Thankful.

I have so many things to be thankful for.

Psalm 136:26
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

I’ve spent today preparing for the tomorrows festivities. I’ve made pecan pie, cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole.

The pecan pie is the only thing I’ve tasted so far, and it’s delicious! Here’s the recipe if you’d like to make one for yourself. Of course, it’s loaded with corn syrup, but once a year is okay, right? It’s totally worth it.

Happy thanksgiving!

Delicious Southern Pecan Pie

3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place pie shell in a 9 inch pie pan.
In a medium bowl, gently beat eggs. Stir in sugar and flour, then the syrup, butter and vanilla. Fold in pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes; knife inserted in center of pie should come out clean.

Homemade Spiced Slow Cooker Applesauce.

I really should call November breakfast & comfort food month here at honey & jam, shouldn't I? It’s the cool weathers fault! It makes me crave homey deliciousness.



Case in point, I’ve been craving homemade applesauce something fierce lately, so when my mom got her early christmas present in the mail, a slow cooker, I jumped at the chance to make a big batch. Finding some giant honeycrisp apples at the grocery store just sealed the deal.



Warm, homemade applesauce is so good, y’all. It’s nothing like that overly pureed, tasteless stuff you get at the store. I like mine sweetened with brown sugar and spiced with cinnamon. It’s so simple, easy to do, but it’s so, so tasty and can be used with so much. It’s a perfect topping for ice cream, pork loin, or my favorite, oatmeal.



The last time I made applesauce, I just did it on the stove top, but I have to say the slow cooker made it even easier. Here’s the recipe I used, and a link to one done on the stove. Enjoy!



Spiced Slow Cooker Applesauce

8 apples - peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg

Combine the apples and water in a slow cooker; cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; continue cooking another 30 minutes.

Make it on the stove!

listen to this: shine on - daisy may erlewine.

Banana Bread Yeasted Waffles

I really love breakfast foods, any time of the day. There’s something so hearty and homey about breakfast that just makes me happy. We eat a lot of biscuits, grits and pancakes around here, waffles were, for some reason, sorely lacking from the rotation.



When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it out. I’d never had yeasted waffles before, and they were so full of things I love, I couldn’t help but print off the recipe immediately. They are slightly tangy, not a bit too sweet. I normally eat my waffles and pancakes simply covered in butter, but these are perfectly accented by some warm maple syrup.

They are easy to throw together the night before, ready to pop in the waffle maker for something scrumptious first thing in the morning, or for dinner if you’re feeling adventurous. I’m making up another batch tonight, I can’t wait to have them again!

This recipe is from Tara of Seven Spoons, have you seen her blog? It’s beautiful and inspiring, you should check it out.




Banana Bread Yeasted Waffles

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of ground clove
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup mashed ripe banana, about 3 whole
2 tablespoons sour cream or greek yogurt

In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, milk and vanilla. Set aside, the mixture should be warm but not hot.

In a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, brown sugar, yeast, salt and spices. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, whisking until smooth. Stir in the beaten eggs. Cover the bowl loosely with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, but up to 24.

About 30 minutes before you want to make waffles, take the batter out of the refrigerator to come up to room temperature slightly. It should be doubled in size and the surface will be covered in bubbles.

When ready to begin, stir the sour cream into the mashed bananas and then mix the fruit into the batter. It will deflate, but use a light, quick hand to thoroughly combine.

Heat your waffle iron and bake the waffles as per the manufacturer's instruction.

fruit!

Mmm, chocolate chip cookies!

For a baker, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. Not to say that I don't like sweets, they just aren't my very favorite thing. My list of favorite things to eat goes like this:

1. Cabbage
2. Collard Greens
3. Honeycrisp Apples
4. Bacon
5. Cookies



I know! Cookies are the only sweet thing on the list (other than those honeycrisp apples, which are so, so delicious, be still my heart!). Cookies are also my least favorite thing to bake:

1. Cake
2. Pie
3. Everything else
4. Cookies

Cookies and I just don’t agree! I always either burn them, they spread out too thin, fall apart, too dry, something always happens. I don’t understand why! But if I conquer pie crust, I can conquer cookies, for sure.



But in the meantime, here's only cookie recipe that always works well for me. I love it! It makes the most delicious salty/sweet chocolate chip cookies. I’ve posted them here before, ages ago, but they are definitely worth a repost. Have a couple with a big glass of milk!



Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Baking Basics and Beyond

makes about 4 dozen

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg
1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Heat oven to 375 with oven rack in the middle

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Beat butter, shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in bowl of a stand mixer on Medium-High speed until creamy, scraping down bowl once or twive.
Add vanilla and egg and mix well.

Reduce mixer speed to Low and add the flour mixture. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat until dough forms. By hand, stir in chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and pecans.

Drop dough in rounded tablespoon about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes until cookies are browned on edges.

Banana Oat Muffins

There’s just something about the early morning, isn’t there? The cool air coming from a cracked window, the birds singing high in the trees, the sun slowly illuminating the sky, a new day beginning. The calm before the storm, it must be.





For me, this time of day is perfectly accompanied by a warm cup of tea and a homemade muffin. These banana oat muffins are delightful, warm and drizzled with honey, they are a perfect start to any day. Try them soon!





Banana Oat Muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or half white/half wheat)
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed bananas

Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt in a medium bowl
In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper bake cups, and divide the batter among them.Bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes.

Cheddar Corn Muffins with Jalapeno Butter

Today, I needed something easy to go with dinner. These were perfect. They come together quickly and are so, so good. Not at all dry, like cornbread can be, and the jalapeno butter is delicious.






Cheddar Corn Muffins with Jalapeno Butter
from Gourmet

For muffins:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus 1 tablespoon, softened, for brushing muffin cups
2 cups cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup corn, thawed if frozen
1 1/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk (not powdered)
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups grated sharp Cheddar (5 1/4 ounces), divided

For jalapeño butter:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 fresh jalapeño, finely chopped, including seeds

Equipment: a muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups

Make corn muffins:
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Brush muffin cups with softened butter.
Whisk together cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
Whisk together corn, buttermilk, egg, and melted butter in another bowl, then stir into flour mixture until just combined. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese.
Divide batter among muffin cups and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until puffed and golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Turn out onto a rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make jalapeño butter while muffins bake:
Stir together butter, jalapeño, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve with muffins.

note: mine only took about 15 minutes, so watch them!

happy birthday, honey & jam.

One year ago today, I was sitting at my dining room table with my laptop, a cup of tea, and a piece of toast and it was there I decided to start a blog. You see, I knew only a little bit of about the blogging world, and even less about the food blogging world, but it seemed like fun, an outlet for my passions. I had no idea what I was going to do with it, I didn’t even start with a food blog in mind.



I’ve grown and learned so much through this blog, as a baker and as a photographer. When I started, I’d sort of given up on photography, due to frustrations with my digital camera. I’d always worked with film before, and the transition over to digital wasn’t an easy one for me. I didn’t understand a thing about lighting, and all the buttons on the back of the camera just baffled me. I picked it back up for this blog, and I’ve learned so, so much this past year. I now have a passion for food photography that is sometimes overwhelming, but so much fun!



And of course, I’ve learned so much about baking. Food blogs are such a wealth of information and inspiration. I’ve grown to love the food blogging community, which lends so much support for everyone involved.



What keeps coming to mind is thankfulness - I’m so thankful for this little piece of the internet I call my own, so thankful for all of you that read what I write, look at my photos and leave me the most thoughtful comments. Seriously, y’all bowl me over with your kindness.

Of course, I have to thank my wonderful family, who puts up with all my shenanigans.

To my mother - who supports me no matter what, tolerates my craziness in the kitchen, and laughs with me when things go wrong (which is pretty regularly).

To my father - who can build me absolutely anything I ask him to, and supports me in the most subtle ways.

To my brother - who always keeps me laughing.

And to my sister - my tireless photography assistant and sous chef, I couldn’t do it without you!




I do believe that’s all I have to say, so today, to celebrate, I bring you what I love - a cup of tea, with honey and a slice of cake, with jam, topped off with cute little edible violas. I hope you enjoy!



This is one of my absolute favorite layer cake recipes, and it perfect for cupcakes too. You can fill it with anything, curd, frosting, or my favorite, raspberry jam. And the frosting, it’s so simple, but rich and delicious.



Vanilla Cake
from Southern Living

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract (I left this out this time around)
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk (I used whole, I was out of buttermilk.)

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until yellow disappears after each addition. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat a medium-low speed just until blended after each addition. (batter will be thick)

Bake for 32-36 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Rich Chocolate Frosting

1 cup butter, softened
4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/4 cups baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Alternate beating in confectioners’ sugar and cocoa, adding milk as needed, until it reaches spreading consistency. Add vanilla.

Cafe Au Lait Pudding

This pudding didn't come out well. I’d never really made pudding before, other than banana pudding, and I think I did some things wrong. My pot was too hot, and I didn’t get my cornstarch mixed in well enough, so there were...bits in it.

The taste was alright, but it wasn’t quite sweet enough (and I don’t even like overly sweet things) and the coffee flavor was a bit too strong.

I’m going to try again soon, though! I’ll let you know how it goes.



Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try for yourself.

Cafe Au Lait Pudding
from Gourmet

2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon sugar, divided
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon for sprinkling

Whisk together milk, coffee granules, cornstarch, 1/4 cup sugar, and a small pinch of salt in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, then boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Transfer to a metal bowl set in an ice bath and cool, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Pour into cups or ramekins and chill, uncovered, 20 minutes.
Beat cream with vanilla and remaining 2 tablespoon sugar using an electric mixer just until soft peaks form. Spoon whipped cream onto puddings and dust cream lightly with cinnamon.

Mason Jars & Dry Beans