Jam-Easy Fruit Bars

Jam-Easy Fruit Bars
Betty Crocker

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 t vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
½ t baking powder
½ cup favorite jam or preserves
Powdered sugar, if desired


Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom & sides of 9x13 pan with shortening. Mix butter, sugar, vanilla and egg in medium bowl with spoon. Stir in flour and baking powder until dough forms. Pat dough evenly in pan.

Beginning ¾ inch from short side of pan, press ½ inch wide and ¼ inch deep groove in dough, using end of wooden spoon. Make 8 more grooves, each 1½ inches apart. Fill each groove with slightly less than 1 T jam.

*or just do your best…I only had 6 grooves :) and I can’t say they were exactly ½ inch wide or ¼ inch deep. I would put more jam on next time…mine seems to have disappeared

Bake 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.

Sweet Cream

(This is not my photo, but I loved it, so I am posting it.)

This is so good! It is well worth the effort! (Found the recipe HERE.)

***I just had my leftovers with a sliced banana and it was to die for!!! And I'll probably throw a few walnuts on next time. :) *** 

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§  1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream

§  1 cup Sugar, Divided

§  10 whole Egg Yolks (save The Whites For Another Use)

§  2 teaspoons Good Vanilla Extract (or Vanilla Beans)

§  Fresh Berries

Combine cream with half the sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a strong simmer, but don’t boil.

Whisk egg yolks in a bowl (I used my electric mixer w/ whisk attachment) with the other half of the sugar. Add vanilla extract. (If using vanilla bean instead, scrape caviar into cream/sugar mixture.)

After whisking on medium for a minute, begin slowly pouring in the hot cream; I use a metal measuring cup to scoop out small portions at a time.

After all cream is added, turn off mixer. Pour mixture into the top of a double boiler (or a glass bowl fitted over a saucepan). Cook in the double boiler over medium heat. Stir gently but constantly as the egg/cream mixture slowly thickens.

Watch the mixture: if it starts to really thicken up, remove it immediately from the heat. You want this to be more of a thick, pourable cream than a thick, heavy pudding texture. As soon as you remove the pan from the heat, strain it through a fine mesh strainer (to remove most of the foam), then immediately set the bottom of it in a bowl of ice to stop the cooking process (but be careful not to let ice or water drip over the edge of the pan.) Stir to cool. If you need to use the cream right away, keep it in the ice bath and stir to cool.

Ideally, you’ll transfer the cream to a container and refrigerate it for several hours.

Spoon generously (!) over fresh berries. You’ll love it!

The instructions that I printed off did not mention straining the foam off, but when I checked back online it said to.
This photo shows the foam mixed in, and it tastes fine. It separates in the fridge, so I'll probably go strain it now. :)

Fruit & Grain Bars

3/4 C. Butter, softened
1 C. Packed Brown Sugar
1 1/2 C. Oats (Quick or Rolled)
1 1/2 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 C. Raspberry Jam (Bottled jam not freezer jam)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for about 1 minute until mixture is light and fluffy.  Add oats, flour, salt, and baking soda to bowl and mix with a spoon until crumbly.  Press a little over half the mixture into the bottom of a greased 8x12 or 9x13 pan.  Spread jam over oat mixture.  Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture evenly over top of jam with your hands.  Bake 20 minutes and cool completely before cutting and serving.  Makes 20-24 bars. 
   

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This recipe came from my friend's food blog, it's really easy and really yummy!!! You can use any flavor of jam that you want too. 

I asked her why freezer jam wouldn't work and she said:  As for the jam recommendation, freezer jam has a runny texture when it comes to room temperature and especially when it is heated.  I don't think it will set up well in this recipe.  If you use bottled jam, which is thicker, it will set up and not make the bars soggy.

Frozen Strawberry Jam

5 Cups of mashed strawberries

1/2 Cup of light corn syrup

2 Cups of granulated sugar

3-4 Tbsp Instant Clear Jel*

Mix dry ingredients well. Add corn syrup to strawberries then stir in dry ingredients. Continue stirring until sugar is dissolved. Put in freezer containers 1/2" head space. Freeze.

*I don't think this is available in most grocery stores. Liz gave some to me. I know you can get it off the web. It looks like Amazon is the best place to order it through.

I bought 5 containers of strawberries and was able to get seven pint jars of jam.

Apple (or Pear) Crisp

So I combined a couple of recipes for this one. Half from my sis-inlaw and half from my grandma.
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This makes a 9x13 pan full with plenty of yummy crust!
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Crust-
1 cup margarine (room temp)
1.5 cups oats
1.5 cups brown sugar
1.5 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash salt

Mix all ingredients, set aside.
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Fruit mixture- (can use apples, I just chose to use pears)
7-10 pears, sliced (depends on size, just get enough to at least fill the bottom of the pan, plus a little is good)
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup cinnabites (optional)

Slice pears. Mix fruit with all other ingredients in mixture. Pour into 9x13 pan. Press crust lightly on top of fruit mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 min. Eat with ice cream or milk while it is hot!

The cinnabites add just a bit more cinnamon flavor to the dessert. Super yummy!

Cinnabites-

Sugar, wheat flour, corn cereal, cinnamon, and soybean oil.

Strawberry Whipped Sensation

4 cups fresh strawberries, divided
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup lemon juice
1 (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed, divided
8 Oreos, finely chopped
1 T butter, melted

Line 8x4 inch loaf pan with foil. Mash 2 cups strawberries in large bowl. Stir in condensed milk, lemon juice and 2 cups of the Cool Whip; pour into pan.

Top with combined chopped cookies and butter; press into mixture. Cover.

Freeze at least 6 hours. To serve, invert onto plate. Remove foil. Frost with remaining Cool Whip. Top with remaining strawberries, sliced.

Makes 12 servings
Prep time: 20 min, plus freezing

Mell-o-Lantern?

Here is a fun summer activity. Make mellon jack-o-lanterns, then eat them afterward! Courtesy of my Dad. Thanks!

Mixed Berry Smoothie

1 cup milk
1/2 cup yogurt (I use vanilla, but any flavor works)
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1 banana frozen in chunks
1 - 1 & 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries

(If it is too tart you can add a little sugar, 1/8 to 1/4 cup or so)

Place in blender and blend well until smooth. Will make 2 full glasses.

Berry Sauce

Fresh or frozen and thawed berries
Sugar to taste

Puree (blend lots) and strain berries (I don't strain strawberries). Gently heat and add sugar to taste, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Optional:
You may thicken this sauce by mixing cornstarch with a little water, adding it to the berry sauce and bringing mixture to a boil, but the flavor intensity will be compromised.

Uses:
Serve with angel food cake, pound cake with lemon curd, chocolate soufflé, chocolate truffle cake, mousse, cheesecake, waffles, custard, ice cream, yougurt, hot chocolate, fruit salads, pavlova, tarts, foie gras, pork wellington, duck, crème brulee, soft (poached) meringue, baked brie, crepes, in vinaigrettes or drizzle on dessert plates. [I don't know what all of these are, but if you do, go for it. :) ]

Fruit Pizza

Sugar Cookie Crust: (This will make 2 jelly roll pans full.)
1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
5 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
-Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
-Add milk.
-Blend in flour, soda, baking powder, and salt.
-Roll out dough on floured counter and move onto cookie sheet.
-Bake at 350 degrees until barely brown on bottom.
-Frost when cool.
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Cream Cheese Frosting: (This will frost 2 jelly roll pans.)
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Make sure your cream cheese and butter are room temperature. Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Frost.

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Slice any fruit that you would like and place on top. Keep refrigerated. Enjoy!