Blueberry Jam

http://community.jeroxie.com/groups/cookbook-challenge/

The current Cookbook Challenge theme is Blue. I'm absolutely obsessed with blueberries, so of course I chose a blueberry recipe. They're not quite in season yet (I think that happens next month) so fresh blueberries are really expensive right now, so I found this recipe that works well with fresh or frozen berries. It's from the July 2004 issue of Cooking Light (yes, magazines are allowed in the Cookbook Challenge!), which I recently got at a library that seemed to be getting rid of all of their old issues of the magazine. How could I not take home this issue with a cover photo like this one?

The recipe is originally from the Wildflower Inn in Searsport, Maine.

Note: This jam is stored in the refrigerator, so you don't need to can it!

5 cups fresh or frozen, thawed, blueberries

5 1/4 cups sugar

2/3 cup fresh orange juice (about 3 oranges)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1 (6-ounce) package liquid fruit pectin (such as CERTO)

Place the blueberries in a large saucepan, and crush with a potato masher.

Add sugar, juices, and salt; stir well to combine.

Let blueberry mixture stand for 30 minutes.

Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add pectin, stirring until well-blended.

Pour jam into jars or air-tight containers.

Cool completely; cover and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks. Yield: 7 cups.

 My jam didn't thicken very well, so I guess I did something wrong, but I'm not sure what. It's really good, though, and I especially enjoyed whipping it together with some mascarpone cheese and filling crepes with the mixture. I plan to make some lemon ice cream soon, and I think it will make a very good topping!

Savory Biscotti

http://community.jeroxie.com/groups/cookbook-challenge/

I'm posting this a day late, but the last Cookbook Challenge theme was Crunchy. This one wasn't quite as easy as you would expect! It's hard to find a recipe in a cookbook based on the crunchiness, because they certainly don't list anything in the index under "Crunchy". So I had to think of food that was definitely crunchy, and I remembered this recipe I had seen in the Best of Weight Watchers Magazine cookbook for savory biscotti. They didn't turn out quite as crunchy as I thought they would, but they were yummy!

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1/2 tsp curry powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 egg whites

1 large egg

Note 1: I'm assuming that because this is a Weight Watchers recipe, they replaced 1 egg with 2 egg whites to save calories. So you don't need to use 2 egg whites and 1 egg if it's too much trouble, you can just use 2 whole eggs.

Note 2: Three cloves of garlic may seem like a lot, but the fennel balances it out!

Note 3 (from the cookbook): To crush the fennel seeds, place them on a piece of wax paper, fold over some of the paper to cover, and then press down with a rolling pin.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Stir the oil, butter, garlic, fennel seeds, and curry powder in a medium microwavable bowl. Microwave on High until aromatic, 10-35 seconds. Let cool.

Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl.

Whisk the egg whites and egg into the butter mixture; stir into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until a stiff dough forms.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into two 12-inch logs and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

 Bake until light golden and firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely. With a serrated knife, slice the logs on a slight angle 1/4-inch thick.

 Arrange the slices flat on the baking sheet. Bake 5-6 minutes, turn, and bake until light golden on both sides, 5-6 minutes more.