Strawberry Jam

Ingredients:

5 cups strawberries, washed and mashed

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 cups of sugar

1 pkg. powdered fruits pectin (for thickening)

Saucepan

Large Bowl

Ladle

Sterilized Jars

Directions:

Wash and hull strawberries, mash in a large bowl, one layer at a time.

Combine strawberries and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Gradually stir in pectin, bringing mixture to a rolling boil.

Add sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full boil, stirring constantly for one minute. Remove from heat.

Skim foam from mixture, if necessary. Ladle into sterilized jars. Wipe rims of jars before sealing. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Remove and let cool for 10 to 20 hours. This allows settling time. Jam can be eaten when cooled and thickened, and will last up to one year if stored in a cool place.

Recipe by eHow.com

Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk, chilled, plus additional for brushing

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degree F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and stir until the dough comes together in a ball.

On a lightly floured surface, gather the dough into a bowl and kneed gently 6 times. Pat dough into a 10 inch circle and about 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into three inch rounds with a  lightly floured cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Brush with buttermilk.

Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 8 large biscuits

Recipe by: Completely Delicious Blog

Blueberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry:
90 g Unsalted butter, room temperature
50 g Sugar
1 Egg yolk
1/3 teaspoon Vanilla extract
180 g All purpose flour

Filling:
125 g Fresh Blueberries
180 g Sugar
Juice of half fresh lemon
600 g Cream Cheese
1 cup Sour Cream
2 Eggs

Topping:
200-250 g Fresh Blueberries
50 g Sugar
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
Zest and juice of one fresh Lemon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Make the pastry by mixing all the ingredients into a dough. Press the dough firmly against the bottom of a 26 cm spring form baking pan. Prick the bottom dough all over with a fork. Pre-bake the dough for 12 minutes. Remove and let cool. Adjust the oven to 160C/320F. Set a deep baking tray half filled with hot water top with a wire rack on the bottom of the oven.

In a saucepan cook blueberries, 50 grams of sugar, and lemon juice over the low heat until syrupy. Set aside to cool. Beat the cream cheese, sour cream and the rest of the sugar until smooth. Add in syrupy blueberries and eggs.

Pour the filling into the pre-baked pastry and bake for 65 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the cheese cake cool down inside. Cool the cheesecake completely. Combine all the ingredients for the topping in a saucepan and cook until thick over medium heat. Let cool and pour over the cheesecake.

Recipe by Angiesrecipe.blog

Homemade Bagels

Ingredients:

1 cup and 1 tablespoon warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon white sugar
3 cup bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 quarts boiling water
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon white and black sesame seeds
garlic powder (optional)

Directions:

Place water, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a mixer and let sit until foamy about 5 minutes. Mix together flour and salt and slowly add to the yeast mixture until completely combined. Using the dough hook or by hand, knead for about 2 minutes until the dough is smooth.

When dough is smooth, and elastic. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled.

Cut dough into 10 equal pieces (for smaller bagels) or 6 equal pieces (for larger bagels), and roll each into a small ball. Flatten balls slightly. Poke a hole in the middle of each with your thumb. Twirl the dough on your finger or thumb to enlarge the hole, and to even out the dough around the hole.

While dough is resting, boil 3 quarts of water in large wide stockpot.  Once water has reached a boil, add the three tablespoons of sugar. Boil half the bagels at the time 30 seconds on each side, turning carefully.

Dry on a towel. Brush the bagels with 1 egg white beaten and sprinkle on top sesame seeds and garlic powder.

Bake at 200 degrees (preheated oven) for 15-20 minutes or until brown.

Recipe Adapted by cookwithlaura

Creamy Sesame Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon ground white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated onion
1 to 2 teaspoon mayonnaise

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add mayonnaise as you like.

Recipe by Setsuko Yoshizuka

Baked Mussels in Dynamite Sauce

Ingredients:

2 dozen New Zealand Green Mussels (frozen or fresh)
3/4 caup Kewpie Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon of Sriacha
1 tablespoon of Masago (smelt roe)

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the mussels on the half shell, meat side up, on baking pan.

To prepare the sauce, add the Kewpie mayo, Sriacha and Masago together. Do a taste test here. If you like the sauce to be hotter, add a little more Sriacha. If you want it to be milder, add a few squirts of Kewpie mayo.

Spoon the sauce over each mussel. Put just enough to cover the meat completely.

Place the mussels in oven to cook.

Cook until the sauce bubbles and gets golden brown with a few dark spots forming. The total cooking time should not exceed 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.


Recipe by Monster Munching

Peanut Blossom Cookies

Ingredient:

1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup (185 g) peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

1/3 cup (70 g) light brown sugar

1/3 cup (65 g) granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoon milk

1 1/2 cups (195 g) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coating:

1/3 cup (65 g) granulated white sugar

Garnish:

48 milk chocolate Kisses, unwrapped

Directions:

Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter.  Add the peanut butter and sugars and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Beat in the milk. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture and beat until incorporated. Cover and chill the batter for about an hour, or until firm enough to roll into balls.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven.

Roll the batter into 1 inch (2.54) roll balls. Place the granulated white sugar in a shallow bowl and roll each ball in the sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.

Bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, place a chocolate Kiss in the center of each cookie, pressing down until the cookie just starts to crack. Cool completely on a wire rack.