Cheddar Cheese Ring with Strawberry Preserves: A Rosalynn Carter Family Recipe

Cheddar Cheese Ring with Strawberry Preserves: A Rosalynn Carter Family Recipe

This serves 8-10. For a large crowd, simply double recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans 

8-ounces sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated (I use Cracker Barrel brand)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

( I used a pinch of red pepper flakes and 1/4 tsp smoked paprika)

2 teaspoons grated yellow or Vidalia onion.

1/2 cup Mayo (I use Duke’s)

1 cup strawberry preserves 

Directions:

Toast pecans in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes. Let cool and then chop.

Freshly grate sharp cheddar cheese. 

Add to a bowl

Grate onion, add to the bowl.

Add the chopped pecans, cayenne and mayonnaise.

Stir to combine.

Turn the mixture out onto a plate or platter. Cover with a piece of cling wrap, shape into a ring shape.

Refrigerate for 3 hours to overnight. 

Bring cheddar ring out of refrigerator 1 hour before serving.  Add strawberry preserves to the center of the cheese ring. Garnish with extra pecans.

Serve with crackers and celery. Serve and enjoy.

Strawberry Jam

Strawberry Jam

Making strawberry jam only requires a few ingredients.  Our family has been making strawberry preserves and jams since I was a young child.  

Safe canning practices are easy to follow and important to understand, and for more information regarding canning and food preservation consult the Ball Blue Book for Canning. Basic Canning 101 from Ball

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients

5 cups fresh strawberries; cleaned, hulled and crushed.

1 box Sure-Jell (1.75 ounce-yellow box)

7 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

Clean, hull and chop about 2 quarts of fresh strawberries. Place in a deep sided bowl.

(To hull is to remove the stems, leaves and any underripe or bad spots)

Crush the strawberries, using a potato masher or use a food processor.

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients

5 cups fresh strawberries; cleaned, hulled and crushed.

1 box Sure-Jell (1.75 ounce-yellow box)

7 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

Clean, hull and chop about 2 quarts of fresh strawberries. Place in a deep sided bowl.

(To hull is to remove the stems, leaves and any underripe or bad spots)

Crush the strawberries, using a potato masher or use a food processor.

Measure exactly 5 cups of crushed strawberries. Place 5 cups of crushed strawberries into a large heavy-bottomed pot. (The mixture will rise as it boils-so be sure to use a large pot with plenty of room)

Stir in 1 box of Sure-Jell into the strawberries.  Stir mixture regularly and bring to a boil. 

Once mixture is boiling, add the 7 cups of granulated sugar-and stir together.

Return the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute exactly and then remove the pot from the heat.  (A rolling boil is a boil that cannot be stirred down) 

Tip: I always stir the jam as it’s heating to keep mixture from scorching.

Remove pot from the heat 

skim off any foam and ladle the hot strawberry jam into the prepared jars. (Prepared jars have been washed, rinsed and then heated to 200 degrees either in a 200 degree oven-or in a hot water bath-or dishwasher sanitizer setting.  The key is to fill the hot clean jars with hot properly measured jam.  

Fill each jar with jam, leaving 1-2 inches of head space at the top. Do not overfill the jars. Using a funnel made for canning is very helpful.

Wipe off rim and threads saucepan each jar, and attach sanitized lids and rings. Use new rings and lids, that were heated in hot water bath.

(A water bath for the lids can be saucepan on the stovetop with boiling water-place lids in water until ready to use)  

Process finished strawberry jams or preserves in a hot-water bath. Place jars on a rack in a large canning pot with at least 2 inches of water above the top of each jar. Boil, covered with a lid for 10 minutes. Follow Ball Canning Blue Book for additional instructions about processing times.

Carefully remove the hot jars from the canner, by lifting the rack. Allow jars to come to room temperature, check to see that each jar is sealed.

Properly sealed jars of jam can last 1 year.  

If a jar is not sealed or wasn’t processed in a hot water bath, refrigerate those jars and use within 1 month or freeze for longer 6-month storage.

*The recipe measurements are from the Sure-Jell recipe booklet.

 

Crunch-Top Strawberry-Banana French Toast Bake

Crunch-Top Strawberry-Banana French Toast Bake

Karri Perry; Blue Ribbon Favorites

Use a buttered 8x8 casserole dish. Serves 4-6.  For more servings double the recipe and use a buttered 9x13 casserole dish.

Ingredients:

4 (day-old or stale) croissants-sliced 

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups whole milk or cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar 

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp vanilla 

1 banana sliced

1 /2 cup sliced strawberries 

Crunch Top:

1 1/2 cups Frosted Flakes

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 Tbs melted butter

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cinnamon 

(This can be made the night before and refrigerate until ready to bake.)

Butter an 8x8 casserole dish, set aside.

Make custard:

Whisk eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt together. Set aside.

Place the sliced croissants in the prepared dish.

Add the sliced strawberries and bananas, tucking in the fruit amongst the bread pieces.

Pour the custard over top. Pause if necessary to let the bread soak up the mixture. Continue until all the custard is used.

If making as an overnight-pre-made bake, cover unbaked casserole and chill until ready to bake.

If making to bake immediately, let sit for 15 minutes, allowing bread to soak up custard while you make the crunch top.

Crunch Top:

Melt 2 Tbs of butter in a medium microwave safe bowl.  Lightly toss the Frosted Flakes and chopped pecans with the melted butter. Sprinkle in cinnamon and salt.  Just before baking add the crunch top to the French toast casserole.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven on the middle rack for 45-50 minutes.  French Toast bake will be puffed, set in the center and golden on top.

Use a piece of foil to shield the top of casserole during the last 15 minutes of baking, if it begins to over brown.

Serve warm with fresh strawberries and bananas and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Glazed Lemon Loaf

Lemon Loaf with Lemon Glaze

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp lemon zest

8 Tbs softened butter

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon emulsion-LorAnn brand (like lemon extract but 10x better)

2 Tbs vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

Glaze

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tsp lemon zest

In a stand mixer, add granulated sugar and lemon zest, mix on low for 3-5 minutes. This is super important to allow the lemon oils permeate the sugar. 

Add soft butter, mix (on medium speed) to incorporate 2-3 minutes.  Add  the oil, mix to combine.

Add the eggs, salt, juice, emulsion, and sour cream. Mix. Mixture will be light and fluffy.

 

Add flour and baking powder. Mix just to combine on low-do not over mix. 

Use a 9x5 loaf pan fitted with parchment and nonstick spray.

Add batter evenly to the prepared pan. Bake on the middle rack-preheated 350 oven for 45-55 minutes or until set in center-lightly golden on top. 

Remove loaf from the pan while still warm, Run a paring knife around the edges. Gently lift the loaf out of the pan with the parchment edges-like handles.  Place loaf on a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.

Glaze when cooled.

For the glaze-mix together the confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice. Stir in the zest.

 If you want the glaze thicker or thinner-adjust by adding either a Tbs of confectioners sugar to thicken, or a 1/2 tsp of water or lemon juice to thin.

Tips:

Be sure you baking powder is fresh. Old or expired baking powder would help your products rise. Check to see if the baking powder is still good-in a cup of very warm water, add 1 tsp of the baking powder-it should bubble and fizz.

Be sure to cream the butter and sugar well. 2-3 minutes on med to med-high. Mixture will be fluffy.