Posted on

Swapping Russian Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies

Blogger Cookie Swap 2011 CollageThis year I did something a little unusual for me – I participated in a cookie swap… The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, to be exact. This was the inaugural swap. I traded cookies with some bloggers I didn’t know – there was a little mystery to it, but I enjoyed that aspect of it. Not to mention the promise of cookies. My verdict – super fun!

I came across this cookie swap via a link on Facebook – the swap is run by Lindsay of Love & Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen. So, I went to their site, filled out the form and expressed one preference – that the cookies be made with natural sweeteners. I was fortunate to be paired up with people that were open to this preference, and I got two out of three dozen cookies that worked with that preference. They both used coconut sugar, which is very cool.

The first cookies I received were from Anna. She made these absolutely delicious chocolate mint shortbread cookies in fun shapes – fluted circles and stars. They were made with coconut sugar and were decorated with a high cacao content chocolate, too. I loved how they were packaged in a pretty Christmas tin, complete with a beautiful handmade card. Chocolate and mint is one of my very favorite combinations, so this was a serious treat.

Then Kiri’s cookies arrived – cinnamon spiced butterscotch chip pecan cookies. These were made with coconut palm sugar and stevia and were very tasty. I loved them with a cup of chai tea – a perfect combination. I also have a long standing love of butterscotch chips – not the most nutrient dense of foods, but they hold special memories for them, so I smile whenever I eat something that contains them.

Finally, Suzanne’s cookies arrived – cocoa fudge cookies. While they weren’t made with natural sugars, they were made with quality ingredients and a surprise – thick greek yogurt in place of the egg. While you know I do not shy away from eggs, I loved the moistness the yogurt provided in these cookies. They were very rich and chocolaty tasting. My boyfriend loved them, too. They were perfect with a glass of raw milk.

Continue reading “Swapping Russian Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies”

Posted on

Summer Preserving – Fig Orange Honey Jam

jars of fig jam

This summer I was fortunate enough to have access to plenty of fresh figs from the two overhanging fig trees in the backyard.  This time last year I lived elsewhere, a place without fruit trees. It was a lot of fun picking all those figs, especially since no one else in the neighboring apartments seemed interested in them. They were all mine!

figs

I went for a run that morning, then picked the figs; they filled up my largest bowl. My landlord stores ladders in the backyard, so I had one of them at my disposal, and boy was it useful. A lot of the figs were way up high and I would never have gotten them without a ladder.  Most of them were perfectly ripe, and oozing a little nectar at the blossom end.  Some were slightly underripe, but that was ok with me – I didn’t want an overly sweet jam, so the tangier figs helped with that.

oranges

orange juice

zest

I love, love, love the taste of orange and figs together.  I first tasted the combination in this Dalmatian fig-orange jam, and thought it was just amazing.  The sweet figs and tangy orange are a perfect combination.

I also wanted to try making a jam with honey instead of sugar, in part because I wanted to avoid using an overly refined sweetener.  Figs and honey seem to go together, too, so it seemed like a natural, logical combination.

At first the honey flavor was pretty prominent, but after the jam had a chance to sit for a while (like overnight), it had mellowed and balanced with the fig and orange flavors.  It also seemed less sweet, which was fine with me.

stewing figs

figs cooking

fig orange honey puree

This is a wonderful fruit preserve, and I will absolutely make it again.  I think it will be good as a sauce with chicken, perhaps with a little bit of spiciness added to it!

Fig Orange Honey Jam

5 cups figs
1/4 cup water
1 3/4 – 2 cups honey
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
zest of two oranges

Wash and quarter figs, and place them in a large pot (I used an 8 qt. stock pot). Heat the figs with 1/4 cup water just to get them started. Cook the figs on medium-low until they start to break down, stirring and smashing them with the back of a wooden spoon to help break them down further. They will start to thicken.

Add the honey, orange juice, lemon juice, and zest, and stir to combine. Keep stirring so that the mixture won’t burn on the bottom. Since you are working with honey and not sugar, the tendency to stick and/or burn might be a little higher than usual.

Cook the figs to your desired consistency; the longer you cook the mixture, the thicker it will be.  Puree it some with a stick blender if you want the figs to have a more even, smooth consistency (this is what I prefer).

Immediately pour the mixture into hot, sterilized 1/2 pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Adjust caps. Process 20 minutes in boiling water bath.

This jam tastes better after the flavors have had time to marry.