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Life Lessons: Stop Burning the Jam!



Sometimes we don't learn from our mistakes the first time we make them. Or the second time...


One of the delights I chose to freeze for when the little one was born was a simple bag of berries. Handy for a quick snack, adding in to waffles, a topping for oatmeal--boom, almost-instant sweet goodness.


One day I decided to make my easy jam and get down on a bowl of oatmeal that needed some jam. The beauty of this dish is you basically leave it on the stove to thicken, I've made it dozens of times.


So I got it started and went to do something--I don't remember what but probably just stare at this most perfect being I just birthed, who knows.


Did I set an alarm to anticipate the doneness of my jam? No, not I. I've made it so many times it wasn't necessary. Had I ever made it with the distraction of insistent crying and constant diapers changes? No...


The awful smell of intensely burned fruit a half hour later quickly let me know my mistake. I had to throw away the pot, the bottom was so blackened (not my best pan obviously or I would've fought a little harder to make it usable again).


A couple days later, with a new shiny saucepan freshly bought from Target, I tackled the breakfast again (I really do eat this stuff all the time).



I checked on it several times, I swear. I ran between the nursery and the kitchen to give it a stir and, gosh, it only needed a few more minutes. But yes, you guessed it: the minutes stretched and I went on playing with my newborn without any other thought on my mind.


Yes, I had burnt it again.


Have a ever mentioned my wonderful husband? He has tirelessly scrubbed and boiled that pot with salt several times to work out the solid black layer of sticky sweet failure. And it is finally back to it’s shiny new state after several weeks of washings!


Moral of the story: set a damn timer if you walk away from the stove (or better yet, don't leave a hot burner unattended at all, safety first!).



My go-to jam is paired with savory rosemary for another layer of flavor and alongside Bacon Biscuits. It's true, everything is better with bacon, and that stands true with this sweet-n-savory breakfast pairing.


One of the sad truths about going dairy-free is you can taste the lack of fat. That may sound odd, but "buttery" is an adjective for a reason! So to counteract this shortcoming, adding bacon to a fluffy biscuit is necessary and delightful.


 

Serves 2 (7 Biscuits & 1/2c Jam)


For the Jam:

1 pint blackberries

2tbsp sugar

2tbsp water

2tsp cornstarch

1 sprig rosemary

For the Biscuits:

2-1/2c flour

2tbsp baking powder

1tsp salt

1/2c cold bacon grease, cubed

1c almond milk, less 1tbsp

1tbsp apple cider vinegar

2tbsp maple syrup

2 strips bacon, cooked, cooled, chopped


Start with the jam so it has time to cool. Combine all ingredients in small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high. Continue to boil 10-15 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat to allow further thickening. Take out rosemary sprig once cooled.


Preheat oven to 425 degrees and in food processor, pulse the first three ingredients. Pulse in the bacon grease until the consistency of breadcrumbs. Transfer to a medium sized bowl and stir in maple syrup, bacon and almond milk mixture until just combined. Dump out onto a floured surface and gently packed into a 1" thick rectangle. Fold like a letter: fold 1/3 onto the middle then cover with the other third and pat down to another 1" thick rectangle shape. Repeat two more times (three folds altogether).

Pat into a rectangle roughly 1" thick and use a 3in round biscuit cutter to cut your biscuit shapes. Be sure not to twist the biscuit cutter as that will ruin those wonderful layers you just made. Transfer biscuits to a greased 10 inch cast iron skillet, touching or not it is up to you. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until firm and lightly golden. Serve jam within delicious biscuits.

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