Here in the States, we have been miss-educated.
Before your mind wanders too far into what number of thing I could be talking about, remember, this is a food blog.
What I am talking about here is the quite tragic, gross miss-representation of a macaroon. Recently, this delectable Parisian cookie has become trendy, but many Americans still think of macaroons as a dense, coconut cookie, or worse, a hard coconut sandwich cookie. Quel dommage.
A while back, T and I attempted to make grape jelly. For a first attempt, it turned out ok, but it was nothing to write home about – not enough flavor and all the wrong consistency. We’ve been able to doctor that first batch enough that it’s edible and actually resembles grape jelly, but we’ve still got way too much of a grape-jelly-esque substance for us to power through. (Not to mention that I don’t think either of us are large grape jelly fans in the first place. What compelled us initially to make grape jelly, I’ll never know. It was probably a “Can we really do that?” type mentality.)
So, we’ve been trying to incorporate the grape jelly into baked goods as much as possible to use it up. One idea that has been on our minds for a while was these Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint cookies. Think your traditional jam thumbprint cookies, mixed with your favorite peanut butter cookie. It’s like a bite sized pb and j. Yum!
How would you use up excess grape jelly? We’re still in search of new ideas! (The jar in the picture is only the first!)
See the Recipe!
I know I’m a bit late on the New Year’s blog post, but hopefully that, as well as my lack of posting the past few weeks can be forgiven.
A new year, and my blog is one year old! I have learned so many wonderful things in the past year of cooking and blogging. I have tried so many recipes that I would never have ventured to try as I participated in blogging challenged and learned from the many talented food bloggers who also took part.
Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me by commenting on my posts, it’s so great to hear feedback.
2011 was fantastic and ended with quite a bit of excitement. T, my culinary partner in crime, and I are engaged! Because of this, 2012 will be quite busy as we plan our wedding. However, we still plan on cooking! (Just the other day we were eating dinner and T commented on how it seemed like a really long time since we had completed a cooking challenge. Oops!) And, I still plan on writing, but the posts may be a bit sparse from time to time.
There is so much I still want to do with this blog, and so many recipes and culinary adventures I still want to share. Stay tuned for my biggest 2012 food goal: making my own sourdough bread!
As for now, I will leave you with some images from the Holidays.
-Sarah
I love apple season. I take that back, I love fall harvest season in general. Apples, pears, pumpkin and other squash grace the table, while leaves crunch underfoot wherever you walk and the air is thick with the smell of the changing seasons. It’s the perfect time for a bowl of fresh apple sauce.
I am a bit particular when it comes to my apple sauce. Some like it smooth and bright, with a refreshing taste of apples. Me on the other hand, I prefer chunky, cinnamon-spice goodness, piping hot and possibly with a smattering of plump raisins.
It’s all personal preference, but I consider this recipe apple sauce heaven. It is divinely spicy and comforting when warmed, but still a great fall treat when cold. And the best thing is that after pealing and chopping the apples, you can forget about it for a while and come back to a bowl of steaming goodness.
Yields 5 c apple sauce
Ingredients
9 large Macintosh apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks (about 12 c)
½ c water
2 cinnamon sticks
½ c white sugar
1/8 tsp nutmeg
½ Tbsp lemon juice
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a 3.5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 hours.
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I’m sending this crock pot recipe to My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats‘ Holiday Recipe Exchange. This week’s exchange is sponsored by West Bend. Check out the links and come join the fun!
