Cheddar Disks

People love to serve our jams on cheese trays so we thought we would combine the two into one deeeeliciously baked bite.  Serve these cheddar disks as an appetizer, afternoon snack, cheese tray addition or as a great accompaniment to a salad.   

Recipe…

Makes about 30 disks
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
1 cup Slow Jam's Jam – we suggest tomato, raspberry jalapeno or sweet pepper

Cream cheddar cheese, flour and butter until dough forms a ball.  Measure balls of dough using a teaspoon and roll into uniform spheres.  Place balls in a bowl, cover and place in refrigerator for 1 hour and up to 48 hours. 

When you are ready to bake the cheddar disks, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place balls of dough on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove the disks from the oven and make indents in the top using a wooden spoon.  Fill each indent with a half teaspoon (or a little more) of jam and place back in oven.  Bake disks for 5-7 minutes longer until they are golden brown and jam is bubbly.  Allow cheddar disks to cool before serving – and be careful about eating them straight out of the oven, because the jam is piping hot!     

Ribbon Jewels



This recipe comes to you from the Slow Jams on the road!  During the holidays some of us are traveling and we brought one of our beloved holiday cookie recipes with us (and of course, some Slow Jams!).  These Ribbon Jewels will make any traveler feel right at home.

Recipe...

Makes about 3 dozen

4 eggs separated
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
3/4 cup slivered almonds, ground in food processor
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Slow Jam's Peach Jam
1/2 cup Slow Jam's Raspberry Jam  

3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 tbs softened butter
1 tbs cream
1 tsp vanilla
Dash of salt  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat egg whites until they form soft peaks.  In a separate bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar.  Add yolks one by one and beat until smooth. Fold in egg whites.  Mixture may take a minute to come together.  Separate the batter into 5 even portions.      

Flip over a 13x9x2 inch baking sheet and butter and flour the bottom (yes, you are using the back of the pan because you need a flat surface).  Take one portion of the batter and spread it across the back of the prepared pan, using a spatula or frosting knife.  Try to get it spread out as evenly as possible and do not be afraid if it looks too thin, it will puff up during baking. Try to get the batter closest to each edge. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Try not to let the edges of the cake brown.  Once you remove the pan from the oven, slide the cake (which will now actually resemble somewhat of a giant sugar cookie in both looks and texture) onto a wire rack.  Repeat process with next 4 portions of batter.

Once all layers are prepared, mix almonds and sour cream together.  Prepare a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper and place first layer of cake onto the sheet.  Spread layer with ¼ cup of the peach jam and then top with a layer (1/3 cup) of the sour cream mixture.  Place another cake layer on top and spread with ¼ cup of raspberry jam and then another layer (1/3 cup) of the sour cream mixture.  Repeat this process and then leave the top layer plain. 

Wrap the cake up neatly and place on a sheet pan.  Cover the cake with weights, cans or books and refrigerate overnight. 

When you are ready to frost the cake, cream 3 tbs of softened butter with the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla and dash of salt.  Frost the cake and let sit for a couple hours to set.  Once you are ready to cut the ribbon jewels, take a sharp knife and score the top and sides of the cake evenly.  Cut into 1 inch squares or small bite size rectangles – whichever you prefer.  These are beautiful! 

Raspberry Gin Cocktail



Our jams aren't just for eating - we want you to enjoy them in beverages as well!  It's a snap to put together the three ingredients for this cocktail.  We used our Raspberry jam, but you will love this with just about any of our Slow Jams!

Recipe...

2 ounces Gin

4 ounces Tonic

3 Tbs Slow Jam's Raspberry jam

Ice

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add gin and jam.  Shake vigorously and strain into your  favorite cocktail glass.  Top off with tonic water and serve.  Cheers!     

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints

We had to post this cookie recipe to showcase our Grape Jelly.  It's the perfect combination of comfort food and holiday spirit nicely packaged in a cute little cookie.  If you are at the market tomorrow - you can try ours before baking your own!


Recipe (from marthastewart.com)...

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup Slow Jam's Concord Grape Jelly


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Beaet peanut butter and buter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Add sugars and beat until pale and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated.  Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients until combined.


Scoop level tablespoons of dough and form into balls.  Roll each ball in granulated sugar and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.


Bake until cookes are puffy, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the ove and make indentations in the center by pressing with the handle of the wooden spoon.  Return to the oven and bake until edges are golden brown, about 6-7 minutes more.  Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.


When cookies are cool, dollop grape jelly into indentations.  You can store cookies in an airtight container for up to a week, but we never have that problem! 

Savory Tomato Toasts



Our Tomato Jam goes well with almost anything but our favorite way goes back to the basics - cheese and toast.  This is hands down (and jars empty) our favorite hors d’ oeuvre recipe.  Feel free to substitute cream cheese or mascarpone or whatever spread you would like!    

Recipe…

1 Loaf Whole Grain or Traditional Baguette

1 Round of Goat Cheese at room temperature

1 Jar Slow Jam's Tomato Jam

Slice baguette into thin rounds and toast in oven or toaster oven.  Whip goat cheese and spread on toasts.  Top toasts with Tomato Jam and watch them disappear before your eyes! 

Peach Rosemary Chicken

This evening we were busy making jam but our stomachs were only thinking of dinner!  We whipped up this meal in minutes - it’s easy and fast, with only 5 ingredients.  If you want a little more heat, substitute our Raspberry Jalapeno jam for an extra kick! 

Recipe…

2 lbs Chicken Breast

1 Onion, Sliced

2 Cloves Crushed Garlic

1 Jar Slow Jam's Peach Rosemary Jam

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Season chicken breast with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil and sauté chicken breast until juices run clear.  Remove chicken breast from pan and add onions and garlic.  Sauté onions and garlic until tender and remove from heat.  Add ½ a jar of Peach Rosemary jam to onion and garlic mixture and stir.  Pour sauce over chicken – Viola!

Slow Jams Scandinavian Ribs

We have some great friends in Norway and sometimes they join us in our kitchen!  When we introduced them to our blueberry jam, naturally, they wanted to add their own flavors from home and this rib recipe became a top hit!

Recipe…

2 Slabs Baby Back Ribs          

2 Apples (your choice, just make sure they are Michigan!)

2 Pears (read above - Michigan!)

2 Garlic Cloves

10 Sprigs fresh Thyme

Salt and Pepper 

Slow Jam's Blueberry Jam

1 cup Water

3 tbs Juniper Berries

1 tbs. Ground Cardamom

Cheesecloth and Butcher String

Salt and pepper ribs generously, making sure to get both sides of ribs.  Crush garlic and rub ribs with garlic and thyme (no need to take off stems).  Cover and place ribs in refrigerator for up 24 hours. 

When you are ready to cook ribs, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take ribs out of refrigerator while oven preheats and roughly chop apples and pears in long slices, about an inch thick.  Wrap ribs and apples and pears in foil and place on baking sheet and then put in oven. 

While ribs are baking, take juniper berries and cardamom and crush roughly with the back of a heavy knife or in a mortal/pestle.  You don’t want to pulverize the spices, you just want to release their aroma and open them up so they will infuse with the jam.  Wrap crushed spices in a round of cheesecloth and secure with butcher string.   Bring the water to a low boil in a sauce pot.  Add spice mixture and let boil for 10 minutes (secure the spice bundle to the pan handle).  Add 1 jar of Blueberry Jam and bring mixture to a low simmer keeping spice mixture inside the pot.  Keep heat on low and allow flavors to infuse for up to 1 hour (check occasionally to see how flavor develops).  Stir occasionally to make sure jam does not burn.   

After ribs have been baking for an hour, open the foil to expose the tops of the ribs.  Bake for another hour so the meat gets nice and brown. 

When ready to serve, remove ribs from foil and place on cutting board.  Let the ribs sit at least 10 minutes after they have been removed from the oven.  Cut ribs into 2-3 bone sections and place on platter.  Serve blueberry jam on the side. 

Sweet Pepper Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are without a doubt one of our favorite things and we hope they are one of yours too!  While we are definitely friends of tradition, we think our Sweet Pepper jam lends a bit more flavor.  Out with the old and in with the new school!    

Recipe...

1 Dozen Eggs

3 tbs. Slow Jam's Sweet Pepper Jam (more to taste if necessary)

1/3 cup Mayonnaise

1/3 cup Sour Cream

3 tsp. Curry Power (more to taste if necessary)

2 Scallions, Diced

Salt and Pepper

Place eggs in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil.  Once water is boiling, cover the pot and turn heat off.  Allow eggs to cook in water for 20 minutes.  Once eggs are cool, remove shells and cut eggs in half, removing yolks.  Mix yolks, jam, mayo, sour cream, curry powder and scallions together.  Season with salt and pepper – add more jam and curry powder to taste.  Spoon egg mixture back into egg white halves.  Garnish with scallions and a dollop of jam. 

Cooked Apple and Quince Pie

Your pie birds will be singing our praises when they get a bath in our jammy apples and quince!  We served it yesterday for Thanksgiving dessert and everyone around the table was so thankful, no one said a word until the final forkful was devoured!      

Recipe…

8 Medium Granny Smith Apples – peeled, cored and sliced 1 inch think  

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp Fresh Grated Ginger

½  tsp. Fresh Grated Nutmeg

¼ tsp. Salt

1 Jar Slow Jams Quince Jam

2 Tbs. Butter

¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar

Your favorite double pie crust

Heavy cream

Course Sugar

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Place bottom pie dough in 9 inch pie pan and crinkle rim (or create whatever rim you like).  Melt butter in a large sauté pan and add sliced apples and pears.  Sauté for about 5 minutes until the fruit warms up and starts to soften.   Turn heat to low and add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, Slow Jam's Quince Jam and brown sugar.  Stir until all ingredients are well mixed and remove from heat.  Fill pie bottom with apple mixture and cover with top layer of pie dough.  Whether you fold entire pie dough over the top or weave, make leaves, etc, make sure to have some slits in the pie so that air can escape. 

Brush pie top with heavy cream and sprinkle with course sugar.  Bake pie for 45-55 minutes until apples feel tender and crust is nice and brown.  Serve warm or cold – with whipped cream, ice cream or straight from the fridge!