Quick and Easy Freezer Jam

Have you ever had homemade strawberry jam? If you haven’t, then you’ve been living an unfulfilled life:) Once you’ve had it you’ll never go back. I grew up on the stuff so naturally I had to have it for my kids. It’s a panic day when I go to the freezer to get another container of jam and find I have only one left. I go into a frenzy and rush to the store to get the ingredients. Heaven forbid my kids want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and I have NO homemade jam!! I don’t even think my 2 year old has ever had anything other than homemade jam. Wow…my kids live a sheltered life:)

If you’re telling yourself that you don’t have the time, or patience, or time…just get over it. It takes no time at all. See no excuses now!

The ONLY brand of pectin you should EVER use in my opinion is MCP from Sure Jell. This is the best one for quick and easy freezer jam. I can’t be bothered with cooking anything for jam. This one is SO easy, SO good and SO fast. Sometimes it has been known to be hidden and you might have to go to several stores to find it, but hold out for it cause it’s the best.

Just open the box and follow the directions for the Quick and Easy freezer jam. It’s as easy as that! And if you’re fortunate enough to live in California, you have another advantage…the strawberries. Oh the California strawberries!! They are natures candy there…but only the ones you buy on the side of the road, picked fresh that day, straight from the ground you’re standing on. You’ve never had a sweeter strawberry. I, on the other hand, had to trust my good ole Costco.

2 pounds fresh strawberries, not frozen

1/4 cup lemon juice

4 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 box MCP Sure Jell Pectin

Then just follow the instructions WORD BY WORD. Don’t try to add things here or cut corners there. Your jam won’t set. Just do EXACTLY what it says. The instructions do say NOT to puree the fruit and leave chunks of fruit, but this is the ONE thing I stray from. I pulse those babies to a fine puree. I don’t like chunky jam…no thank you. So go ahead and puree your heart out:)

When it says to stir in the pectin, sprinkle it on very gradually WHILE stirring. I use a whisk. You want the pectin to be nice and incorporated. If you dump it all in at once or in larger amounts, it clumps up. It takes me a good 3-5 minutes of sprinkling and whisking. Then wait the FULL 30 minutes. I set a timer. Make sure you stir it about every 5 minutes like it says.

Stir in the sugar the same way you did the pectin. If you dump too much at once it’ll clump up a little. Stir it until the sugar is COMPLETELY dissolved. This can take 5-10 minutes. Make sure you stir with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides of the bowl, getting ALL sugar granules dissolved. If it doesn’t dissolve, it’ll crystalize and create a weird texture. I know it’s done when I pull the rubber spatula out and the coating of jam is clear and I can’t find one grain. I’ll even taste it several times to make sure there’s no “crunch” of sugar granules.

Then pour it into your containers. I usually buy the 1 cup Ziploc storage containers or the Ball twist top containers (these are my fave - both are pictured). It usually makes 7-8 cups of jam.

Then you leave them on the counter for 24 hours and then put them in the freezer…that’s it!! Then you’re set. I’m not going to lie, one batch lasts us about 8 months. Not bad if you ask me. And we eat A LOT of jam!! I also love having it to give to people. It’s such an easy, no brainer gift – a loaf of homemade bread with this jam. I also like to give it to the missionaries every time they come over. I also add it to things like: cakes, my homemade cream cheese frosting to make a strawberry cream cheese frosting, vanilla buttercream, and of course sandwiches, homemade rolls and bread. Perfect. Now get your buns to the store and make some jam!!!

Chocolate and Caramel Apple Pie Galette

Found this gem on Picky Palate. I have to admit that I'm definitely not a huge fan of fruit desserts, but sometimes I can squeeze in an apple pie here and there if I'm in the mood and it looks oh so delicious. This was one of those times. The truth? Because this recipe requires Rolos sprinkled on top. I LOVE recipes that are twists on old-time classics! Don't judge, but I HAD to pretty much triple the amount of Rolos because I'm just that kind of gal. If I'm going to do something, I'm goin all the way. The apples: so tender. The flavor: so caramely. The end result: perfection.

3 T butter
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced (I prefer Granny Smith)
3 T brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 roll ready made pie crust (I prefer Pillsbury)
15 Rolo caramels, quartered
Caramel sauce
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook and stir for 5 minutes until apples are softened.

Roll out pie dough on baking cookie sheet. Pour apples into center of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border all the way around. Top with quartered Rolos. Take edges and fold over to make a pleated edge.

Bake for 30-35 minutes (I went the full 35, maybe even a few min longer) until edges are golden brown. Remove and cool. Drizzle with caramel sauce and dust with powdered sugar. I like to eat it about 10 minutes after it's been out of the oven when it's still warm, but not scalding hot - of course topped with a scoop of ice cream :)

*From Picky Palate

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

IMPORTANT!!: You MUST bake this in a 2-inch deep pan! I didn't have a round cake pan that deep, so i just used a standard 8by8 square baking dish and it worked perfectly. I am warning you...THIS IS DELICIOUS!!!! and SO pretty - perfect for a bridal or baby shower!

Cake:

1 1/2 c flour

3 T corn starch

1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda

9 T unstalted butter, room temp

1 1/2 c sugar

3 eggs

1/2 c sour cream, room temp

1 t vanilla

Icing:

1 (8oz) cream cheese, room temp

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar

1 t vanilla

1 pound strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together four, salt, baking soda, and corn starch. In electric mixer, cream 9 T butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined. Pour into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until no longer jiggly in the middle. Remove from cake pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

Stem and halve strawberries. Place in a bowl with 3 T sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries to release juices and sprinkle with about 2 T more sugar. Allow to sit for another 30 minutes.

Make icing: combine cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl with electric mixer and whisk attachment (or hand mixer). This allows air to be whipped into the icing to make it light and fluffy. Mix until very light and fluffy...it almost looks like whipped cream.

Slice cake in half through the middle. Spread strawberries evenly over each half (cut side up), pouring on all the juices. Place cake halves into the freezer for five minues, just to make icing easier.

Remove from freezer. use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top, spreading evenly, then spread the remaining around the sides.

You can either leave it plain with few strawberries showing through or garnish with strawberry halves.

IMPORTANT: Cake is best when served slightly cool. The butter content in the icing will cause it to soften at room temp. For best results, store in the fridge!!

*From The Pioneer Woman - my new favorite cake recipe!

Apple Dumplings

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla and about 1 t cinnamon, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

*These are DEVILISHLY delicious!!!! Don't get duped by the picture or name of this dessert! When I was making these, everyone was like...those look weird and that's a weird combonation. And then they all shut up when their mouths were full of the apple goodness! I DON'T like fruit desserts AT ALL, but these are my ALL TIME FAVORITE dessert on this ENTIRE PLANET!!! Don't be skeptical and GO AND MAKE THEM!!!...PS: I think mine look better than this picture...but don't tell the Pioneer Woman!

*Picture and recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman...remember my camera is in the camera graveyard.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

1 pint fresh strawberries

1 (8 0z) package cream cheese

1/2 c powdered sugar

1/2 t vanilla

1/4 t almond extract

Wash strawberries. Cut tops off to make flat bottom. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and almond extract until smooth. Spoon cream cheese mixture into the corner of a ziploc bag. Wash strawberries. Cut tops off to make flat bottom. Quarter strawberries from tip to stem end without cutting through stem end. Cut corner off ziploc bag. Pipe cream cheese mixture into strawberries. Chill until ready to serve.

*These would be SO cute for a shower or party! There are so many ways you can do these too. You can add orange zest or juice to make a citrus filling, top with shaved or melted chocolate, or my favorite idea...actually make a no-bake cheesecake and then put it in a food processor (or just kitchen aid) and have a ACTUAL cheesecake stuffed strawberry. You really can be creative with whatever you want to do!