Nancy's Pumpkin Butter
By Nancy Bush
A variation on the traditional apple butter.
Servings: 16
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat margarine for 30 seconds, or until creamy. Gradually blend in the pumpkin, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2. Cover and chill overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes for easier spreading.
Whipped Honey Butter
Makes 2 cups.
1 cup (12 ounces) whipped or creamed honey, softened if necessary
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
In a medium bowl, mix together honey and butter. Spoon into jars with tight-fitting lids. Store in refrigerator.
Variation: Stir 1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel into honey-butter mixture.
Autumn Butter
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup butter, softened
Mix all ingredients until well blended. Spread onto your favorite muffins, quick bread, sweet crackers, or drop a dollop onto morning pancakes.
Cinnamon Butter
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve over sweet bread, muffins, or morning waffles. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Butter
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
4 tbsp canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp freshly grated or dried nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Keep tightly covered in the refrigerator up to three weeks. * 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for cloves, ginger and nutmeg.
Raspberry Butter
1 cup raspberries
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon blackberry liqueur
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Boil raspberries, water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until syrupy, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Strain through sieve to remove seeds. Cool. Process with remaining ingredients until smooth and well mixed. Can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and stir before serving.
Sweet Harvest Jam
Makes 2-1/2-pints.
4 cups crushed fruit or berries*
2 cups honey
1 box(1-3/4 oz.) powdered pectin
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Combine crushed fruit and pectin in a 5-quart saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add honey and lemon juice. Return to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam. Ladle into clean hot canning jars. Seal according to manufacturer's directions.
Place jars on rack in canner. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath with boiling water 2 inches above jar tops. Remove jars from canner. Place on a thick cloth or wire rack; cool away from drafts. After 12 hours test lids for proper seal; remove rings from sealed jars.
* Peaches, nectarines, sweet cherries, strawberries, raspberries or blackberries may be used.
Lemon Curd
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into bits
Whisk together juice, zest, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubble appears on surface, about 6 minutes. Transfer lemon curd to a bowl and chill, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 1 hour.
Apple Gem Jelly
Makes 3 1/2-pint jars (24 2-tablespoon servings).
1 cup apple juice
1-1/2 cups honey
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 red apples, grated with peel on
3 oz. liquid pectin
In a 5-quart saucepan, combine apple juice, honey, lemon juice and grated apples. Bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in liquid pectin. Skim off foam. Ladle into hot sterilized jars. Seal.
Honey Hazelnut Spread
Makes about 1-1/4 cups.
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup ground, roasted, skinned hazelnuts*
Cream honey and butter; stir in hazelnuts.
(*Roast hazelnuts in flat pan at 325°F 15 minutes or until skins blister and nuts are lightly colored. Cool slightly; rub between palms of hands or with clean towel to remove skins.)
Honey Brandy Spread
Makes about 2-1/4 cups.
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1-1/2 cups creamed honey
2 Tbsp. brandy*
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Beat butter until creamy. Stir in honey, 1/2 cup at a time; beat until smooth. Stir in brandy and nutmeg. Refrigerate.
One teaspoon brandy flavoring can be substituted.
Traditional Apple Butter
4 quarts Apple
2 quarts Water
1 1/2 quarts Cider
1 1/2 pounds Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Allspice
1 teaspoon Cloves
Wash and slice the apples into small bits. Cover with the water and boil until soft. Press through a sieve to remove skins and seeds. Bring cider to a boil and then add apple pulp and sugar and cook until it thickens, constantly stirring to prevent scorching. Add spices and cook until it is thick enough for spreading. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.
(Turns out more like apple sauce than butter.)
Honey Blueberry Spread
Makes about 2/3 cup.
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
1/4 cup honey, divided
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
Bring blueberries and 2 tablespoons honey to boil over medium-high heat stirring constantly; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture thickens and is reduced by half. Cool. Blend in remaining honey. Beat in butter
A light herb butter
1 part butter (room temp)
1 part oil (room temp)
up to 5 parts water (room temp)
herbs to taste
Mix herb and butter, add oil, dribble in water as you would oil into a mayonnaise. I use one of those mixer sticks for this - zzzzzzzt. If you add all your water at once it won't mix, but it'll sure splash a lot. The result will keep for a week in your fridge, so you freeze what you can't use immediately.
Herbs to try:
-lovage (Levisticum officinale / Ligusticum levisticum)
-parsley
-black currant leaves (Ribes nigrum) (no, other species of Ribes won't do, and you know you have the right one if you have fragrant leaves)
-dill (just a little bit at first, please)
Blackberry Vinegar
blackberries, clean and dry
malt vinegar
granulated sugar
Place berries in an earthenware vessel. Cover with vinegar. Let stand three days (this will draw out the juice from the berries). To strain place cheesecloth over a bowl, pour in the mixture. Let strain several hours. Measure the amount of liquid you have (discard berries). You will need 1 pound of sugar for every pint of liquid. In a pan boil vinegar with sugar gently for 5 minutes. Cool.
Honey Mustard Dressing
1/3 cup prepared mustard
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
In a small bowl, whisk the yellow mustard, honey, soy sauce, mayonnaise, garlic powder and dill weed together until well blended.
Makes 1 cup
Basil and Garlic Mayonnaise
1/2 cup (packed) basil leaves, torn
1/2 garlic clove, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
Combine basil, garlic, and red wine vinegar in a processor. Blend until basil is finely chopped. Add mayonnaise and blend until smooth.
Makes about 1/2 cup.
Red Pepper Hummus
1-cup chickpeas
1 red sweet pepper, roasted and the skin removed
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive or flax oil
1 or 2 clove of garlic, peeled
Put all of the ingredients in food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Store the hummus in a tightly sealed container. Hummus will keep in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 days. Serve as a dip with fresh veggies or on pita bread.
Pizza Dip
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c pizza sauce
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/2 c chopped pepperoni
2-1/4 oz can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 c red bell pepper, finely diced
5 medium green onions, sliced
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
assorted chips for dipping
Preheat oven on broil. Mix cream cheese, pizza sauce and garlic. Spread on 12 or 13" round ovenproof plate. Top with pepperoni, olives, peppers and onions. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil 4"from heat 1-2 min or until cheese is melted. Serve with chips.
Serves 16
Watermelon Salsa
This can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Just cover and chill.
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp golden brown sugar, packed
3 cups chopped seeded watermelon
1 cup chopped seeded honeydew melon or cantaloupe
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cip chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp finely chopped crystalized ginger
2 tbsp minced seeded jalapeno peppers
Whisk lime juice and sugar in a large bowl until sugar dissolves. Add watermelon and all remaining ingredients; toss gently. Season with salt and pepper.
World's Hottest Salsa
15 Arbol chiles
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic (pan roasted until brown and soft, then peeled)
1/4 tsp. cumin seed, toasted and then ground
1/4 tsp. dried Mexican oregano, toasted
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup water
In a heavy skillet over medium heat, toast chiles until brown and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Put unseeded chiles and remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process at high speed until you have a slightly textured liquid.
Back