One of my greatest vices (besides Gin and Tonics) is anything peanut butter. I simply cannot resist this creamy condiment. I love a slathering of peanut butter on top of a fresh slice of french toast brioche or even on top of vanilla bean ice cream. There is an unlimited amount of uses for peanut butter and I’m sure you could share quite a few with us as well. I’m going to share one of my most favorite uses and that is rich, delicious peanut butter frosting. Just mix up 2 cups of powdered sugar, one stick of butter, a heaping scoop of peanut butter (you can always add more to taste) and a splash of milk. Add the milk a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Then enjoy! I made these cakelets (what I like to call finger food cake slices) for my church coffee hour tomorrow.
I’ve always found the concept of baking bread at home intimidating. For me, bread was always one of those items that you buy from the store (like Carrie’s bakery). Every once in a while it’s interesting to take something that you are used to buying pre-made or packaged from the grocery store, and create it at home just so you get a feel for the process. After hearing about this recipe from the a family friend I decided to try the no knead bread recipe that Mark Bittman raves about in the New York Times. Frankly, it could not be easier. The hardest part is probably remembering to budget time for the dough to rise.
Ingredients
3 cups flour (I use a combination of AP and whole wheat)
1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
dutch oven or pyrex pot to bake it in
Method
1. Combine the dry ingredients. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together.
2. Put dough in a bowl, cover with plastic, and allow to rise for 12-24 hours. The longer the better.
4. Dump it out and fold over itself once or twice. Then cover loosley with plastic and let rest for 15 minutes.
5. Dump dough out onto a floured surface and fold each of the four sides into the middle. Make sure the dough is covered in flour and place seam side down on a kitchen towel. Cover with another towel and allow to rise and double in size for about 2 hours.
6. Place your dutch oven in the oven about 45 minutes until the dough is ready, and preheat oven to 500.
7. Place dough seam side up in dutch oven.
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 500 degrees with lid on.
Isn't it pretty?
9. Take lid off and bake for 15 more minutes until bread is golden brown. Then remove from oven and allow to cool.
The family friend who turned me onto this recipe told me that she’s tried any number of alterations and the bread comes out great every time. She has added various combinations of honey, herbs, and nuts, as well as used smaller glass pans to bake the bread. It’s such a fun project to keep track of the rising, and it would be great recipe to experiment with!
Fig jam is of my favorite condiments to have on hand is a tiny, treasured jar of fig jam. In fact in my pantry right now are multiple brands of fig jam. I think that you really can’t go wrong with fig jam because you can find a use for any variety. I find that brands of fig jam very on density and sweetness. Here are three of the varieties that I have in my pantry and their uses are listed below as well.
The Harvest Song fig jam has a loose consistency and is not as sweet as other fig jams. I like to use it for fig jam vinaigrette. All you need to do to make this is mix together the following ingredients: 1/2 c fig jam, 3 tbs apple cider vinegar, 1/4 c vegetable oil, and pinch of salt. Yesterday I tossed this vinaigrette over greens with roasted butternut squash, sweet onion, beets, and goat cheese. It was delicious. Another variation is to toss this vinaigrette over arugula, sweet onion, pear slices, and honey goat cheese.
The Dalmatia Fig Jam comes in this orange-infused variety as well as a regular variety. I think this orange-infused variety is great for spreading on a slice of toast or filling butter cookies. It is also great for making crostini. Take a slice of toasted bread or a rustic cracker and spread it with honey goat cheese. Then top it off with a dab of fig jam and you have a great appetizer that everyone will enjoy!
The Mitica fig jam is a great addition to any cheese plate. It is great paired with manchego cheese especially. Of course these are just my suggestions, you might find many other uses for the varieties of fig jam as well. Don’t be afraid to try them! I’m watching Martha Stewart right now and she’s finding uses for parmesan cheese. Now that I bought Silpat sheets I want to make parmesan crisps to go with the fig jam vinaigrette salads that I often make. You can find inspiration anywhere…just look around and get out of that creative jam you’re in!
Sadie Dishes 