were a huge hit with my family.  The crispy shortbread-like base, sweet and sticky jam, tart-sweet berries, and a crumbly topping all combined to make an incredible bite.  These are fantastic on their own but could easily go over the top with a little vanilla ice cream, or some whipped cream to accompany them.  I tried very hard not to nibble on the edges because it was nearly dinner time, but it was hard to stop myself. After dinner all bets are off.

Razzleberry Crumb Bars
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• ½ cup white granulated sugar
• ½ brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• ¾ cups almond meal
• 1 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup razzleberry jam (use raspberry if unable to find razzleberry)
• 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375℉. 
2. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and vanilla together until combined. 
4. In the bowl of a food processor add ½ cup white sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 2½ cups flour, salt, and baking powder; pulse to blend. 
5. Add cold butter; pulse until small crumbs appear. 
6. Remove half of the crumbs and set aside. 
7. Add almond meal, remaining ½ cup of flour, and egg/vanilla mixture to the food processor; pulse until mix comes together. 
8. Press the almond meal-flour mixture evenly into the bottom of prepared pan. 
9. Using an off-set spatula spread the jam over the base. 
10. In another bowl, stir together the ½ cup of sugar and cornstarch and gently mix in the berries. 
11. Spoon the berry mixture evenly over the crust. 
12. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the berry layer. 
13. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. 
14. Cool completely, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and cut into squares.

Recipe by All That's Left Are The Crumbs©

I'm Back from the Land Down Under

Actually I have been back for a few days but jet-lag always hits me on the trip back, so I have been sleeping a lot and getting gradually getting back on track.  I had a wonderful time and got to visit with my eldest daughter who is attending university in Sydney, and catch up with other family members too, including my two wonderful sisters-in-law.

I thought I would share a couple of photos from our trip to the mountains before getting back into the regular recipes.  It is Autumn (Fall) in Australia and the weather is starting to get colder.  Although it can get down to the low 30's in the morning during winter, it does not snow in Sydney.  Growing up I did not have central heating in my house so it was a mad dash in the morning to get into a warm shower and get some winter clothes on.  It was a sad day if someone had beaten you to the shower.

Some of the teapots at Bygone Beautys

On a cold, rainy day there is nothing better to warm you up than to have a Devonshire Tea by a fireplace.  To achieve this my daughter and I headed to the Blue Mountains, which are located about 90 minutes west of Sydney by car, to a wonderful tearoom located in Leura.  Bygone Beautys not only serves a wonderful Devonshire Tea, but also boasts the world’s largest private collection of teapots.  We started with the Soup of the Day, which was a sweet potato-pumpkin soup, and followed it with a Devonshire Tea - home made scones with jam and whipped cream, served with tea or coffee.




As you can see the grounds are beautiful, but the star is the scones, jam, and cream.




The leaves changing color was quite stunning too.  I had forgotten how beautiful they are since I don't see them very often.




We also visited a wonderful old hotel called The Carrington which was opened in 1882.

And a final few photos.  There was a fine rain falling for most of the day and I was amazed at how it delicately clung to the flowers, and even a spider's web.



And the spider's web.

To Try Tuesday - Jam Filled Buttermilk Donut Muffins

Checking through my extensive list of recipes I would like to try one day I wondered which would be the lucky one today?  I was in the mood for muffins and I found something that I thought sounded really good - cinnamon coated donut muffins.

I remember when I saved this recipe it seemed like everyone was making them.  I guess I am a little behind the trend, which quite honestly is nothing new.  I have to face the fact that I am not a trendy person, and for the most part I am OK with that.  I realized that I actually saved two recipes - one from Food Gal, and another from King Arthur Flour.  I honestly can't remember why these recipes stood out more than the abundance of others around at that time. It is hard to figure out who came up with the original idea because there were so many recipes and adaptations floating around.

In my refrigerator sat a lonely carton of buttermilk so I decided that I would make buttermilk donut muffins.  Then I spotted some Fruits of the Forrest jam that I had brought back from Australia, and I decided that I should fill the muffins too.

It was tough to decide which recipe to go with but I chose the King Arthur one, replacing the milk with buttermilk and sandwiching the jam between two layers of batter. The nutmeg in the batter really gives it that donut-like smell. This is quite a thick batter so I found it easier to spread the top layer of batter with my finger to smooth it out and cover all of the jam




I had mixed emotions about the end result.  Some of the jam over-flowed so I think that next time I will just fill them after they have been covered in the cinnamon sugar. Also, I used cupcake liners and I think that the muffins would be better without them.  Even though I greased them they were still hard to remove, and presentation-wise I didn't like the groove marks they created. As Randy Jackson might say, they were just OK for me.  In hindsight I probably should have gone with the other recipe as it was by Beth Hensberger.

Jam Filled Buttermilk Donut Muffins

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• ½ cup jam
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin, or line with 12 paper or silicone muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth. 
3. Add the eggs, beating to combine. 
4. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. 
5. Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined. 
6. Spoon the batter about ½ way into the prepared pan, add about 1 teaspoon jam, and then fill muffin cups almost full with the remaining batter.
7. Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown.
8. Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes.
9. While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping.
10. Brush the top of each muffin with the butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Or simply dip the tops of muffins into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar.
11. Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store for a day or so at room temperature.

Yield: 16 muffins. 
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.

 

To Try Tuesday - Cara Cara Marmalade

I really want to be one of those people who makes their own jams, jellies, chutneys, and marmalade's but I have a lot of practicing to do.  There is just something magical about opening a jar of jam that you made all by yourself.  I also think that something like this makes a wonderful gift.

Hands up if you have never hear of Cara Cara oranges.  I hadn't until a few days ago when I was visiting Good Food, Good Wine and a Bad Girl where there was a recipe for Cara Cara Marmalade.   According to Webicurean "Cara Cara oranges have a bright orange peel and pink - raspberry colored flesh. They have a sweet taste with undertones of cherry and a low acid profile. Cara Cara oranges are medium-sized and round, with a yellow-orange rind and they're usually seedless. They peel and segment easily. The flesh is a brilliant reddish-pink, which makes it a colorful and tasty addition to salads".  I was immediately hooked but I didn't think that I would be able to find these oranges here.  I am still looking for the elusive Meyer Lemon.  However, I was in for a treat as Costco is currently selling large bags of Cara Cara oranges.  I couldn't believe my luck and I knew exactly what my To Try Tuesday recipe would be.

 

This recipe couldn't be easier, but I still managed to have a little trouble towards the end.  More on that a little later.  After cutting up all of the fruit I was amazed by the beautiful colors.  Even after a soak in water for 24 hours it was still a vibrant color.  The marmalade isn't quite a vibrant but it does have a wonderful flavor.

 

The only changes I made to this recipe was to use Grand Marnier rather than whiskey (I didn't have any whiskey on hand) and I cut off a lot of the rind and chopped it small so that the marmalade wouldn't be too chunky.  Unfortunately I think that I cooked this a little longer than necessary.  It still looked a little liquid to me so I gave it a few more minutes.  I didn't realize that it will firm up as it cools.  Mine seems a little too firm, but it still tastes great.

I highly recommend you visit Isabelle's blog Good Food, Good Wine and a Bad Girl and check out some of her other recipes.  I also have my eye on her latest post,  a Warm Raspberry-Chocolate Pudding Cake that looks out-of-this-world.

Cara Cara Marmalade

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 3-4 medium Cara Cara oranges (about 2 lbs/1 kg)
• 1 large lemon
• 3 cups cold water
• 4 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp whiskey (I used Grand Marnier)

Preparation

1. Using a very sharp knife, cut the oranges and lemon into halves lengthwise. Cut off the top and bottom ends of each half, then cut out seeds and white pith in the center. Collect the end bits, seeds and pith in a small bowl - you'll need these later.
2. Slice the orange and lemon halves cross-wise into very thin slices, then chop up into smaller bits (how small is up to you - I didn't cut the fruit but did cut off the rinds and minced the peel into small pieces for a less chunky marmalade). Transfer the chopped fruit and any accumulated juice to a large non-reactive mixing bowl.
3. Wrap up the seeds, pith and end bits you saved earlier in two layers of cheesecloth and tie off with cotton twine to make a neat parcel. Place this bundle in the bowl of chopped citrus, then pour in the water. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
4. The next day, pour the contents of the bowl into a large non-reactive saucepan. Stir in the sugar, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 2 hours or until the peels are quite soft. Remove the cheesecloth bundle from the pot, and discard.
5. Turn the heat up to medium, bringing the marmalade to a rolling boil. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the jam reaches 220F on a candy thermometer (or until it passes a set test).
6. Stir in the whiskey, and cook for 5 minutes longer. Immediately ladle the jar into sterilized glass jars.
7. Once cooled, the jars can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month. If longer storage is desired, process the jars immediately in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, after which they can be stored for up to a year in a cool, dry place. 

Makes 5 500ml jars

Original recipe can be found here.