First off, lots of Strawberry-Honey Jam. I used Pomona's Universal Pectin, which is awesome because you don't need to use much, if any sweetener, depending on the fruit; in fact, it gels with calcium, rather than sugar. I've been avoiding white sugar, for the most part, & used 1/2 cup honey to sweeten each batch (per 4 cups mashed strawberries). The resulting jam is just right & won't give the recipients diabeetus.
There are 29 jars of this stuff---some pints, some half-pints, & some teensy-tiny ones. I can't wait to mix it into yogurt & slather it on toast throughout the year!
I also made some pseudo-ice cream. Since I don't have an ice cream maker, I just whipped some heavy cream, then folded in some strawberry puree before freezing. It's a little crystallized, but I wasn't feeling fancy enough to care. :)
If you're in a similarly non-fancy mood, here's how I made it:
Rustic Strawberry-Honey Ice Cream & Sauce
- 1/2 pint heavy cream
- 2 cups strawberry puree
- 3/4 cup honey (more or less, to taste)
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon arrowroot starch
Meanwhile, make the sauce by whisking the arrowroot into the remaining syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer for about a minute, then pour into a jar to cool.
Drizzle the ruby syrup over your ice cream & eat it while basking in the sun!
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I also whipped up a couple treats for a dinner at Coral's house. Of course I forgot to take pictures of them until after I wrapped them up. By the time I realized it, I was running late & just wanted to head over, so sorry!
Luckily, I had set aside a cookie for Ethan, so I have a better shot of that. I made cookie sandwiches, filled with a little homemade peach jam. Mmmmmmm...
Brown Butter Shortbread adapted from My Madison Bistro
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
Cream the butter, brown sugar & vanilla. Add the flour & mix until combined. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Pop into the freezer for a bit until it's firmed up.
Cut into desired shapes & place on a cookie sheet. Bake until golden on the edges, 15-20 minutes, depending on how large you made them.
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Black-Bottom Coconut Bars adapted from Martha Stewart
Base:
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup organic sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup organic sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 3 cups unsweetened coconut (reserve 1/2 cup for garnish)
Whisk together the butter, sugar & egg. In a small bowl, stir together the flour & cocoa, then stir into the wet ingredients. Spread into the prepared pan & bake for 10-15 minutes, just until it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
While that's baking, prepare the coconut topping. Whisk together the eggs, sugar & vanilla. Stir in the flour, then fold in 2 1/2 cup of coconut. Spread carefully over the baked base. It's pretty thick, so I just dolloped it on top, then carefully pressed it out. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool before cutting into squares.
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On the crafty front, I've been in a crocheting mood, working on my granny square blanket & making a garland for my mom.
Here are all the little hearts, before weaving in the ends:
I made the small hearts from here, then made the garland according to here, except I only chained 4 on top of the hearts, rather than 6, since they were smaller. And here's the finished product:
Cute little hearts!
