Olallieberry Jam Muffins
Once a month I drive O.G. and her friends around town to eat, shop and cause general old people mayhem. As their designated driver I am often thanked with homemade goods, this go ’round I got a jar of freshly made ‘Olallieberry Jam’.
I’d never heard of olallieberries before, turns out they are a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry. I think that hybrid made it a bit too seedy for my taste, but it was still delicious.
I made muffins with the fresh jam and if you don’t have access to Olallieberry, any jam will do!
ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup jam
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prep a muffin tin with liners.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
In a medium bowl mix the egg, vanilla, lemon juice, milk and oil.
Add the wet to the dry ingredients until just combined – don’t over work it.
Swirl in the jam.
Spoon the batter into the prepped liners and bake for 15-20 minutes until done, depending on your oven. Let cool on a wire rack.
Raspberry Roast Beef
Raspberries are abundant at Farmer’s Markets right now, and while they are sweet and ready to eat or bake with, they also add a nice flavor to more savory dishes.
I decided to use up our raspberry haul by simmering them with some nice roast beef and making a sweet yet savory dinner.
ingredients:
2 pound chuck roast
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup raspberries
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper
1/2 cup beef broth or water
In a bowl mix together the olive oil, red wine vinegar and sugar. Add the raspberries and garlic and mash up roughly until the raspberries are macerated. Stir in the salt and pepper.
In a dutch oven over medium high heat, add a little oil and brown the chuck roast. I like to cut the roast into smaller pieces so that it fits in the pot and also cooks evenly.
Pour the raspberry mixture on top of the browned beef and add the beef broth. Cover and let simmer on medium low for 1 to 1-1/2 hours depending on how well done you like your beef.
Let the meat rest for 5-7 minutes, then slice.
Star Wars food place cards
I have been getting tons of requests lately for the food cards that I used for my Ultimate Star Wars Party. Sounds like a lot of you folks are planning on throwing Star Wars parties for the holidays.
I’ve made a free pdf of the food cards for you to print out, along with a few extra ones thrown in. Click here and Enjoy!
~winner!~
The winner as chosen by random integer generator is:
S.Lynn!
Congrats! Send me an email with your address and I’ll send the Hawaiian Sun jams/jellies right out! Thanks for reading everyone!
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cupcakes filled w/Pineapple Jam
We be jammin’. More Hawaiian jam inspiration. I saw this Hawaiian Sun pineapple jam and knew it’d be a perfect filling for a cupcake. I thought of all the great flavors that went with pineapple and of course brown sugar and cinnamon brought to mind pineapple upside down cake.
I this case I made a pineapple inside cupcake – filling the soft comforting cake with the sweet Hawaiian jam. When I have that much sweet, or that many flavors, I always like to go simple and complimentary with the frosting – and the mascarpone frosting tops this off perfectly.
ingredients:
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cake flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
10 oz jar Hawaiian Sun Pineapple Jam
Mascarpone frosting (recipe here)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prep cupcake pans with liners.
In a bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and brown sugar until combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla.
Alternate the dry ingredients with the buttermilk until combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepped cupcake pans, filling 2/3 full. Bake for approx 13-15 mins depending on your oven. Let cool on a wire rack.
Once cool cut out a small core from the center of each cupcake.
Fill the cupcakes with the pineapple jam. No need to make it pretty, you’ll cover it with frosting.
Pipe the mascarpone frosting on top of each cupcake.
I found these pineapple flavored gummi bears from Hawaii and darned if they are the tastiest things ever! I’m sure it’s because they are Dole brand and those folks know their pineapples. I thought they’d be cute toppers for the cupcakes to give an idea of what’s inside.
These cupcakes turned out to be the perfect combination of comfort and sweet, fully showcasing the pineapple flavors of Hawaii!
giveaway – win Hawaiian Sun jam/jellies!
I think brand loyalty has a lot to do with good memories. I love Hawaiian Sun products. They remind me of Hawaii, the sun, the surf, the FOOD. I think back to drinking Passion-Orange juice at my inlaws house in 90+ degree heat, or my Kama’aina college roommates eating toast for breakfast with Strawberry-Guava jam. The flavors of Hawaii are strong and always take me back.
Hawaiian Sun is a brand I love and always have in my pantry, but my use of the jams/jellies goes beyond toast. I like to experiment with the flavors – from Guava-Strawberry Hello Kitty cupcakes (recipe here) to the old standard Guava Jelly Chicken (recipe here). Savory dishes totally benefit from the sweeteness and the tart fruit. I just used a jar of Mango-Pineapple Jam to make some amazing fall off the bone short ribs. (recipe here)
So I’m giving away a jar of each of my fave Hawaiian Sun jam/jellies: Strawberry-Guava, Guava Jelly and the hard to find Mango-Pineapple jam. I wanted to share these products with you since I know many Hawaii items are not readily available in the mainland. This is cheaper than a plane ride, trust me.
Just leave a comment on this post answering the question: “Are you from Hawaii/have you been to Hawaii/do you want to go to Hawaii? What is your favorite thing to eat there?” There’s NOTHING like food from the islands. From hole-in-the-walls to gourmet meals, Hawaii food is the best. If you need some help just take a look at this, I’m sure it will give you inspiration.
You have from now until Sunday the 25th to enter. Mahalo to Hawaiian Sun and good luck in the contest!
**disclaimer: Hawaiian Sun provided the jam/jelly to ME – but I am sharing simply out of the kindness of my cold Hoth heart. 
Shipping is paid for by me.
Mango-Pineapple Short Ribs
I love using jam/jellies in savory dishes. It adds just the right amount of sweetness. My favorite are Hawaiian Sun products because the flavors remind me of Hawaii. The mango+pineapple combo is something you wouldn’t think would work for ribs, but it makes for an amazingly flavorful short rib that is reminiscent of the islands.
I am giving away a few jars of Hawaiian Sun jam/jellies – make sure you enter!
ingredients:
2-3 pounds short ribs
10 oz jar of Mango-Pineapple jam
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tablespoons mirin
1/4 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
In a bowl combine the Mango-Pineapple jam, soy sauce, mirni, water, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Place the ribs in a crock pot and pour the sauce over. Set the crock pot to low and cook for 6 hours.
The salty sweet combo is a perfect marinade for short ribs and the slow cooking will give you a lovely fall off the bone consistency.
Chocolate Chip Vanilla Pudding Cookies
Back in the OLD days, super old days in blogging years – my friends Nanette, Jodi and I visited the set of the Office. The series was in it’s second season, incredibly popular – and it was our favorite show on tv.
We got to tour the set, SIT IN THE OFFICE CHAIRS, meet the cast and crew – and more importantly, sit at Pam’s desk. (that’s a big deal.)
When we visited the set all those years ago, I remember Nanette bringing cookies with her. They were soft cookies, almost cake-like, very tender chocolate chip cookies. I wondered what made them that way and she said, “pudding.” Huh. A pudding cookie. The cast and crew ate them, and I even heard Mindy Kaling (Kelly) really liked them.
For some reason I’ve never asked her for the recipe, but I always remember that day and those cookies. It’s years later now and the show has changed and we’ve changed. Instead of being a down the freeway Nanette is moving far away to another state.
To great cookies, great friends – and a great new life.
(“Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam” I mean Nanette. That’s Nanette.)
ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 small box (3.4 ounces) Vanilla Pudding
12 ounces chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prep baking sheets with silpats.
In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla pudding.
In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar, until combined.
Add the eggs and the vanilla.
Add the flour-pudding mixture until the dough is completely combined. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
Form small balls (you can just use your hands, the dough is workable) and place them 2 inches apart on the prepped sheet. I got 48 total.
Bake for 10-12 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool on wire rack.
Normally I’m a crispy-cookie kinda gal, but the soft texture of these can’t be beat!
Lemon Spinach Penne
Whether it’s for getting more veggies in your diet or the color – spinach pasta can’t be beat. The Baby proclaimed it “Slytherin” pasta and proceeded to eat the whole bowl. Hey, whatever works…
ingredients:
16 oz spinach penne
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt
fresh ground pepper
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup pasta water
1-1/2 cups rotisserie chicken, cooked
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Boil the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of liquid before you drain it.
Toss the pasta in with the lemon mixture, then add the zest. Add the reserved pasta water a little at a time, you may not need all of it, you just don’t want the pasta to be dry.
Toss in the cooked chicken and serve!
Blue Milk Cupcakes
Man…isn’t it the worst when your Dad cuts off your hand? Or when you find out you just kissed your sister? Yikes. Better just sit back and think about the good old days when you lived with your Aunt and Uncle…oh wait. They were killed…by your father’s orders. Hm, Luke just can’t catch a break.
I first made Blue Milk for the Ultimate Star Wars Party and it was a huge hit! These Blue Milk cupcakes will take you to your happy place. Soft and delicious, topped with a light mascarpone frosting – you just can’t go wrong. Pure comfort, it’s like being in your mother’s womb…when your father force choked her. Yeesh.
ingredients:
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
1-3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
2-1/4 cups cake flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 cup BLUE milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla
electric blue gel dye
Mascarpone Frosting (recipe, here)
To make Blue Milk get a Bantha, no wait… Just get one cup of milk and add a few drops of electric blue gel dye. Gel dye is the best because you need very little. I can’t stand liquid dyes, they totally alter your cake. Gel dyes are better and pretty inexpensive. Once the blue get dye is added, stir up the milk and you will get an instant gorgeous blue.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a cupcake pan with liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Carefully add the eggs one at a time until incorporated, then add the vanilla.
Alternate the dry ingredients with the Blue Milk until combined. You may need to add more gel dye to the batter for maximum blue-ness. Add a few drops as needed.
Spoon the batter into prepped liners, 1/2 to 2/3 full.
Bake 15-17 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool on a wire rack.
Top these with a super light mascarpone frosting and you’ll have the sweetest treat in the galaxy!
