Month: July 2020

Condiments

Raspberry Peach Freezer Jam

Lynnae

I love the fresh taste of freezer jams compared to regular jam. They are also pretty easy to make. I recently discovered that using CERTO liquid pectin gave me an improved set for my jam.

First, you’ll need to prepare your containers. I usually just wash mine in the dishwasher. Next, prepare your fruit. For this jam, you should mash your raspberries with a potato masher, dice the peaches, and squeeze the lemons.

After preparing the fruit, add the exact amount of peaches, raspberries, and sugar to a bowl. Combine thoroughly. The key to a good jam is getting the sugar to completely dissolve in the fruit. The fastest and easiest way to accomplish this is to microwave it. I start at 3 minutes, test it by tasting it, and then add another minute at a time until the sugar is dissolved.

Now mix the lemon juice and the CERTO in a separate bowl and then add it to the fruit. Combine. The jam should begin to set up fairly quickly. Scoop it into your glass or plastic containers using a funnel and leave 1/2 inch of head space for freezing.

It should mature on the counter top for 24 hours, then go in the refrigerator or freezer. You can store it for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator, or up to a year in the freezer. Now you can enjoy the fresh taste of summer all winter long.

Raspberry Peach Freezer Jam

From the Kitchen of Lynnae Hymas

Recipe by Sure Jell

Serves: 6 cupsPrep Time: 30 minutesWait Time: 24 hours

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 ½ crushed raspberries (3 cups fresh raspberries)
  • 1 cup chopped fresh peaches (about 1 pound of peaches)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 4 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 pouch CERTO

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Measure the exact amounts of crushed raspberries and chopped peaches into a large bowl.
  2. Measure the exact amount of sugar into the fruit and combine. 
  3. Let stand 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
  4. If, after 10 minutes, the sugar is still not dissolved, put the fruit mixture in the microwave on high power for 3-5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
  5. Combine the CERTO with the fresh lemon juice in a separate bowl.
  6. Combine the CERTO pectin with the fruit and stir for 3 minutes.
  7. Pour into the prepared containers, leaving ½ inch of head space.
  8. Let the containers stand at room temperature for 24 hours. 
  9. You can store the jam in the refrigerator for 3 week or freeze for up to a year.
raspberry-peach-freezer-jamDownload

Dessert, Peaches

Fresh Peaches and Cream Pie

Lynnae

It’s peach season and what could be better than peaches and cream pie? This pie is one your family is sure to love.

You will need to prebake a pie crust. You can make your own, use a refrigerator crust and bake it, or bake a frozen one. I have used all of these methods. I think the biggest bang for your buck if you are short on time is baking a frozen pie crust according to package directions. Marie Calendars is my favorite brand for frozen pie crust. I will also be posting my favorite pie crust from scratch sometime soon.

The first step in making the pie filling is to macerate your peaches. This means getting some of the natural liquid out of the fruit using sugar. This will make them soft and sweet and deliciously saucy. Peel the peaches, remove the peach pits, and slice the peaches into thin slices.  You can also cut them into chunks, depending on how you want your pie to look.

After the peaches are sliced and in a bowl, add the sugar, almond extract, lemon juice, and salt.  Toss all the ingredients together.  From here, I like to put them right into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to collect the juices.  You’ll also need to use about 1 cup of the peaches for the glaze. I pull those out now and puree them in a blender or food processor, adding a little water as needed to get them to blend.

While the peaches are draining, we can focus on the cream filling. Add the cream, 1/4 cup of sugar, and the vanilla and almond extract to a bowl. You want to whip these together with a hand mixer until the cream forms into peaks. Next, cream together the mascarpone cheese and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, then fold the cheese mixture into the cream.  It should be well incorporated.

For the glaze, in a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and the cornstarch.  You will collect all the juice you got off of the macerated peaches and then use water to supplement the volume. You need 3/4 c. of total liquid. You also add the pureed peaches to the sauce pan and mix them well.  Bring the glaze to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly.  It should thicken up nicely. Once boiling, continue to cook and stir for 3 more minutes then remove from heat.  Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before assembly the pie.

Now the fun part–we get to put all the pieces of the pie together. Fill the bottom of the baked pie crust with the cream filling. You can decide how thick you want the filling, but trust me, there’s really no such thing as too much. Cover the cream filing with a thin layer of the pie glaze.  Arrange the peaches on top of the cream filling and glaze and cover them with the remaining glaze.  Refrigerate the pie until completely chilled. Enjoy!

Fresh Peaches and Cream Pie

From the Kitchen of Lynnae Hymas

Serves: 6-8Prep Time: 2 hoursCook Time: N/A

INGREDIENTS:

  • Fresh Macerated Peaches
    • 2-3 pounds peaches
    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • Pinch of kosher salt
  • Cream Filling
    • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon almond extract
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • Glaze
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
    • ¾ cup liquid from macerated peaches + water
    • 1 cup pureed peaches

INSTRUCTIONS:

Macerated Peaches

            Peel the peaches, remove the peach pits, and slice the peaches into thin slices.  To a bowl, add the peaches, sugar, almond extract, lemon juice, and salt.  Toss all the ingredients together.  Place peaches in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to collect the juices.  Remove about 1 cup of peaches and puree them in a blender or food processor.  Set aside the puree for the glaze.

Cream Filling

            Beat the cream, ½ of the sugar, and the extracts together until cream forms into peaks.  Cream together the mascarpone cheese and the remaining sugar.  Fold the cheese mixture into the cream.  Set aside.

Glaze

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and the cornstarch.  Add the peach liquid and water as well as the pureed peaches and combine.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly.  Once boiling, continue to stir for 3 more minutes then remove from heat.  Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.

Assembly

            Fill the bottom of the baked pie crust with the cream filling and spread around.  Cover the cream filing with a thin layer of the pie glaze.  Arrange the peaches on top of the cream filling and glaze and cover them with the remaining glaze.  Refrigerate until completely chilled.

fresh-peaches-and-cream-pie-1Download

Drink

Virgin Mojito

Lynnae

Last summer, we went on a family vacation to Punta Mita, Mexico and stayed at a resort there. It was an EPIC trip! Here are a few photos in case you were on the fence about going yourself. Just do it! (After COVID-19 of course).

We quickly realized that nothing beats a virgin mojito poolside or on the beach. I probably ordered 3-4 a day at $5 a pop. I couldn’t help it! Definitely a splurge!

It seemed simple enough to make, so when we got home, I figured out my own recipe.

Put 3-4 mint leaves in the bottom of a glass and bruise them up to release the flavor. Add the juice from 1 fresh squeezed lime, 3 tablespoons of a cane sugar sweetener. I found I like the Torani Sugar Free Sweetener best. Fill the glass half way with ice, and then add unflavored soda water. Pretty simple. You can thank me later.

Virgin Mojito

From the Kitchen of Lynnae Hymas

Serves: 1Prep Time: 5 minCook Time:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3-5 mint leaves
  • 1 lime
  • 3 tablespoons Torani Sugar Free Sweetener
  • Crushed ice
  • 6 ounces carbonated mineral water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Put the mint leaves at the bottom of a 12 ounce glass and bruise them.  A mottler works best for this.  Add the juice from 1 lime, which is about 2 tablespoons of juice.  Add sweetener and then fill the glass up about half way with crushed ice.  Finally, top off with the carbonated mineral water.  Give it and quick stir and enjoy!

virgin-mojitoDownload

Breakfast, Cheese, Dessert

Ricotta Cheese with Candied Almonds and Berries

Lynnae

A few weeks ago, I was watching an episode of the Barefoot Contessa, and she made this unusual breakfast dish. I had to try it! It was an instant hit and we’ve made it several times since. I spread the ricotta and almonds right onto my toast. No butter needed. Yum!

This is one way to use the homemade ricotta cheese recipe I shared a few days ago. You start this dish with warm ricotta cheese. To the cheese, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 2 tablespoons of honey. Fold it together and set the cheese aside.

The next step is to candy the sliced almonds. Melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter in a sauté pan and add 1/2 cup of sliced almonds and a dash of salt. Stirring constantly, cook the almonds until they just turn golden brown. Do not leave them unattended. They will burn. Add 1/3 cup of real maple syrup and coat the almonds. The mixture should bubble up and caramelize. Set aside.

You can serve this with your favorite toast. (I turned a loaf of our sourdough ciabatta bread into crostini. I cut the bread into thin pieces, brushed them with olive oil, and toasted them in a 400 degree oven for 5-10 minutes until they were golden brown.)

From there, just plate the food. Put a dollop of ricotta in the middle of the plate. Top with almonds. And surround with toast and fruit.

This is absolutely a guest worthy dish. You can serve this as a sophisticated dessert or a light breakfast. Your guests won’t soon forget this meal.

Ricotta Cheese with Candied Almonds and Berries

From the Kitchen of Lynnae Hymas

Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 10 min

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 recipe of Homemade Ricotta Cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2-3 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup sliced almonds
  • Dash of salt
  • 1/3 cup real maple syrup
  • Fresh mixed berries such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, washed
  • Your favorite toast or crostini

INSTRUCTIONS:

While your homemade ricotta cheese is still warm, add the vanilla and honey and mix together.  Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small sauté pan.  Add the sliced almonds to the pan and sprinkle with salt.  Stir the almonds until they turn a beautiful golden brown color.  Add the maple syrup and coat the almonds in the syrup.  Remove from heat and set aside.

To plate, put a scoop of ricotta in the center of a plate and top with a spoonful of the almonds. Serve with 1-2 slices of toast and a mixture of your favorite berries.

sweet-ricotta-and-candied-almonds
Cheese, Italian

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Lynnae

I love ricotta cheese. It is really versatile. You can use it in desserts, breakfasts, Italian dishes, spreads… I do find that the texture and the cheese can be a little dry. When I make cannoli, I have always used a particular brand of whole milk cannoli because it has a more creamy texture.

I recently found just how easy it is to make homemade ricotta cheese. I was so excited because I have so much more control over the consistency and texture of the cheese to better match the dish I’m making. Plus the fresher the better.

The equipment you need to make ricotta is a heavy sauce pan, a fine mesh strainer, and some cheese cloth. For ingredients, you need milk, cream, salt, and vinegar or lemon juice. That’s it!

You make the base of the cheese by combining the milk, cream, and salt in a heavy sauce pan and bring it to a rolling boil over medium high heat. Then, add your acid and let the milk curdle. It takes about 1-5 minutes. Finally, pour the mixture into a cheese cloth lined fine mesh strainer resting in a bowl. The whey will separate out, leaving the cheese behind. Drain until it reaches your desired consistency. You can speed up the process by twisting the cloth together and providing a little bit of pressure.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 ½ cups milk
  • 2 ½ cups cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice

EQUIPMENT:

  • Cheese cloth
  • Fine mesh strainer

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add milk, cream, and salt to a heavy pot and bring to a rolling boil.  Remove from heat and add the vinegar or lemon juice.  Mix together.  The mixture will start to curdle.  Allow the mixture to sit for 1-5 minutes.  Put your strainer in a bowl and line it with a 2-4 layers of cheese cloth.  Carefully pour your milk mixture into the cheese cloth and allow to drain until you reach the desired consistency, about 30-60 minutes.  You can cool in the refrigerator or use immediately.

ricottaDownload