Damson Plum Jam

I made Damson Plum Jam last night from some plums I bought at the farmer's market last weekend.  According to the Pilsbury Family Cookbook (1979) you can only keep plums in the refrigerator for 3 to 5o days, so I figured I should do something with them.  I didn't have quite 5 cups as the recipe called for in the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving (2009), so I chopped up a jonagold apple, which made a heaping 1 cup.  Here's the recipe as I made it:
4 cups chopped Damson plums
1 cup chopped apple
3/4 cup water
3 cups sugar
Combine all in a large saucepan, and slowly bring to a boil.  Boil until setting stage is reached.  (For me, this was when it started splattering against the walls, since my lovely thermometer us useless).  Remove from heat, and pour into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space at top.  Screw on two-piece lids.  Process in hot water bath for 15 minutes.  Remove from water and let stand.

Applesauce

My favorite time of year is when a telltale nip in the air signals the Maples to turn crimson and gold; leaves crunch beneath my feet as the wind and frost bring them falling to the path; and I walk in the evening mists, glad I decided to wear my jacket, so I can stuff my chilly fingers in my pockets.  It is this time of year that I associate with apple picking time at the farm in Minnesota - a time I have regretfully missed out on since I left for Kansas several years ago.  This year, I decided to dust off and polish up an old family tradition in preserving the Autumnal harvest.  I went to the local farmers market to find my beloved apples.  I bought a 4 pound bag of jonagolds, and a 3 pound bag of jonathans.  I peeled and pared every one with a small paring knife - no fancy gadgets in sight. Peeling apples is a peaceful task, and it brought to mind the long history of many others who have preserved the harvest before me.
I still had a few apples left over by the time I filled my 5-quart Dutch oven with sliced apples.  I added a small amount of water, and heated it all, covered, over medium-high heat.  I stirred them occasionally until they were soft, and then pushed the softened apples through an antique sieve, made for the task.  After adding a 1/2 cup of sugar, I heated the mixture again, and then put it in sterilized canning jars, covering them with new two-piece lids.  I lined a large soup kettle with washcloths, and put my four pint jars into it, surrounding them with more washcloths to prevent them from banging together.  I poured in enough hot water until it just covered the jars, and then boiled them for 20 minutes.  The jars didn't take long to seal after I pulled them out of the water.  I just love watching them seal; and the sense of accomplishment one feels afterwards makes me think that this is a tradition worth repeating.

Ny Favorite Cinnamon Rolls

I'm way behind on my posting.  My brother and I made these lovely cinnamon rolls in the first week of August, and mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!  They were so good!  This is my favorite cinnamon roll recipe.  It originally came from the Better Homes and Gardens Brunches and Breakfasts cookbook (1989), but, of course I've made several changes to it.
Cinnamon Rolls

In a large bowl, stir together:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

In a saucepan, heat until just warm:
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cool milk mixture, and add it to the flour mixture.  Add:
3 eggs

Beat on low speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds, scraping bowl often.  Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.  Using a wooden spoon stir in all purpose white flour until you can no longer stir it with the spoon.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for about 6 - 8 minutes, adding more all-purpose flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic.  Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover; let rise in a warm place till double (about 1 hour).

For filling, combine in a small bowl:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon shredded orange peel )optional)
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Set aside.

Punch dough down; divide in half.  On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of dough into a 12-inch square.  Spread half of the filling over each dough square.  If desired, sprinkle with:
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Roll each square up jelly roll style; pinch edges to seal.  Using dental floss, slice each square into 8 pieces.  Place 8 pieces in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.  Repeat with remaining dough,

Let rise 45 minutes.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove from pans.  Cool slightly on a wire rack.  Drizzle with powdered sugar glaze.

Mini Cherry Pies

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I made these mini cherry pies yesterday when I didn't have enough cherries to make a full-sized pie. The crust has a little cinnamon in it.  I mixed the cherries with a little sugar and tapioca to draw out the juices and thicken them before baking. I think they're adorable!

Beefy Bean 'n Biscuit Casserole

Here's an interesting use for biscuits.   I tried this recipe for Beefy Bean 'n Biscuit Casserole from the Pilsbury Family Cookbook (1979).  Typically, I left out the sugar, because I don't appreciate sugar in hot dish.  The biscuits are cheese filled, which was a tasty treat.  I used homemade baked beans instead of canned Pork 'n Beans.  The more homemade you can make it, the better.  The hot dish itself calls for water and tomato paste.  I thought it turned out a little pasty.  Next time, I would skip the water and tomato paste, and just use a 16 ounce can of tomatoes - no more pasty.  The one mistake I made was adding a garlic clove instead of garlic salt, and then neglecting to add salt.  It was a little bland.  I think tomorrow, when I serve leftovers, I'll add some salt when I heat it up on the stove top.
I made the apple pie for dessert - also from the Pilsbury Family Cookbook.  The apples were from our trees outside, which tend to be particularly sweet, so I didn't add as much sugar to the apples as the recipe called for.  I made streusel topping instead of a double-crust.  I like the crunchy sweet goodness of streusel, and that saves the work of rolling out another crust.  This pie was particularly easy, since both pie crust and sliced apples had been made earlier, and came out of the deep-freeze.  All I had to do was add the butter, cinnamon, flour, and sugar, pop it in the oven.  That's my version of an instant dessert!

Pumpkin-Pecan Tea Loaf

I made this Pumpkin Bread from some pumpkin I had in the freezer from last Fall.  The recipe called for raisins, but I put in snipped dates.  The pecans add nice texture. I also cut down on the sugar by almost 2'3 cup.  It's from Sunset's Cook Book of Breads (1978), a book I really enjoy; the recipes are wonderful, and the pictures look so 70's and homey. 
I'm glad I baked that pumpkin in the Fall, so I can enjoy goodies like this.  It saves a trip to the grocery store for a can of pumpkin, and a trip to the recycling center with the empty can.

Date Tarts

I finally made these Date Tarts after the dough sat in the refrigerator for nearly a week. My Grandma used to make Date Pinwheels - my favorite kind that she made. My Mom made stuffed date cookies similar to these. Looking through my Sunset Cookies (1989) book last week, these cookies sounded just too good to pass up. I stirred the dry ingredients together that same evening, and mixed up the rest of the dough the next day. I tried out a couple just to be sure the recipe was working, and I was not disappointed. The freshly grated ginger in these tastes amazing!
I lowered the amount of sugar in these cookies, and added a couple tablespoons of milk, because the dough was too stiff without it.
"Date Tarts"
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted unsweetened wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 - 3 Tablespoons milk
Beat butter and sugar together until creamy; beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, stir together the dry ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, blending thoroughly. Cover dough, and refrigerate for at least two hours, or up to 3 days. (I refrigerated mine for several days.) Meanwhile, prepare date filling.
Take out half the dough, and roll it out on a floured board to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out into 3-inch rounds.
Place half the cookies slightly apart on greased cookie sheet; spoon a heaping teaspoonful of filling onto each. Dampen edges of cookies with water, using a pastry brush. Cover each cookie with another cookie round; press together with a fork around edges. Cut a decorative x in the top of each cookie. Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 - 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool.

Date Filling. In a small pan, combine 1 1/2 cups lightly packed snipped, pitted dates, 1/2 cup water, and 2 Tablespoons honey. Cook over medium heat, stirring and mashing with a spoon, until mixture is thick and smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Let cool; then cover and refrigerate.