Republic of Jam

For best results, use a 9×13 metal pan (not glass) for baking these bars. Trust us.

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp salt
4 oz butter, chilled, cut into pieces
3 eggs, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large jar of your favorite jam (we recommend something tart, such as Meyer Lemon Vanilla, Raspberry Anise, or Boysenberry Lemon)
2 cups coconut flakes
optional: 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch metal pan.
In a food processor or using a pastry cutter or 2 forks, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg and vanilla. Mix until a dough ball forms and flour is incorporated.

Press dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 15-20 minutes, until light golden. Remove from oven and while base is still warm, spread it with the jam.

Whisk remaining 2 eggs and remaining 1/4 cup sugar together. Stir in coconut. Spread over jam. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely in pan.

For optional chocolate topping: put chocolate chips into microwave-safe bowl. Melt at power level 5 for 1 minute, then in 20-second increments, stirring after each nuking, until chocolate is just melted. Use a fork to drizzle chocolate over the tops of bars (or, for a neater presentation, scrape melted chocolate into a thick plastic sandwich-size bag and snip off a tiny amount of one corner of the bag, then use this to pipe on the melted chocolate). Allow chocolate to cool & harden, if you can wait that long. It will look much nicer if you wait, but we won’t tell if you don’t wait.

Slice and serve.

1 1/2 cups uncooked couscous
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1/2 inch knob of fresh ginger, minced (about 1/2 Tbsp)
8-10 ounces fresh rhubarb, cut crosswise into 1/3″-1/2″
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 large jar of your favorite Cherry Black Pepper jam
1 cup garbanzo beans
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook couscous according to package directions.

Heat oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and ginger, and saute for 10 minutes. Add rhubarb, cherries, vinegar, and jam. Simmer until rhubarb has just softened, about 8 minutes, to make a compote. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.

All ingredients can then be combined & tossed in a large bowl, or for a more formal presentation, try this: Spread spinach leaves on a large platter. Top with couscous, then garbanzo beans. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon compote over the top, then sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts.

For the sauce:
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, finely minced
1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced (leave in seeds for extra spice)
kosher salt
1 large jar of your favorite Mixed Berry Balsamic jam
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp molasses
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

In a large saucepan, warm the oil over low heat until hot and shimmering. Add the cumin seeds to toast them; be careful as the oil can splatter.

Once the splattering stops, add the onions and the serrano and a little salt, to taste. Saute until the onions soften but don’t let them get any color. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer 10-15 minutes until sauce has thickened.

For the pulled pork:
7-8 lb pork butt (bone in or not)

Brine:
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 qts cold water
3 Tbsp dry rub mix (see below)
2 Bay leaves

Dry rub mix: Combine
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cayenne
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar

Combine brine ingredients in a bowl. Put pork into a Ziplock bag and pour in the brine. Let stand at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Remove pork from bag and place in a 3″ deep roasting pan, fat side up. Pat the meat dry and coat/rub very generously with the dry rub mix.

Roast pork until the meat registers 200 degrees on a thermometer, or until fork tender (this means it pulls apart with a fork very easily). This takes 1.5 to 2 hours per pound.

Let the pork cool and then pull/shred the pork. Combine with sauce and enjoy.

1 (14.5 oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 (4.25 oz) can green chilies
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 sections of preserved lime
1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed and chopped
3/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Place all ingredients in a blender. Pulse until just combined for chunky salsa or pulse more for smoother salsa. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to enjoy!

For the breads:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

For the filling and coating:
1 1/2 cups of your favorite Spiced Strawberry Pinot jam
1/2 cup butter, melted (for coating)
1 cup granulated sugar (for coating)
2 teaspoons cinnamon (for coating)

In the bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition.

In another large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture, 1 cup of water, and the vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Then mix on medium speed until the dough becomes smooth and soft, with a thick, batter-like texture, 3-5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop half spheres of dough 2 inches apart onto a nonstick baking sheet or line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let the small breads cool completely.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.

Divide the breads into 2 equal groups. Spread about 1 tablespoon of marmalade or jam on the bottom-side of one group of breads. Using a pastry brush, coat the other group of breads with melted butter. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Sandwich the two halves together.

Store in an airtight container.

This makes a very large portion. For a 9×12 baking pan, cut the recipe in half.

• 1 large loaf challah, cut into 1-inch cubes (no need to remove crust)
• 1 lb dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 12 eggs
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 4 cups milk (lowfat is okay)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp ground pure chile (not chili powder)
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large jar of your favorite Marionberry Cinnamon jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pile the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 15 minutes. You want them to dry out a bit before mixing them with the custard so that they absorb as much of the liquid as possible. Remove them from the oven and let them cool a bit. Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

While the bread is toasting, put the chocolate pieces in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate on high for 1 minute, let it rest, then zap it for 1 minute more. Remove the chocolate and stir it with a spatula or spoon until it is smooth and melted.

In a very large bowl, mix together the eggs, cream, milk, sugar and spices. Add the melted chocolate and whisk until the mixture is smooth (this is easier said than done, and it might clump up a bit, but don’t worry about it — it will still taste great). Put the bread in the bowl, toss well, and let the bread soak in the custard mixture at least half an hour and up to two hours, tossing occasionally to make sure all the bread cubes are well coated.

Spray a very large baking pan (or two medium baking pans) with cooking spray. Spread a 1-inch layer of the bread-custard mixture into the pan(s) and then spread with half of the jam. Spread an additional layer of the bread-custard mixture over the jam. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes to an hour, until the pudding is set. Remove the pudding from the oven and let it sit at least 15 minutes before serving.

Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with additional jam on the top. Makes enough for the whole office.

1 Cup Butter, softened slightly
1/2 Cup Powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

2 Cups Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup (1 small jar) of your favorite jam. We’ve tried this with Raspberry Anise jam as well as Meyer Lemon Vanilla Marmalade, and both were great.

Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a food processor, with a mixer, or by hand: cream butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add flour and salt.
Roll into small 3/4 inch balls and use your thumb or the handle of a cooking spoon to press down center.
Use a baby spoon or pastry bag (or cut the corner off a plastic bag) to fill center with the jam.

Bake for 15 – 17 minutes. Remove from pan and cool, then dust with powdered sugar.

We previously published a recipe for Apricot Hazelnut focaccia but when we tried this new combination with Apple Beer jam, we just had to share.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, sliced thinly and then slices cut into 1″ pieces
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 pound of pizza dough (purchased or homemade — we like this recipe from Mark Bittman to make our own. We add an extra tablespoon of olive oil to the dough to keep it moist.)
1/2 cup (1 small jar) of your favorite Apple Beer jam
2 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
smoked salt, to taste

In a non-stick frying pan with a cover, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in onions and cook over low heat until onions are golden and beginning to caramelize, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally if needed, but it’s best not to disturb them much.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Oil a jelly roll pan and stretch/press the pizza dough to fill the pan (if it resists stretching, let it rest a few minutes). Mix the jam with 2 Tbsp oil to thin it slightly, then spread it over the pizza dough. Scatter the caramelized onions evenly over the jam, then sprinkle with blue cheese. Dust with smoked salt. Put the focaccia in the oven, lower the heat to 375 degrees, and bake for about 30 minutes, until topping is bubbling and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven, cool slightly, and serve.

For jerk marinade:
3 scallions, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
4 to 5 fresh Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, stemmed and seeded
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons black pepper
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For chicken:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup cornstarch
Peanut oil, for frying chicken

For dipping sauce:
1/2 cup of your favorite Boysenberry Lemon jam
½ cup plain yogurt
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp fresh ginger
1 scallion, finely chopped, for garnish

Make marinade:
Blend all marinade ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Marinate and cook chicken:
Divide chicken pieces and marinade between 2 sealable plastic bags. Seal bags, pressing out excess air, then turn bags over several times to distribute marinade. Put bags of chicken in a shallow pan and marinate, chilled, turning once or twice, 1 day.
Let chicken stand at room temperature 1 hour before cooking.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, coat in cornmeal, flour and cornstarch mixture by shaking with the dry ingredients in a ziplock bag. Pour 2-3 inches of peanut oil in frying pan and heat to 355 degrees. Place chicken in hot oil and cook for about 4 minutes on each side. Drain on a paper towel. Serve with dipping sauce

Adapted from Gourmet magazine

1 cup wheat, spelt, or rye berries (available at natural foods stores)
1/2 cup diced Feta (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup julienne strips of seedless cucumber
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 T julienne strips of drained bottled roasted red pepper
1/4 cup mixed minced fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, and dill plus herb sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
½ cup of your favorite Meyer Lemon Vanilla jam
1 T red-wine vinegar
1 T chopped pitted brine-cured black olives
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove
minced dried hot red pepper flakes to taste

In a kettle of boiling salted water cook the wheat berries for 1 hour, or until they are tender, and drain them. In a large bowl stir together the wheat berries, the Feta, the onion, the cucumber, the oil, the roasted pepper, the minced herbs, the lemon juice, the jam, the vinegar, the olives, the cumin, the garlic, the red pepper flakes, and salt to taste and garnish the salad with the herb sprigs.