Watermelon Jelly

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My fondness for watermelon jelly beans will be my downfall. I love their flavor and came to the conclusion that a watermelon-flavored jelly would also be delicious and make a fantastic toast topper. The only problem with that conclusion was the jelly is not available locally, and if I wanted a jar of it, I would have to make it myself. I've resisted doing that because this is a tricky jelly to get right, and making it is far more involved than putting-by the freezer jams I love so much. Here the ingredients must be mixed and boiled and then processed in jars that are submerged in a boiling water bath. That means special canning equipment is necessary and that jars and lids must be sterilized before the jelly can be processed. Simply stated it is a bother to make. I also hesitated because this jelly has a fairly high failure rate and can be hard to set or gel. The amount of water in a melon is variable and sometimes the initial addition of pectin is not sufficient to set the jelly. The other problem with this particular jelly is the smell watermelon makes when it is heated. It stinks. Fortunately, the odor does not affect the finished product. The jelly retains a watermelon flavor, and, while it is very sweet, it really does make a lovely toast topper. I doubt this will become a regular entry in your summer canning schedule, but you might want to try it for its novelty. Here's a small batch recipe.

Watermelon Jelly...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Bert's Cannery

Ingredients:
2 cups seeded, diced watermelon
3-1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 package powdered fruit pectin

Directions:
1) Place diced watermelon in jar of an electric blender and puree until completely smooth. You should have 2 cups of puree. If you wish a clearer jelly, strain through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth or use a jelly bag.
2) Combine watermelon puree, sugar and lemon juice in a 6 to 8-quart heavy bottomed pan. Over high heat, bring mixture to a rolling boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down), stirring constantly. Stir in pectin all at once and return to a rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat. Skim foam from surface of jelly.
3) Ladle jelly into clean hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely away from drafts, then store in cool, dark place. Makes 4 half-pints.

One Year Ago Today: Watermelon Gazpacho

Two Years Ago Today: Strawberry Cake a la Martha Stewart

Three Years Ago Today: Blue Cheese Gougeres

Adult PB and J's - Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These bar cookies are meant for adults who are embarrassed to be seen eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I think those of you who harbor pleasant memories of brown bag lunches and school cafeterias will enjoy them. They really do taste like PB and J's. I found the recipe in the summer issue of the Better Homes and Gardens Recipe.com publication. They credit The Food Channel for the recipe. I took it a step further and found that the recipe was developed by Ina Garten. I paged through the reviews of this recipe, which you can find here, and found that the bars were not universally liked. It seems that some folks found the cookies to be dry and impossibly crumbly. I can't speak to what their problems might have been, but I can tell you we enjoyed the cookies and I would make them again. Because the bars are expensive to make, I want to share some tips with you. The measurement of flour can be tricky because of the way we scoop it. In a perfect world, we'd all weigh our flour and results would be consistent from one kitchen to another. That's not going to happen any time soon, so, I wanted to let those of you who decide to make these know how I measured mine. I have for years been a fluff, spoon and level gal and I suspect the quantity of flour that I use is a smidge less then that used by those who fluff and scoop. That distinction can sometimes be important and probably explains why some folks ended up with dry and crumbly cookie bars. It is equally important to let these sit for at least an hour before you cut them. This is the type of cookie that improves with age, so I made mine the day before I cut and served them. Our bars were very moist and we really enjoyed them. These are not an everyday cookie and while they will never replace their chocolate chip or peanut butter cousins, they are a great occasional treat. Due to the richness of the cookie, I cut mine into a smaller pieces than recommended in the recipe. Here's how they are made.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Ina Garten

Ingredients:
8 ounces unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature (2 sticks)
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups peanut butter
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 (16 ounce) jar strawberry or raspberry preserves
3/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
2) Beat butter with an electric mixer until smooth; add sugar gradually until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter until combined.
3) Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to butter mixture and mix until just combined.
4) Spread 2/3 of the dough mixture into prepared pan; spread evenly with strawberry preserves and top with dollops of remaining dough.
5) Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake 45 minutes or until golden brown.
6) Place baking pan on wire rack to cool for about an hour. Cut into 12 even squares.









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Three Years Ago Today: Blackberry Sherbet

Peanut Butter and Jelly Belly Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you do not cook for the very young or young at heart, please stay long enough to accept my apology for not yet responding to your comments of the week. Time and intent are at odds with each other and time has obviously trumped intent. There simply has been no time. Those of you who occasionally bake for children's parties might want to tarry, but all others have been granted an excused absence, as long as they are present for tomorrow's morning meeting, where adult, or at least semi-adult, recipes will again be the order of the day.

One of my special boys turned four this week. He wanted a peanut butter and jelly cake for his party. He was pretty insistent about it and could not be dissuaded. I did some inward groaning and probably glared at his mother, who I am sure put him up to the request, but, in the end, thanks to some help from folk's at the Hershey test kitchen, Joshua had his birthday cake. The recipe is easy in the extreme and I must say the finished cake is not half bad. The frosting is actually delicious.

We have a tradition that allows the birthday boy or girl to put candles on their cake as soon as they can select the correct number of them from a pile. As you can see, Joshua has mastered the technique. I'd like those of you who know our family to note the nearly perfect line he's formed with his candles. I had hoped for a poet, but I think we have another budding engineer on our hands. Without further ado, here's the recipe for Joshua's birthday cake.


Peanut Butter and Jelly Belly Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Hershey Test Kitchens

Ingredients:
1 package (about 18 oz.) white cake mix
3/4 cup strawberry jam
1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) peanut butter chips
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions:
1) Prepare cake as directed on package for two 9-inch layers. Slice each layer in half horizontally to form two layers. Place one layer on serving plate; spread 1/4 cup jam over top. Repeat with remaining layers, ending with plain layer on top.
2) Stir together peanut butter chips and milk in medium saucepan. Heat over heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Cool until slightly thickened. Beat whipping cream with electric mixer until stiff; gradually blend into peanut butter mixture. If necessary, cool until of spreading consistency. Frost top and sides of cake. Yield: 12 servings.

Cook's note: If frosting becomes too thick to spread, thin it with milk or cream.








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You might also enjoy these recipes:
Peanut Butter Cups - In the Hopeful Kitchen
Peanut Butter Passion Bars - Megan's Cookin'
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream - Triple Scoop Desserts
Chocolate Covered Salted Peanut Caramel Cups - David Lebovitz
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars - Delishhh

Hot-Pepper Jelly

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have, all my life, had the good fortune to find myself in the company of warm and generous women. Today, my thoughts embrace them all in a haze that glows more golden as it's burnished by time. That made selecting a recipe to honor them really difficult. I finally decided that "their" recipe had to be one that could be described using adjectives that would describe their personalities as well. Crazy as it seems, Jalapeno peppers came to mind. I placed hot and spicy on my list of adjectives. Sweet and tart were added when I realized that sugar and a little vinegar could be used to make a jelly that would be interesting and have an element of surprise. Properly made, I knew the jelly would be intriguing and memorable. I also wanted the finished product to shine as brightly as their spirits, so it had to have an amber or golden glow. I knew a jelly such as this would be the choice of intelligent and adventurous spirits, so I settled on the recipe below. If you know anyone who is hot and spicy, sweet and tart, interesting and surprising, intriguing and memorable, intelligent and adventurous and has a spirit that can light a darkened room, you might want to give this recipe a try and share it with them.

Hot-Pepper Jelly...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 red jalapeno chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 green jalapeno chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 sweet onion chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons celery seed
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 pouches (1/2 cup/4 fl oz. each) liquid pectin

Directions:
1) Combine jalapeno chiles, onions, celery seed and 1/4 cup vinegar in the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add remaining 1/2 cup vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in pectin. Return to medium-high heat and boil for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes, skimming off any foam or scum that accumulates.
2) Carefully ladle the hot jelly into hot sterilized jars to within 1/4-inch of tops. Wipe rims clean, top with lids and seal tightly with screw bands. Invert jars on a kitchen towel to cool. Invert jars occasionally as jelly cools. Store in a cool dark place for up to 6 months. Yield: 3 (1/2-pint) jars.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Crock-Pot Apricot Jam - One Perfect Bite
Balsamic Onion Marmalade - One Perfect Bite
Pumpkin Butter - One Perfect Bite