jam Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Creamy Jammy Coffee Cakes

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 17:24:32 +0000

This recipe is from one of my top 3 from my 100 Morning Treats cookbook. I wrote that book to celebrate the morning hours and to represent the baked goods and pastries I developed while working in coffee shops and in my home. The recipes are a result of nearly three decades of baking, and include muffins, rolls, scones, quick breads, Bundt cakes, coffee cakes, some savory items, and so much more. My hope is that this book brings you some joy in your kitchens in the years to come. But back to the Jammy Cakes – I’m not going to lie; cream cheese swirl is what I’ll pick in a bakery case lineup any day. There is a layer of cake, then cream cheese, tart jam (or lemon curd), and streusel topping in every perfect bite. I like to eat them just barely warm, but they are great the next day too. One of my favorite things about this recipe is the streusel topping is made from the dry cake base, which cuts down on extra bowls and time preparing them. To make them, you’ll need eight 4-inch springform cake pans, 4-inch cake pans, or jumbo muffin pans. Measuring […]

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Homemade Lemon Curd (with variations!)

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 20:04:19 +0000

I was never crazy about lemon curd until I made it for myself. It took me a few tries to get it just right, but I discovered that while I like my curd very yolky, I do prefer the addition of one whole egg. I leave out the zest for a smooth, not-too-tart curd, but you can add some to ramp up the lemon flavor. I’ve included some variations for you, too; lemon-lavender, lime, and grapefruit!

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Puff Pastry Turnovers With Jam & Cream Cheese Filling

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 14:49:13 +0000

‘I’m all over the place, up and down, scattered, withdrawing, trying to find some elusive sense of serenity.’‘The world can’t give that serenity. The world can’t give us peace. We can only find it in our hearts.’‘I hate that.’‘I know. But the good news is that by the same token, the world can’t take it away.’–Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird I come to you with a recipe for turnovers filled with jam and cream cheese filling. I love puff pastry filled with fresh fruit, but it’s not always in season. I often turn to jam when all my summer berries are not in season. I have mixed feelings about jam in baked goods; often it’s just too sweet, and then I regret using it. Here I’ve paired it with a tangy cream cheese filling, which balances the sweetness. I also try to use jams with a bitter or tart edge; orange marmalade and blackberry jam are two favorites. The combination of the flaky, buttery pastry, tart-but-sweet jam, tangy cream cheese, and a crunchy, sugary top is a great idea on a bitter, cold winter morning. (Also, I couldn’t quite find words this morning to how I was feeling, but then […]

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Cacoa Nib Pavlovas with Berry Jam

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 05 May 2015 02:30:46 +0000

Sara Forte’s new cookbook, Bowl + Spoon, is beautiful, with recipes focused on simple, healthy ingredients served in the perfect vessel. I found her pavlovas to be a fantastic riff on the bowl: a delicious, edible bowl. Also, meringues with cacao nibs! Totally genius. (Also, thanks to the amazing Zoe Francois for making these pavlovas with me!) Cocoa Nib Pavlovas with Jam adapted from Bowl + Spoon by Sara Forte I’ve changed things just a bit from Sara’s recipe. Sara makes a French meringue (egg whites aren’t heated first, and the larger sugar crystals leave a little crunch) with mostly natural cane sugar, and I’ve made these a Swiss meringue with mostly white sugar (egg whites are gently heated, resulting in a more delicate texture). Either way will make for a delicious dessert. Sara also serves her pavlovas with mixed berries, but here in Minneapolis our berries aren’t quite in season, so jam was a great substitute. 4 egg whites, at room temperature 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup natural cane sugar good pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons cacoa nibs Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. In […]

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sweet tomato jam

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 09:06:00 +0000

I remember the pale tomatoes sitting proudly on the windowsill above our kitchen sink: they were always there, waiting silently to be sliced and diced into my mom’s nightly salads. My sister and I would wrinkle our noses at them, terrified of their oozing juices, their pile of seeds. We would wash the dishes there, staring them down, refusing to ever eat them. Yet they were always a part of my daily routine; there, on the windowsill, and later at coffee shops and cafes where we would carry in boxes of them, line them up and cut them into the thinnest circles. The red juices would leak down the sides of the slicer, seeds spilling carelessly over counters and floor. Several times I watched as someone got too close, fingers nicked by the blade, and there the blood and watery juice flowed together. It was impossible to discern between the reds, and we would throw them all out, scrubbing away the evidence. But somehow, here in my 30’s, a love for these ruby reds has developed. It started several years ago, after growing them in my backyard for canning. On a hot July day I bit into a freshly […]

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