Nantucket Cranberry Pie

For November's Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned Sarah's Kitchen.  It was hard to decide which recipe to make, there were lots of tempting ones on her blog!!!  Always looking for a new cranberry dessert for the holiday season, I chose this Nantucket Cranberry Pie!!! Why is it certain ingredients like cranberries and pumpkin seem to be reserved for October and November.  Delicious and versatile, why don't we use them more often?

This isn't your typical pie recipe, there's no bottom crust and the top crust is more like cake batter.  The recipe didn't say what size cake pan to use and my 8" round seemed small.  I decided to use my 9" springform pan.  While my cake was baking, I was watching the finale of Master Chef Junior.  Are those kids amazing or what?  When I started smelling something burning, I checked the oven and there was cranberry juice all over the bottom of the oven.  The good news, I use an oven liner.  The bad news, it's a two piece one so some juice had seeped onto the bottom of the oven.  What a mess!!  It's been a while since I've had a kitchen disaster!!  Note to self, springform pan was a bad idea!  More good news though, I have two ovens, so I finished the baking in the second oven. 

Despite the mess in the oven, the pie was a success.  The tartness of the cranberries combines nicely with the hint of almond and buttery dough. 

Nantucket Cranberry Pie
Recipe Courtesy of Sarah's Kitchen

Butter, for greasing pan
2 cups (heaping) cranberries 
3/4 cups pecans, chopped 
2/3 cups sugar 
1 cup flour 
1 cup sugar 
1 stick unsalted butter, melted 
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract 
1/4 tsp salt 
1 tbsp sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350.

Butter a cake pan.  Add the cranberries and chopped pecans to the pan, top with 2/3 cup sugar.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, melted butter, beaten eggs, almond extract and salt.  Pour the batter over the cranberries.  Bake for 40 minutes, top with the tablespoon of sugar and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes.

To see other great recipes from Secret Recipe Club members, visit the links below!

1. Creamy Tomato Basil Soup w/ Sausage  2. Peppermint Crunch Hot Cocoa  3. Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes  4. Artichoke Pesto Tapenade  5. Harvest Pumpkin Ale Bread  6. Beer Caramelized Mushroom & Onion Tart  7. Homemade Soft Pretzels  8. Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip  9. Flavors by Four: Cowboy Cookies  10. Eggplant in Garlic Sauce  11. Dilly Salmon  12. Cinnamon Sugar Root Beer Quick Bread  13. Lemon and Herb Marinated Chicken  14. Easy, But Delicious Pizza Sauce  15. Marshmallow Popcorn Balls  16. Chocolate Almond Muffins  17. Nantucket Cranberry Pie  18. Slow Cooker Adobo Chicken  19. Cheesesteak Buns  20. Caramel Glazed Apple Bread  21. No Knead Bread  22. Lemon Zucchini Bread  23. Thai Inspired Chicken Sliders  24. Corn Fritters - Morsels of Life  25. Black Bean Brownies  26. Chicken Stir Fry  27. To Be Continued...  28. Spicy Sweet Potato Soup  29. Gluten Free BlondieJumbles  30. Quick Pickled Beans

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Cranberry Jalapeno Jam

We planted four jalapeno plants this summer and ended up with more jalapenos than we could count.
After freezing, smoking, candying, giving some away and using as many as I could in recipes, I still had jalapenos left. 

Why not try jalapeno jam?  I wanted the jam to have a nice color and it seemed wrong to use green food coloring.  Wondering what else I could do, I ran across several recipes for Cranberry Jalapeno Jam.  Perfect, the cranberries will give the jam a beautiful red color. 

Top cream cheese with this jam and you have a delicious, quick appetizer.  I also plan to use mine to glaze chicken or pork!

Cranberry Jalapeno Jam

• 3 Jalapeno peppers, whole
• 2 cups whole cranberries
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 5 cups sugar
• 1 bottle liquid Pectin (3 oz)

Rinse whole cranberries and drain to remove excess water.
Trim Jalapeno pepper caps and tops, then slice lengthwise and remove all seeds and inner membranes. Discard tops, seeds, and membranes. Chop pepper halves.
Grind whole cranberries to a pulp with the food processor or grinder. Add 1/8 cup water to moisten the pulp slightly. Add chopped peppers and pulse or grind.  (I used the coarse chopping blade of a food processor.)
Spoon the cranberry and Jalapeno pulp into a stainless pot. Add vinegar and blend.  Slowly cook mixture for 10 minutes to blend flavors, then add sugar all at once, stir until dissolved. Cook the jam mixture, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved and boils. Once the jam mixture bubbles and the top foams, rising significantly, add liquid pectin. Boil hard for 1 minute, no longer.
Remove pot from heat. Ladle jam into sterilized half-pint jars, to within 1/2-inch of top. Add sterilized caps and screw rings on. Process in water-bath canner for 10 minutes. Yield: 6 half-pints.

Biscoff Brown Sugar Bars

I hardly ever fly Delta Airlines anymore !!  I don't miss their baggage fees or upcharges for a better seat but what I do miss is those wonderful Biscoff cookies they give you.  Thanks to Trader Joes cookie butter, I don't have to miss them any more.  With cookie butter, I can make my own Biscoff treats. Have you tried this stuff?  It's so delicious, I could eat it by the spoonful!!!

These Biscoff Brown Sugar Bars have a delicious shortbread like crust with a creamy filling.  I found the center of these to be a bit too gooey for my liking, although one of my coworkers said she loved them that way.  Next time, I think I will decrease the brown sugar and bake longer for a firmer bar.  Either way, they are yummy!!!

Biscoff-Brown Sugar Bars

Recipe Courtesy of Mississippi Kitchen

Crust:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1/2 cup Biscoff spread

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Powdered sugar for sprinkling tops

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine crust ingredients on low to medium speed just until mixture is evenly mixed and moist.  (It will start clumping together.) Dump into an 8 x 8 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Press mixture onto bottom of pan in an even layer. (Use wet fingers if mixture sticks to skin.)  Prick 6-8 times with a fork, then bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown around edges.

Meanwhile, beat the ingredients for the filling on medium speed until smooth.  When crust is done, pour mixture evenly over crust and bake for 30 minutes or until middle is just set. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting into bars.  Sprinkle each bar with powdered sugar, if desired.

*For a firmer bar, decrease light brown sugar in filling to 1 cup, then bake for 40 minutes.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin and Bean Chili

It's fall and nothing says fall better than chili and pumpkin.  But together?  This recipe caught my eye as I was looking through the recipes on my assigned Secret Recipe Club blog, This Mama Cooks.  I love the idea of adding a fruit or vegetable to a traditional dish in order to add more nutrients. 

This is a delicious chili recipe and the addition of the pumpkin give the chili a nice creamy texture.  You will never know this recipe has pumpkin in it.  Although the recipe is designed for the slow cooker, you could easily make this stove top.

 Slow Cooker Pumpkin and Bean Chili
Recipe Courtesy of This Mama Cooks

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 pound ground venison, turkey, chicken or lean beef
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder or your favorite gourmet chili blend
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or ground chipotle chile (optional)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I used beef broth)
• 2 15 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin oil (optional)

Directions

1. Cook onion, bell pepper and ground meat over medium high heat until meat is cooked through.
2. Add salt and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Add spices (chili powder through cumin) and mix thoroughly. Cook for 1 minute.
4. Place onion, pepper, meat, garlic and spice mixture into a slow cooker.
5. Add remaining ingredients.
6. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
7. Dish chili into bowls and top with a small dollop of no fat sour cream or a large pinch of shredded cheese. 

I am linking this to Miz Helen's Chili Cook-off!!!

To see other great recipes from Secret Recipe Club members, visit the links below!

1. whole wheat sweet potato cinnamon rolls  2. Chewy Pumpkin Spice Molasses Cookies  3. Jalapeno Bread  4. Cilantro Lime Rice  5. Sweet Corn Risotto  6. Kale Gratin  7. Leek & Mushroom Quiche Cups  8. Tuna Cake Burgers  9. Suzanne Collier  10. Jean Pace  11. Mexican Mac and Cheese  12. Bacon and Egg Cups  13. Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls  14. Cottage Pie Revisited  15. Stuffed Eggplant ( GF)  16. Cottage Pie with a Carrot Potato Mash  17. Dosa  18. French onion Salisbury steak  19. Classic Peanut Butter Cookies  20. Pumpkin and Chocolate Muffins  21. Chai Tea  22. Baba Ghanoush  23. Sweet Cheddar Cheese Mini Muffins  24. Slow Cooker Pumpkin and Bean Chili  25. Rotisserie Crock Pot Chicken  26. Vegetarian Black Beans and Rice  27. 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies  28. Cranberry & Coconut Bread Pudding  29. Pumpkin-Apple Bread Pudding  30. Moroccan Lentil Soup  31. Granola Bars  32. Pumpkin Pie Smoothie  33. Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

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Preserving Summer's Best - Tomato Jam

Has the weather started to cool off where you are?  With temperatures that didn't make it above 50 today, we know winter is not far off.  There's many reason's I will miss summer .... long boat rides on the lake, outdoor concerts, beautiful flowers and most of all fresh vegetables.  I am envious of those of you who live somewhere and can enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables year round. 

Our tomato crop was so plentiful this year.  I wanted to preserve as much as possible.  After roasting some and making two huge batches of sauce (to be shared later), what else could I make?  Tomato Jam?  Interesting!  I've read about it but never eaten or made it.  Why not give it a try.  For no other reason than the amazing smell this brings to your kitchen, give this recipe a try.  I couldn't get enough of the combination of cinnamon and tomatoes.  YUM!

I was curious, what can you do with tomato jam?  Glaze chicken, use it in place of ketchup, put a dollup on a savory scone?  What do you do with tomato jam?

Tomato Jam

Recipe Courtesy of Food in Jars

Yield: Varies depending on the kind of tomato used, pan width and the finished thickness*

Ingredients

• 5 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped
• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 8 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon red chili flakes

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce temperature to a simmer. Stirring regularly, simmer** the jam until it reduces to a sticky, jammy mess. This will take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, depending on how high you keep your heat.
2. When the jam has cooked down sufficiently, remove from heat and fill jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Wipe rims, apply lids and twist on rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes.
3. When time is up, remove jars from water bath and allow them to cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, test seals. Store jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year.

Notes

*The finished yield on this recipe varies depending on the kind of tomato you use, the width of your pan and the finished thickness to which you cook it.

Corn and Hatch Pepper Chowder

Despite a photo that doesn't make me want to try this recipe, this is a delicious soup.  August and September is  Hatch Chili Pepper time.  Our local Hy Vee store always has an ample supply.  Hatch peppers are meant to be roasted and used in soups, salsa's and other main dishes.

Having roasted a few extra ears of corn, I was interested in finding a recipe that used the corn and the chili peppers.  I like to roast the peppers on the gas grill but this time, I used the oven.  I set it for 400, on the convection roast setting,  roasting them until charred about 20 minutes.  After taking the peppers out of the oven, I put them in a paper bag for a few minutes and the skins pull off nicely.

Many cream soups and chowders use heavy cream.  I was searching for a lighter option for thickening.  I found several recipes using corn meal for thickening.  What a great idea!  Why didn't I think of that?  I used 3 tablespoons mixed with water and stirred into the soup after completing the cooking time. 

 Roasted Corn and Hatch Pepper Chowder

3 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, minced
3 cups fresh corn kernels, scraped from the cob, or frozen
 3 cups whole milk (I used skim)
 1 pound baking potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whipping cream (I omitted this and used cornmeal for thickening)
1 cup roasted, peeled and chopped mild green New Mexican, Anaheim, or Poblano chiles
Fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced

 Directions Fry the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until brown and crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Stir the onion into the bacon drippings and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Puree 1 cup of corn with 1 cup of milk in a blender. Pour the mixture into the pan and add the remaining milk and corn along with the potatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir in the cream and the green chile. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle the chowder into bowls, garnish with chives and the reserved bacon, and serve.

Box Oven S'mores Brownies - Secret Recipe Club

My assigned blog for this month's Secret Recipe Club is Angela's Kitchen.  Angela cooks gluten and dairy free.  If you are looking for a gluten or dairy free recipe, check out Angela's blog.  You'll be able to enjoy many of the same recipes, while following a gluten or dairy free diet.

I spent quite a bit of time on Angela's blog trying to decide what to make.   I really wanted to bake one of her great recipes but was concerned about the substitution of non gluten free products in her recipes.  After much deliberation, I settled on her Box Oven S'more Brownies but chose to make them in a regular oven.  If you're a camper or have kids this would be such a fun recipe to try.

Box Oven S’more Brownie Bars

Author: Angela Litzinger at angelaskitchen.com

Serves: 16 to 20

Ingredients

• 1 gluten free box brownie mix (or homemade), batter made dairy free according to instructions
• 2 cups gluten free mini marshmallows
• 1 cup broken and crumbled gluten free graham crackers or gluten free sugar cones
• 12″x8″ foil pan
• oil for pan
• Box oven

Instructions

1. Set up box oven. See this post (http://angelaskitchen.com/2013/07/02/the-great-gluten-free-campout-box-oven-muffins-and-eggs/) for instructions. While charcoal is flaming and heating up, make gluten free brownie mix according to instructions on box.
2. Oil foil pan. Pour batter into pan, patting out batter to cover the entire pan. Sprinkle crushed gluten free graham crackers evenly over batter, then add mini-marshmallows.
3. When coals are ready, place brownies on cans in box oven. Set the box over brownies and allow to bake for 5 minutes longer than the longest bake time on the brownie batter box (in the case of Better Batter Brownie Mix, allow to bake for 30 minutes) before checking to see if brownie bars are done. Bars are done when bakes through in center and marshmallows have melted and browned slightly.
4. Remove brownies from box oven and allow to cool before slicing.
5. To bake these at home, bake in a 350 degree F oven for the shortest time on your baking mix box before checking for doneness.

To see other great recipes from Secret Recipe Club members, visit the links below!

1. Greek Salad  2. Asian Salmon Salad - Morsels of Life  3. Tomato Avocado and Olive Quinoa Salad  4. Smoky Black Bean Chicken Sausage and Quinoa Soup  5. Bubble Up Pizza  6. Apple and Potato Hash  7. Muddie Buddies  8. From Scratch Hash Browns  9. Meat Filled Jumbo Shells  10. Blueberry Muffin Streusel Cake  11. Flavors by Four: Slow Cooker Beef & Cabbage Casser  12. 7 Layer Bars  13. Baked zucchini sticks  14. Black Bean Brownies  15. Green Goddess Hummus  16. Box Oven S'Mores Brownies  17. crockpot chicken curry  18. Gluten & Dairy Free Apple Cinnamon Blondies  19. Lasagna Cupcakes  20. Fudge Brownies  21. Enchilada Stuffed Shells  22. Mongollian Beef  23. Zucchini Bread Pancakes  24. Beef, Bean and Beer Chili  25. Peggy's Paparitos  26. Mustard Garlic Roasted Potatoes  27. Malt Chocolate Muffins  28. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies  29. rich chocolate pudding  30. Parmesan Corn  31. Gluten Free Oatmeal Crumb Apple Peach Pie  32. Donut Muffins  33. Potato Soup

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