Simple (and simply) Strawberry Jam

I adore the taste of fresh strawberries, but due to an allergic husband and my inability to eat them cold I can never get through a very large amount of them before they start molding.

So the cycle usually goes like this: buy a really small amount, eat them all, feel sad about not having bought more, buy a whole bunch, eat a quarter of it, they mold, feel terrible about wasting so many, start again.

This time I was determined to break the streak and do something with all my extra berries.  Jam!  Not much extra in it (no interfering with the flavor!) and just glorious, glorious jam.

Ingredients:
3 pint containers of very very ripe strawberries, washed well.
2 cups of sugar
3 tablespoons of lemon juice (preferably fresh squeezed, but I won't judge)
about 2 tablespoons of lemon zest *

Directions
Cut the tops off your strawberries and quarter them.  Toss them in a large sauce pan with all the other ingredients and cook on high until them mixture comes to a boil, stirring frequently.  Drop down to medium and cook for 1 hour, coming back to stir about every 10-15 minutes (make sure to scrape the sides and the bottom)

Meanwhile, stick a small plate in the freezer.

At the end of the hour, take a potato masher or a blender to the mix and blend most of the lumps out (you can blend as much or as little out, depending on how lumpy you like your jam)

Now take that plate out of the freezer and drop just a little of the jam on it.  Did it set up like jelly immediately or is it still kind of sloshing around?  If it's sloshing, let it simmer another 15 minutes.  If not, can according to a good canning site (like here) or stick it in a glass bowl and let cool before covering and refrigerating for up to 3 weeks.  (Canned jelly can last up to 3 YEARS)

Enjoy!

*My secret lately has been dried lemon peel, which you can find in your spice aisle.  Always on hand and I don't have to worry about grating my fingers.

Speciality item: Madeleines

In this world there is a beautiful cookie.  Really, it's more like a tender little butter cake served warm and sprinkled with a dusting of sugar.

And it is called a madeleine.

Now, these aren't like your basic drop cookies or roll and cuts.  It does take some special equipment, a little patience, and a lot of love.  But I think you'll agree once you've tasted one that the results are entirely worth it.

Our specialty equipment for this item is a madeleine pan.  They're becoming more and more common, so you might even find one at Kmart or Target, but of course the internet always has you covered.  Make sure it has twelve "shells" and if you can, get one with a smooth lip (Some of the older ones have a SHARP down turned edge that will cut you like a knife)

Ingredients
2 eggs, room temperature (I usually set mine out the morning I know I'm going to make them)*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla, best quality you can get
1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest (whichever you like the taste of better.  Or you can leave this out)
1/2 cup of sugar, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup of flour, plus more to dust the pan
1/4 cup of butter, melted and cooled

Directions
Thoroughly butter your  madeleine pan and dust the shells with flour (Shake out the excess)

Whisk the eggs, salt, vanilla, and zest quickly until they begin to lighten in color.  Still whisking, gradually add in the sugar.

Whisk on high speed until the mixture thickens and looks to be white.  As you move the whisk through the mixture, it will hold the shape of the ripples for just a moment after you move the whisk away.

Using a large spatula, sprinkle the flour a  little at a time on top of the mixture and fold in (for a detailed explanation of how to fold in ingredients, go here to watch a video).  Continue sprinkling on flour and folding in until you have it thoroughly mixed, making sure to scrape the sides and bottoms.

Pour the melted butter around the edges of the bowl and fold in until thoroughly mixed.

Spoon the mixture into the shells.  Leave each shell a little less than full until you've filled the last one, then even them out with the remaining batter.

Bake at 375 for 14-17 minutes, or until they're golden brown and they pop back to form when you poke the middle of a shell.

Loosen the edges of the shells with your fingernails or a knife and lay them curved side up on a plate or towel and sprinkle with sugar while still warm.  Eat right away!
*Room temperature eggs beat up faster.  If your eggs are cold, everything will take a lot longer

Simple dipped truffles

Sometimes you just want a plain truffle.  A little soft center and a bit of crunch on the outside.  Simple enough.  Probably a lot more simple than you ever thought.

Ingredients:
2 bags of chocolate chips in your favorite flavor/variety (I like a mix of bittersweet and semi-sweet ghiradelli, but that's me.  Go with your heart!)
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus about 2 tablespoons
1 silicone chocolate or ice cube mold (like here or here)*

Directions:
In a medium microwavable bowl, blend 1 bag's worth of chips with the heavy cream and microwave for 1 minute on high.  Stir vigorously until the chocolate and cream combine (if you still have lumps of chocolate, microwave for another 30 seconds and stir again).  This is the ganache.

Let the mixture cool, then pour into your mold, just short of the tops (if you overflow, just scrape smooth and back into the bowl)

Stick the mold in the freezer for about 10 minutes or until you can use your thumb to press the ganache molds out without breaking them or smashing the shapes.  Put the finished shapes on a plate or pan and stick them back in the freezer while you finish the other molds.

When you're finished with all your shapes, put the remaining chocolate in another microwavable bowl and heat for 1 minute on high.  Take it out and stir, then heat at 30 second intervals until you have a smooth chocolate paste.

Lay out a layer of WAX paper^.

One at a time, use a fork to dip your frozen molds into the chocolate paste and set them on the wax paper.  Make sure to cover the whole mold and shake off all the extra paste.

Keep the extra molds cool in between dips: if they get too warm they'll melt into the paste.

If the paste starts to get thick, microwave it for 10 seconds and stir.

Let cool and enjoy!


*Silicone is important because of the way it will release your chocolate.  If you get a hard plastic mold, it won't let loose.  So don't go there.  Please.
^Silicone mats are also usable, but parchment paper will stick to your finished chocolates