One Bowl Gingerbread Cake with Mango Vanilla Jam

One Bowl Gingerbread Cake with Mango Vanilla Jam

Spouse had a birthday last week and I always try to tailor birthday cakes to the person's favorite flavors. Everyone knows how much Spouse loves her gingerbread and I've been wanting to develop a quick, one bowl, simplified version of her favorite cake. It came together in no time plus it turned out beautifully moist and well spiced so I know we will be making it many times in the future.

To compliment the cake I filled it with some very simple to prepare vanilla mango jam and a simple vanilla glaze. Spouse loved it and so did the kids. We normally send out leftover dessert to friends and neighbors but o this occasion, there were nothing but crumbs left on the plate by the next day. Sorry to the "Leftover List", you'll have to wait until next time to sample this one.

Gingerbread Cake

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tbsp powdered ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup soured milk
• 1/2 cup fancy or light molasses (not cooking molasses or blackstrap molasses)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger root (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour into 2 greased and floured 8 or 9 inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper circles for easier release.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Fill between the two layers with Mango Vanilla Jam.

Mango Vanilla Jam

• 3 ripe mangoes, finely diced
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 vanilla bean

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seed paste with a knife. Add the scraped out seeds, along with the vanilla pod to a small saucepan along with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a very slow simmer for about a half hour or until almost all of the liquid has boiled off. Mash with a fork and set aside to cool completely before using to fill the cake. Spread Vanilla Glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides. garnish with a dollop of the jam or fresh mango slices in the center of the cake.

Vanilla Glaze

• 2 cups icing sugar 
• approximately 3 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all together until smooth. If it is too thick to flow properly add a few more drops of milk or if too thin a couple of tbsp icing sugar until you get the right consistency.

Bumbleberry Port Jam

Bumbleberry Port Jam

I've been cleaning out the freezer again and one of the things that always seems to be there, especially now during the winter months are partly used bags of frozen berries. We regularly buy these in the winter months when fresh are not available or are prohibitively expensive. When I begin to question how long the bags have been open is when I decide to throw them all in together and make a batch of bumbleberry jam.

I am not a big maker of preserves, I'm afraid but it is something I'd like to get into this summer. A couple of friends are dedicated canners and bottlers of summer's bounty. I mostly make jams in small batches, usually no more than a couple of mason jars at a time and consume them quickly within a week or two. If it nears the end of that time, the jam usually gets used for dessert like a simple, classic Victoria Sandwich Cake.

There are no rules to my freezer cleaning bumbleberry jam. In this particular batch I used blueberries, strawberries and raspberries but blackberries, cranberries or local partridgeberries  (lingonberries) have been known to be used in the past too; whatever yo have. I like to use a proportion of  2:1 crushed berries to sugar and 2 ounce of lemon juice for each 4 cups berries. This is less sugar than most jams but you will get more of the natural fruit flavor, which is what I prefer.

When making simple jam without pectin, I like to use a candy thermometer to make sure the mixture reaches a syrupy stage or 220-225 degrees F so that you don't have runny jam.

This time around I had on hand a bottle of beautiful port wine that I had been given which had beautiful notes of cherry and plum so I decided to add some of it to my jam. The result was outstanding. What started as a simple way to use those leftover berries  turned into a more complex, deeply flavored, elegant jam that would be as welcome at a formal afternoon tea as it would at a casual weekend brunch.

Makes about 4 cups jam

• 4 cups crushed mixed berries (the jam pictured used strawberries, raspberries and blueberries)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup good port wine

Bring all ingredients to a slow boil. Watch it carefully, jams always boil over easily. Simmer until almost all of the liquid has boiled off and what remains has reached the syrup stage on a candy thermometer, 220 - 225  degrees F.

While still hot, pour into sterilized jars and seal with sterilized lids. If keeping for longer than a week, use the canning method recommended by the jar manufacturer as in this step-by-step guide.

Apricot Almond Jammie Dodgers

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Apricot Almond Jammie Dodgers

If you are looking for a perfect cookie to enjoy with a calming cup of tea, this may be the best choice yet. I've added finely ground almonds and almond extract to the buttery cookie dough from our original version of Homemade Jammie Dodgers to add an extra flavor dimension to these delicious cookies. Regular readers of Rock Recipes will undoubtedly know that I have a particular fondness for all things apricot and the almond flavor of these cookies is particularly delicious with apricot jam. Truthfully though, you could substitute any favorite high quality or homemade jam in this recipe; raspberry, blackberry and plum are excellent choices.

Using Christmas cookie cutters is an easy way to add a festive touch to these cookies for the Holidays.

Apricot Almond Jammie Dodgers

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

A tasty twist on a homemade version of the United Kingdom's favorite cookie. Ground almonds in the cookie dough pair perfectly with the sweet apricot jam but if apricot's not your favorite flavor, any good quality jam can be substituted.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 12-14 large 3 inch cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup finely ground almonds
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp cold butter, cut in cubes
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 3 large egg yolks
• 12-14 rounded tsp homemade or good quality apricot jam

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, icing sugar, salt and ground almonds. Set aside.
2. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until it is well incorporated and the mixture becomes crumbly, like a coarse meal.
3. Whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla and almond extracts.
4. Add to the crumbly dry mixture and mix in until a soft dough forms.
5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least a half hour. Roll the dough out between two pieces of lightly floured parchment paper to about 1/8 of an inch thick.
6. Cut out cookies using a 3 inch cutter and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
7. Cut circles or hearts or whatever shape you like out of the centers of half of the cookies.
8. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 - 20 minutes, just until they start to brown slightly at the bottom edges but are still very pale.
9. Remove from the oven and spoon 1 rounded teaspoon of apricot jam (or your favorite jam) onto the middle of the bottom halves of the cookies and spread out only slightly to about 3/4 of an inch from the edge of the cookie. Carefully lay the top halves of the cookies onto the jam and press down lightly.
10. Return to the oven for an additional 5 to 6 minutes. This will heat up the jam to a point where it will stick the two cookie halves together.
11. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. Store in airtight containers.

Beer and Bacon Jam

Good morning from Washington D.C.! Rock Recipes is on the road. The house sitters/cat butlers are settled in back at home and our family is on a road trip in the Southeast United States for the next couple of weeks! Don't worry, we have plenty of new recipes lined up while we are away and may even include a few updates on what we are eating along the way as we gather a little southern hospitality recipe inspiration for when we return. Be sure to join us on our Facebook Page for more road trip updates. 

I saw a version of today's recipe on one of the roadside diner shows a couple of years back but I can't remember which one. I remember that recipe being more complicated than this one but I wanted a stove top recipe that may take a little time but is well worth the effort.

This "jam" is a wonderfully flavourful condiment that has many flavour components. Sweet, smoky, slightly salty with and quite earthy, this delicious concoction is terrific on pork chops as pictured but is also very good on grilled steaks, burgers and chicken too. Try it at your next weekend barbeque and I know everyone will want the recipe for this unusual, conversation starting "jam".

Makes about 2 cups.

1/2 pound smoked bacon

Cut the bacon into 1/4 inch pieces and fry slowly over medium low to medium heat until all the fat has been rendered out and the bacon is crispy, resembling bacon bits. Drain off all the fat and add:

3 tbsp butter
6 large finely diced red onions
6 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Cook over medium low heat for about 20 minutes until the onions have reduced considerably and caramelized. Add:

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
8 ounces dark stout beer (or one cup brewed coffee works very well)
1/2 tsp dry thyme

Simmer and reduce this mixture for several minutes until it reaches a jam-like consistency. Serve warm.

This jam will last for several days in sealed container/s in the fridge or for much longer if you choose to make a large batch and follow proper canning/bottling procedures.