Jam On: Late Summer Raspberry Jam Recipe

"A jam with raspberries and Lambrusco, perfect for keeping the dog days of summer—particularly the heat and bounty of August—with you all year". A tasty guest recipe from Jam On: The Craft of Canning Fruit

What’s better than a glass of cold, bubbly, deep-red Lambrusco and some raspberries on a hot summer day? This jam mimics the tart and bubbly flavors.

Many sugarfree dieters prefer green stevia since it’s less processed than other stevia. You can find green stevia in a well-stocked bulk section of many health food stores. Using the common white stevia is fine, however, and you can find it in many health food stores and gourmet bodegas. Lambrusco is one of my favorite wines to drink in the summer, and I love drinking a glass with salads, hors d’oeuvres, and antipasti. If you’re serving antipasti, use this jam on thin flatbread with hard sharp cheeses, such as Pecorino, accompanied by salty olives and wild boar salami. Stevia has a strong flavor, unlike other alternative sweeteners like agave. If you don’t enjoy the taste of stevia, you may substitute a milder sweetener, such as honey or agave.

Makes About Four 8-ounce Jars or 2 Pint Jars

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh raspberries (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup Lambrusco wine
• 1½ tablespoons stevia powder
• ½ cup water
• 6 teaspoons calcium water
• 5 teaspoons pectin

Prep

For the raspberries: Measure the berries, lemon juice, and Lambrusco into a 6- to 8-quart nonreactive pot and add the proper amount of calcium water into the pan; stir well.

For the jars and lids: Wash and rinse the jars; put them into a big stockpot; cover the jars with water and bring to a boil; turn off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to fill. Bring the lids and rings to a boil; turn off the heat; let stand in hot water until ready to screw them onto the jars. Place a few metal spoons in the freezer for testing the consistency and gel of your jam later. You can also place them in a cup of ice water, if you prefer. Bring the fruit to a boil over medium-high heat. If it starts to foam, skim the foam off the top and discard the foam. Return to a boil again. Bring the water to a boil. Put half the boiled water in a blender or food processor and carefully add the proper amount of pectin powder. Add the remaining boiled water. Vent the lid and blend 1 to 2 minutes, until all the powder is dissolved. Be careful: the pectin tends to clump on blades and in the container. Try to dissolve all of it. Pour the pectin-water mixture into the boiling jam slowly and carefully, stirring as you add. Stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin. Add the stevia and return to a boil. Remove from the heat. Skim off any and all foam that has formed on the top. Pectin gels completely when thoroughly cool, so don’t worry if your jam looks loose when still hot. To test, place a teaspoon of the hot jam onto one of the prepped frozen spoons; let it cool to room temperature (about 30 seconds) on the spoon. If it thickens up to the consistency desired, then the jam is ready. If not, mix in a little more pectin (½ teaspoon into ¼ cup sugar) and bring it to a boil again for 1 minute.

Pairs well with sweet and creamy Bonne Bouche and Bucheron; great served with almonds on maple crackers alongside Pâte de Campagne; delicious on top of ice cream or yogurt.

Laena McCarthy is the founder and owner of Anarchy in a Jar, an artisanal jam and preserves store. Her jams are sold at Williams-Sonoma, Dean & DeLuca, Whole Foods in New York, and other specialty stores. Jam On: The Craft of Canning Fruit Viking Studio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) | August 2012

Sweet Cake Alabama: Lane Cake Recipe

Lane Cake: now there's a tall southern belle of a layer cake. It's filled with coconut, chopped fruit and nuts, and a generous serving of whiskey or brandy, and topped off with a snowy range of fluffy frosting. Cutting into this cake is particularly enjoyable: the white frosting gives way to a creamy-colored cake, with a slightly more yellow-toned custard that's flecked with a confetti of nuts and fruits.

Credit for the cake goes to Emma Rylander Lane of Clayton, Alabama, who published the original recipe under the name "Prize Cake" in a self-published cookbook around the turn of the century. It had been titled "Prize Cake" because she had entered it, and won, in a baking contest in Georgia. As time went on and the cake's popularity was spread, Lane's name was attached to the cake.

Modern cookbooks will point out that the original recipe is "imprecise," but over the years (and with the advent of the standardization of ingredient measurements), it has evolved into one of Alabama's famous culinary feats. The cake has been reinvented time and time again, with different types of fruit and nuts in the filling, some with grape juice for teetotaler or child-friendly affairs. This version is fairly classic, with a light cake, dense filling, and a fluffy boiled frosting.

And you, too, can take pride in making this cake. While not necessarily difficult, it is a somewhat laborious cake. However, the end result is a lovely cake that is well-suited for celebrating: delicious, sophisticated and ladylike, but with a little kick from the alcohol that lets you know it means business.

For the full entry and recipe, visit Serious Eats!

Cake Mix Science

I remember when I was young, observing my mother make cakes, and how something always kind of bugged me: the difference between cake batter and frosting.

Consistency-wise, the cake batter and the frosting really didn't seem terribly different to me--why did they have to be treated so differently? One went in the oven, and the other had to wait til that part was cool and was then spread all over the baked part.

But what would happen if you just combined the cake and the frosting before baking? Could you streamline the process?

Although I'm much older now, I'm clearly not wiser, because I took the time to see what would happen today. I conducted my experiment with Duncan Hines Butter Golden Cake Mix and Whipped Fluffy White Frosting in a tub.

I started out by respectfully following the directions. The mix asked to be combined with 3 large eggs, 1/2 cup water, and 7 tablespoons of softened butter. I did so.

Per the directions, I mixed it in a large bowl in my stand mixer on low speed until combined, then jacked up the speed and mixed for four more minutes. Meanwhile, the oven was preheating.

And then I went rogue. I took the entire tub of frosting, and folded it into the cake batter. It made the consistency of the batter silky and sticky. And delicious.

Here's what it looked like before going in the oven.

I spread the thick batter in the prepared cake pans and baked it for 22 minutes, as suggested on the box. I divided it between two 9-inch cake rounds. I baked one first, in case I messed up.

I know you're not supposed to, but since I was already breaking the rules I opened the oven part-way through baking. Here's what it looked like. Weirdly it looked like it had mini marshmallows in the middle.

When I took the cake out of the oven, here's what greeted me.

It was a bit jiggly in the middle, but it appeared to have set on the sides and top. So I let it cool for a while - a long while, about 2 hours. During this time it deflated somewhat. 

Then I flipped it over on to a plate. It was gooey in the middle, but not really liquid. More pudding-like, or gooey butter cake innards-like.

I thought "since it already has frosting, does that mean I don't have to frost it?". And then I quickly answered myself: "Don't be stupid, of course you still have to frost it."

So I did. And I added sprinkles.

When cut into at room temperature, the center was quite gooey. Cutting was kind of difficult. I got frosting on my fingers...but I made it out of this situation OK.

After chilling the cake in the fridge, cutting was much easier.

So how did the cake taste? It was actually pretty good. It was more dense than a typical cake--while it had risen in the oven, it deflated into a dense round after cooling. It was somewhat like a Philadelphia butter cake or gooey butter cake in its texture--crunchy on the outside, gooey and creamy in the center. 

Actually, I'd go so far as to say I'd do this again. The slice I had was decidedly tasty--very moist, and extremely decadent. Final word? I want more.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links

Source: stacey-lane.tumblr.com via Karen on Pinterest

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Macaroon Experiment

Recently, I thought I would make a nice batch of macaroons. After all, macaroons are pleasant. They're nice. They're really easy to make. I had plenty of dough (or is it batter?). And while baking the first tray, I thought to myself, what if I experimented a little bit with various macaroon mix-ins? I happened to have chocolate chips and nuts, so really, that's what I went with.

I tried several different combinations, including macaroons with pecans, with almonds, with walnuts, and with chocolate chips (respectively); then, I tried a version of each with each of the nuts paired with chocolate (pecan-chocolate; almond-chocolate; walnut-chocolate). And finally, I did one which had all of the nuts and chocolate chips. I labeled them on my baking sheet, as you can see:

after baking them up, it was time to taste what I had created. Here are some tasting notes:

Pecan Macaroons: the toasty pecans added a nice crunch to the macaroons, and made the flavor sort of buttery-rich. A very nice addition indeed, but I suspected that they'd taste even better with chocolate.

Almond Macaroons: The almond was subtle, working in tandem with the coconut for a slightly creamy flavor. Subtle. Nice, but no "wow" factor.

Walnut Macaroons: This was a nice flavor complement, giving the macaroons a decidedly "nutty" taste and crunch. But once again, no "wow" factor.

Chocolate Chip Macaroons: Now we're getting somewhere. The mellow sweetness of coconut against the rich chocolate chips--a very nice combo.

Choco-Pecan Macaroons: Wow, it gets even better! Sort of like a magic cookie bar of a macaroon, this was a very nice combo. I'd eat a whole tray of these.

Choco-Almond Macaroons: We're going into Almond Joy flavor territory here, and if you like them, you'll like this cookie combo. If not, this isn't your nut combo. Can you tell I'm not hugely into Almond Joy? 

Choco-Walnut Macaroons: Once again, nice. You've got that magic cookie bar thing going on again, and it's a very pleasant association, in my opinion. 

All mixed together Macaroons: Actually, pretty good. The flavors of the nuts were not distinct, they just kind of merged into "nutty" as a flavor profile. But combined with the chocolate, nutty was not such a bad thing. I'd do it again. I have no regrets.

Overall? My favorite combo was the chocolate chip pecan macaroon. They had contrast, texture, and a great flavor. I want to eat my weight in them, and I think you will, too. Here's a recipe.

Coconut Macaroons

Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies

• 14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• a healthy handful of whatever nuts you'd like, or chocolate chips, or both

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine the toasted coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites and salt on high speed until firm, but not stiff, peaks have formed. Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture. If you want, add any mix-ins at this point
4. Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop or rounded tablespoonfuls.
5. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on the sheet for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

CakeSpy Presents: How to Draw Bacon

You heard me. I want to teach you how to draw bacon. Having trouble seeing the video? Find it on Youtube.

Sarabeth Levine's Chocolate Chubbies Cookies Recipe

BroDawgs and Dawgettes, I am totally serious. I am going to give you the recipe for the sweet morsels of heaven pictured above. It was a gift given to me from Sarabeth Levine, the Sarabeth behind the New York City chain Sarabeth's, which she had received from Soho Charcuterie, which I am in turn giving to you. You are so very welcome.

But before I do that, I think you might be interested in a little history about Sarabeth and her marvelous company. You can click here for a post specifically detailing some interesting facts about Sarabeth--I find her history fascinating, and think you will too.

Here's what Sarabeth has to say about 'em:

In my opinion, these are the moistest, most intensely chocolate chocolate chip cookies in the world. These are based on a recipe given to me many years ago from the SoHo Charcuterie, a restaurant that helped establish that Manhattan neighborhood as the place to go for anything chic and trendy, from art to food. For the best-looking cookies, a 2-inch ice-cream scoop is a must.

Chocolate Chubbies

Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½ -inch cubes
• 9 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (no more than 62 percent cacao), finely chopped
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups superfine sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 ½ cups (5 ½ ounces) coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 ¼ cups (4 ½ ounces) coarsely chopped walnuts

Procedure

1. Position racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two-half sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put the butter in a wide heatproof bowl, and melt the butter over the hot water in the saucepan. Add the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate, stirring often, until melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cooled slightly but still warm, about 5 minutes.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Whip the eggs in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the eggs are foamy and lightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and gradually add the sugar, then the vanilla. Whip until the eggs are very thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat in the tepid chocolate, making sure it is completely incorporated. Change to the paddle attachment and reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips, pecans, and walnuts, making sure the chunky ingredients are evenly distributed at the bottom of the bowl. (Do not turn the dough out onto the work surface because the chocolate dough makes a mess.) The dough will be somewhat soft.
4. Using a 2-inch ice-cream scoop, portion the batter onto the prepared pans, placing the cookies about 1 ¼ inches apart. Bake the cookies immediately-if you wait, they won’t be shiny after baking. Bake, switching the position of the pans from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through baking, until the cookies are set around the edges (if you lift a cookie from the pan, the edges should release easily, even if the center of the cookie seems underdone), 17 to 20 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool completely on the baking pans. (The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, with the layers separated by parchment paper, for up to 3 days.)

7 Things You Didn't Know About Sarabeth's Kitchen

If you've ever spent time in New York City and have an interest in food, chances are you've at least heard of Sarabeth's Kitchen. Today, it's a mini-chain of restaurants, but it all started out as a homemade jam-making operation. It's true! And while today they offer brunch, lunch, tea, dinner, and a highly respectable cookie, cake, tart, and overall stellar dessert collection the preserves are still one of their most-requested items. Yep: preserves. Jam.

It's a really fascinating and sweet story behind this company, and while I was collecting information for a guest recipe post from Sarabeth Levine, she was kind enough to also share this fun "fact list" about herself and the company. I'm really just copying and pasting it, because it's interesting enough on its own to read! Here goes--seven things you didn't know about Sarabeth's Kitchen!

1. Yes, There Really Is a Sarabeth

After more than 30 years, acclaimed pastry chef, award-winning jam maker, well-known restaurateur and celebrated cookbook author Sarabeth Levine remains just as passionate and dedicated to her craft as she was on day one. Why? She attributes it all to a simple feeling: “I love it. Not just my job, but the joy it brings to so many people.” And, of course, her early-learned notion that, “You don’t have to have a fancy kitchen to make incredible food.  Sarabeth is the driving force behind the mile-high success and stellar reputation of the hugely successful brand that bears her name – one that has become synonymous with superior tasting food made with high-quality ingredients and a special touch that often seems difficult to put into words. “The touchstone of her success is the personal care and attention Levine puts into her home-cooked foods” (New York Magazine). This self-taught “Goddess of Bakedom” trusts her palate emphatically – if Sarabeth doesn’t like it, well then it’s simply not going to be served. Constantly buzzing around her kitchens to ensure every aspect of the brand and business is just right, Sarabeth often pauses to pay tribute to where it all began and to the dedicated employees many of whom have been with her for over 20 years. 

2. Made From Scratch

A true American success story, Sarabeth was the second of five children raised between New York and Florida. She graduated from C.W. Post with a degree in sociology and soon married and had two children, later divorcing but not before learning copious baking skills from her mother-in-law. Sarabeth held a variety of jobs from a nursery school teacher to a dental assistant and bathing suit designer. In 1981, she met Bill Levine, a contractor working on a new cafe that needed a special touch. Little did he know that Sarabeth had just the trick. She had never forgotten a treasured family recipe for orange-apricot marmalade that was kept secret by ‘Grandmère’, (her Aunt Ruth’s mother-in-law) a French Jewish woman also named Sara. Sarabeth recalls grandmère making clandestine batches in the basement, and the recipe was revealed to her by Aunt Ruth long after her death. That very special recipe is what Sarabeth prepared daily for Bill’s cafe, making it from their apartment kitchen and serving it proudly to rave reviews. That, of course, was only the beginning.

 
3. “Spreading Joy and Marmalade”

This apropos title of a New York Times feature story says it all. Sarabeth’s perfect renditions of classic baking benefit from her never-ending search for perfection and bring satisfaction to all those who indulge. In 1996, Sarabeth was honored with the prestigious James Beard Award for Pastry Chef of the Year – a meaningful recognition of all her hard work and true love of the art. The business had taken off and knew no boundaries, expanding consistently with one achievement after the next. Now, Sarabeth’s Kitchen (www.sarabeth.com) consists of a mail-order business, retail products, nine restaurants, a 15,000-square-foot jam factory, a state-of-the-art bakery, and a best-selling cookbook. To think it all began with a marmalade now described as being “in a class by itself…a wonderful rendition of what we should expect from jam” (Food & Wine) and “the one I reach for first” (Oprah).

 
4. Home, Sweet Home

Sarabeth’s myriad products provide a sweet treat to any home and are perfect whether buying a little something for yourself or a decidedly tasty gift for anyone, anytime. With a reputation as the finest fruit spreads and jams in the gourmet industry, Sarabeth's "Legendary Spreadable Fruit” now comes in 14 unique and flavorful varieties. Less sweet and lower in calories per serving than ordinary preserves, each batch contains hand-cut fruit to avoid bruising and preserve natural flavor and texture. It’s then watched carefully as it slowly simmers in small batches to thicken and reach its peak of flavor.  Sarabeth is also well known for her treasure trove of fresh pies, pastries, cakes, cookies, bread, brownies, tarts, muffins and desserts made daily at the bakery. And, whether it’s her decadent hot chocolate or her creamy tomato soup, the opportunities to enjoy Sarabeth’s creations are endless.  Products are available through the popular mail order business and at more than 5,000 locations worldwide: retail stores including Williams-Sonoma, Sur la Table and supermarkets including Kings, Whole Foods, Fairway, Zabars and Food Emporium, and Mandarin Oriental and Trump International hotels.

5. Around the Table With Sarabeth

A venture that began in 1981 when Sarabeth and Bill grew out of their at-home business and opened a tiny bakery-kitchen on New York’s Upper West Side with just a few tables and chairs has spawned into a successful group of popular restaurants that have earned a warm spot in the hearts of native New Yorkers, out of town visitors and tourists from all over the world. In an average year, this “undisputed Breakfast Queen of New York” (New York Magazine) welcomes more than one million customers into her current locations including: four standalone restaurants in New York City: Upper East Side (opened 1983), Upper West Side (opened 1986), Central Park South (opened 2005) and the largest of all and only to house a full cocktail bar in Tribeca (opened 2011); one restaurant in Key West, Fla. (opened 2005); and four additional locations within Lord & Taylor department stores in New York (Manhattan, Scarsdale, Garden City and Manhasset). Lauded by national media and recommended in countless travel guides, these sought-after restaurants serve up breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner seven days a week with Sarabeth’s fresh and wholesome recipes at reasonable prices. Sarabeth also operates a wholesale/retail bakery and café (opened 1998) in New York City’s must-visit food haven, Chelsea Market – the location where all her New York restaurants’ baked goods are carefully crafted as onlookers stare yearningly with eyes wide and stomachs growling.

6. Sarabeth’s Secrets Revealed

In October 2010, Sarabeth came out from behind the baker’s rack to finally reveal the coveted recipes for more than 100 of her signature classics in her first book, Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours (Rizzoli, $39.95). Heralded as one of the “Best Culinary Books of 2010” (The New York Times), this 320-page “must-have tome” (Ladies’ Home Journal) features 11 chapters: Morning Pastries; Muffins & More; Beautiful Breads; Everyday Cake; Party Cakes and Company; Pies & Tarts; Plain and Fancy Cookies; Spoon Desserts; Frozen Desserts; Spreadable Fruits; and Frostings, Fillings & Sweet Sauces. The book also includes step-by-step photographs of classic pastry techniques, Sarabeth’s tips to stocking the perfect pastry pantry, her must-have tools of the trade, and exquisite photography to give the home baker creative serving suggestions.

 
7. The Icing on the Cake

Sarabeth has taught countless classes while also frequently participating in charitable events for organizations such as Share, Share Our Strength, Careers for Culinary Arts, City Harvest and Citymeals-on-Wheels. But, there’s more to Sarabeth then just jams and pies. With her appropriately titled blog, Goddess of Bakedom (www.goddessofbakedom.com), fans gain an inside look into her creative and delicious world. She can often be found carefully rummaging through vintage culinary tools at antique shops and yard sales searching out the perfect items to add to her collection, the largest of which is an ever-growing family of nostalgic cookie jars each with a distinct personality and backstory. Sarabeth strives to maintain what she calls a work-peace balance, off-setting her long days at the bakery with hobbies like gardening, knitting and golf. She and Bill have four children and 12 grandchildren between them, and they enjoy spending time together whether at their Upper West Side apartment or quaint home in Water Mill, N.Y. Sarabeth’s favorite meal of the day? Breakfast, naturally. A center-cut slice of fresh sourdough boule with a generous portion of cream cheese and a huge pile of her marmalade, eaten longingly with eyes closed and memories of a childhood recipe that changed her life.

Want more? Find the guest recipe for Chocolate Chubbies cookies here, and learn more about Sarabeth's Kitchen here.

Sweet Legacy: To Julia Child, on her 100th Birthday

This August 15, Julia Child would have been 100 years old. Wow. To celebrate a bit in advance, I thought I'd share some thoughts on why she continues to inspire me. Here goes.

For me, Julia Child is a fantastic illustration of a line from the classic film Rocky Horror Picture Show: "Don't Dream it, Be It."

With a manner and voice that was a whole lotta personality to handle, the thing that made Julia "work" is that she was authentic, and true to herself. Sure, she was tall, loud, had a funny voice, made mistakes. She owned it. 

She was who she was.

I heard a story once about Julia Child - I tried to find it online but I couldn't, so I am paraphrasing - a personal account of a fellow who, one evening, was cooking dinner for guests, and had a cooking question. On a lark, the group decided to call Julia Child - she was in the white pages, who'd a thunk it? - and not only did she answer, but guided them through the critical cooking moment before wishing them bon appetit and good luck. 

I just love that story, even if I have slightly warped it (if you know where to find the story please let me know!). You get the point. She was easy and accessible, and she was herself. She was engaged, and therefore, engaging to others. Her passion shone, and made others feel passion. That's a powerful thing to put out into the world, and her legacy continues to delight and inspire. 

For more wonderful accounts on Julia Child and how she has inspired others, visit the PBS website!

Giveaway: Win Paul Bradford Sugarcraft dvds

OMG! Remember that magical unicorn cupcake topper tutorial I shared with you earlier this week? Well, the good times aren't over. The Paul Bradford Sugarcraft School has offered some of their DVDs featuring other awesome tutorials, for a giveaway on this site! YES!

There are 4 dvds in total which are going to be given away to four separate winners. The DVDs you could win are:

Pirate Ship Cake Tutorial

Teddy Bear Cake Tutorial

Chocolate Wrap Cake Tutorial

Rose Wedding Cake Tutorial

So how do you enter? It's so easy. Just leave a comment on this post with a suggestion for what you think would be a great name for this magical unicorn (pictured above!). We'll choose our 5 favorites and offer up a DVD to you. Bonus points if you add why!

The giveaway is open to US residents only (so I can afford shipping!), and the giveaway will close one week from today, on July 27 at 3pm EST. Oh, and don't panic if your comment isn't instantly view-able--I have comment moderation enabled. Good luck!