SOUTHERN FIG PRESERVES

My dad had 8 sisters (7 older and 1 younger ). One of them, my Aunt Jimmie Lou, is the one who taught me how to make these old-fashioned fig preserves. Now normally I am a cook who measures; however, not when making fig preserves. But I promise it’s easy, and you will be able to make them too. There are only two ingredients – figs and sugar!

• First rinse the figs in cool water, and remove all the stems, inspecting and discarding any that are mushy. Next, I soak the figs in my kitchen sink in cool water for about 30 minutes or so. I then drain them by giving them a final cool rinse in a colander.  
• Next, I get a large bowl, then I cut half of the figs in half and leave half of them whole and place them in the bowl. “Cut half in half and leave half whole.” How’s that for measuring? 🙂 This has proven to be the best texture we enjoy for the preserves. We like for some of them to remain whole.
• Now take a large stock pot and alternate a layer of sugar and a layer of figs. (Begin with a layer of sugar in the bottom of the pan, and end with a layer of sugar on top.)
• No matter what size stock pot or heavy pan you use to layer the figs and sugar, just generously cover the figs with a nice layer of sugar. Let me say here that I do not go overboard with the sugar because I like to taste the figs.
• Now put a lid on the stockpot and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The sugar will begin to dissolve and form the syrup you need to “cook down” for the preserves.
• The next morning, let the figs/sugar come to room temperature before you begin cooking them.
• Once the pot is not chilled from being in the fridge, bring the figs and dissolved sugar to a gentle boil, and and let them simmer on a medium heat for a good half hour. Then turn the temperature way down and let the mixture simmer LOW AND SLOW until the figs darken and the syrup thickens. I usually simmer them from 90 minutes to a couple of hours. Stir often so they don’t stick. This is a project you can’t just leave! One good test is to take a spoonful of the syrup and put it on a plate – tip the plate and if it is thick and doesn’t “run,” it’s the right consistency. A nice slow simmer for a couple of hours is good.  If you have a very large amount of figs, you may need to cook them longer – just do the “thickness” test and that is a good indicator.
  
• CANNING:  Bring your clean jars to a simmering boil in a large pot. Also put the bands and lids in a separate pot. Keep those HOT also by leaving them in a pot of simmering water also.
• Carefully ladle the HOT fig preserves into the HOT jars, leaving about ¼” of headspace.
• Put the lids and bands on – don’t screw the tops on too tightly – just finger tight so they can expand.
• Carefully lower the jars of hot figs back into a large stock pot of hot water, covering the jars by at least an inch of water. Process them, or “water bath” the jarred preserves for a good 10 minute rolling boil.
• After 10 minutes, carefully remove the hot jars with tongs and let them cool and seal on the kitchen countertop. I love to hear those popping sounds as the jars seal. One of life’s simple joys.

Get ready to make some homemade buttermilk biscuits. Generously butter them to enjoy with these delicious fig preserves. A Southern delicacy for sure. My biscuit recipe is also here on the blog!

Happy Preserve-Making & Canning ~ Gran Jan

PEACH COBBLER WITH RISING CRUST!

Peach Cobbler
(Use a 9″ x 13″ baking dish, or I actually prefer a 12″ cast-iron skillet)

INGREDIENTS (step by step pictures below)

FRUIT/SIMPLE SYRUP:
4 cups of fresh peaches, which is about 7 medium peaches
(*see note below for using canned peaches)

2 cups of water (I use 2 cups)
1 cup of sugar

 
CRUST:
1 1/2 sticks of butter (I use salted)
1 1/2 cups of White Lily self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups of white sugar
1 1/2 cups of whole milk

*First* thing (even though it is step #4):
Go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 degrees and put a stick and a half of butter in your baking dish (or cast-iron skillet) and slide in the oven to melt! It helps that delicious crust set up when the butter is good and hot in the dish!

FRUIT PREP: You will “cook/simmer” your fresh fruit (about 7 medium peaches, peeled, sliced, and pit removed) on the stove top by making a simple syrup with 2 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar to bring out the fruit’s natural juices! About 7 medium size fresh peaches, peeled and sliced is about 4 cups. This cobbler is juicy, not dry or cake-y. As my friend Sophie Hudson says, this is not a biscuit and fruit! 

 
*[May use two 16 oz. cans or one 29 oz. can of peaches in heavy syrup. Do not drain! If using canned peaches, skip to step 4.]

1.  Peel and slice peaches.

 

2.  Make a simple syrup by bringing 2 cups of water

and 1 cup of sugar to a nice simmer – not a hard boil.
Allow the sugar to dissolve.

 

 

3.  Add sliced peaches to the simple syrup and simmer 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
Set aside when done.

 

4.  Melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter in an 8×8 or a 9×13 baking dish.
Or my preference, a 12″ cast iron skillet.
Once the butter is melted, remove the dish from the oven.

 

5.  Using a wire whisk, mix WELL the 1 1/2 Cups of White Lily self-rising flour and 1 1/2 Cups of sugar, removing all the lumps.  Now stir in the 1 1/2 Cups of milk, once again stirring and whisking WELL so there are no lumps and it is smooth! Whisk until creamy!

 

6.  Pour this batter over the melted butter in your dish
or warm skillet and DO NOT STIR!

 

7.  Gently ladle in the peaches and the simple syrup you’ve
cooked them in, over the batter. You don’t have to use all the syrup, 
but you will regret it if you don’t! Trust me! This is a juicy cobbler, not dry!

ONCE AGAIN – DO NOT STIR!

 

8. Slide into pre-heated 350 degree oven.

 

9.  Bake 35-45 minutes (you know your oven) until cobbler

is golden brown and crust has risen through to the top!

 

Serve the cobbler while warm and

with a scoop (or three) of vanilla ice cream on top.

This happens!

 

 

My husband likes the cobbler to be buttery, so I will often melt a little butter
and brush it over the hot cobbler before serving.

A scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream makes it heavenly!

We love the Bluebell “Homemade Vanilla” flavor.

Gran Jan

CAST IRON SKILLET CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

Cast-Iron Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

I have made this delicious Cast-Iron Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie three times the past month or so for my family. I made one this afternoon. I discovered it was a favorite dessert of my daughter-in-law, Carrie. I will get the opportunity to send some home to her by my son, who just happens to be preaching at a men’s conference close by tonight. God is good! I love every opportunity to see my out-of-town family and to cook for them.

Here’s my recipe below – tweaked and tested!

Ingredients

• 2  1/2 sticks of melted butter (unsalted)
• 1  1/4 cups of dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup of white granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups White Lily all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional but not optional)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and then grease a skillet (I use a 12″ skillet) with either softened butter or vegetable shortening. 
2. Place the melted butter and both white and brown sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer. May also use a hand mixer! Mix butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until they’re light and fluffy. 
3. Now add the 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and mix again until combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients and blend at a lower speed. Mix it just until the flour disappears into the batter. Stop the mixer as soon as you get to this point so the cookie won’t be tough.
5. Add the chocolate chips and fold them in by hand. Give the sides and bottom of the bowl a good scrape to get all that delicious dough!
6. I greased my skillet with butter, then scraped the cookie dough into the pan and smoothed it out to an even layer.
7. Bake the skillet cookie at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, until it is golden, and the edges have nicely browned. I always look to see if it has started to pull away from the sides like in my picture. It is better to undercook a wee bit than overcook!
8. Let the skillet cookie cool for 20 minutes. Use a knife to cut it into wedges or squares like I did with this square skillet.
9. Serve with ice cream!

I just told my husband Gary I may order some small 6 1/2″ cast-iron skillets to make “personal skillet cookies.” He proceeded to ask me how we were going to remodel the kitchen with more cabinets because…well, he knows how much I love all things kitchen, and cast-iron.

I must share this…the secret ingredient! This ingredient is very, very special and no one can replicate this ingredient. My precious little sous chef, 7 year old granddaughter, Emery. (We made a skillet cookie a couple of weeks ago.) She is a wonderful helper in the kitchen, in the garden, in the sewing room, and well, anywhere! Gran Jan’s JOY for sure.

Best Secret Ingredient Ever!

God bless you all, Gran Jan

GRAN JAN'S BISCUITS

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS – Doubles easily!
(This makes about 10-12 medium sized biscuits.)
2 1/2 cups of White Lily self-rising flour
1 stick of frozen (or very very cold) butter (I use salted)
1 cup of WHOLE buttermilk, not lowfat!
1/2 stick of melted butter to brush biscuit tops when done

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a cast iron skillet or baking sheet pan w/Crisco. I prefer cast iron all the way!
3. Measure 2 1/2 cups of self-rising flour into a large bowl. Now, using a grater, grate the cold butter into 2 1/2 cups of self-rising flour. Use the bigger “side” of the grater, not the coarse grind side. Toss flour and butter together. 
4. Next, pour the 1 cup of buttermilk into the flour/butter and mix well. Using a spatula, stir about 15-17 times. Don’t overmix.
5. Now wash and dry your hands well and then “dust” your hands with more flour.
6. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and pat it all into a nice rectangle shape about the size of a piece of notebook paper, about 1/2″ thick. Fold the dough up and over so it’s in half, and then turn it clockwise, fold in half again, and turn again. Do this about 4-5 times. This creates all the layers in your biscuits.
7. Using a 2 1/2 to 3″ biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits. Refold the dough as needed. Place them on a greased cast iron skillet and bake at 450 degrees until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Brush the hot biscuits with melted butter.

   
   NOW FOR THE "PINCH-PAT-PLACE" HAND-ROLLED METHOD: 
   1.  With floured hands, pinch off some dough, enough to fit in your palm  (you’ll get the size down as you make more and more biscuits) and roll it by cupping your hands with your palms sufficiently floured. Don’t handle the dough too much – my Grandmother always told me the biscuits would be tough if you overwork the dough. Just a quick knead is all you need! You will get better each time you make biscuits.
   2.  Place the biscuits on the pan so they touch each other – this makes them softer. There’s a lesson here in staying close and working together! Amen!
   3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and serve.  
   
   I can make biscuits both ways – rolling out the dough and cutting them with a biscuit cutter, or as a pincher-patter-placer biscuit maker, which is how my Granny taught me. I prefer to roll the dough and cut the biscuits out with a biscuit cutter. I have a nice collection of biscuit cutters.
   
   EITHER WAY YOU CHOOSE: Always do the following:
   Accurately measure ingredients. Flour is measured by the “SPOON & LEVEL” method – spooning into a measuring cup and leveling off with a straight edge (like a butter knife). Sifting is not needed.
   
   Butter should be cold, very cold.  Cold enough to grate. I keep butter in the freezer all the time to be ready to make biscuits. 
   
   Always use whole buttermilk,  not low-fat! And the buttermilk should be very cold!
   
   Mixing the liquid ingredients into the dry ones can be done effectively with a fork or a spatula. Either way, just don’t overmix.
   
   If using a biscuit cutter, just cut straight down without twisting the cutter to ensure tall, straight biscuits.
   
   Place on a cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet 1-inch apart for crusty sides or touching for soft sides.

EASY TWO-INGREDIENT BISCUITS

These easy-peasy biscuits are perfect for beginners and pros alike! I promise you they are not “new,” but have surely been fun to share with others. I like to imagine a sweet woman sitting at a churn making butter…she was so tired, and knew she needed to get biscuits ready for supper. So she used the cream from her churning…and 2-ingredient bicuits were born! Well, it could have happened!

So…the heavy whipping cream takes the place of the buttermilk and butter in my tried-and-true buttermilk biscuits! This dough is a bit shaggy, but once you get it “dumped” onto a floured surface and flour your hands, you will see a beautiful dough emerge. Happy Baking!

GranJan

 

MORTON MEATLOAF

My tried and true recipe for MEATLOAF is a family favorite and really is delicious. I use a broiler pan to bake the meatloaf, and I believe it makes all the difference (fat drips out). [Be sure to spray both the top and bottom of the broiler pan with Pam for easy cleanup.] This is a great recipe that my youngest son Jonathan really likes.  His wife makes it for him now, and she’s a good cook. So sweet! This Southern woman knows it is especially good with side dishes of mashed potatoes, black-eyed peas and homemade biscuits. And steamed cabbage, yes that’s a favorite side of mine too. 

MORTON MEATLOAF
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs. ground beef 
• 3 eggs, beaten well
• 1 medium onion diced (I cook the onion BEFORE I mix it in w/the ground beef.) I do this by placing the diced onion and a splash of canola oil or olive oil in a bowl and heating in the microwave for 3 – 4 minutes
• ½ cup ketchup – or a tad more to preference, plus some extra to cover the top!
• 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, finely crushed (I put the crackers in a zip-loc bag and use my rolling pin to crush the crackers.)
• 1 package of Lipton onion soup mix
• Salt and pepper to taste

• PREPARATION:
• 1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2.  Use broiler pan and spray both top and bottom pieces with Pam.
• 3.  In large bowl: mix ground beef and beaten eggs then add microwaved onions and ketchup. Stir in crushed Ritz cracker crumbs, and then mix in the Lipton onion soup mix. Salt & pepper to taste.
  
• 4.  Mix all ingredients well and form into a rectangular loaf and place on the broiler pan.
• 5. Squirt 😊 ketchup over the top of the meatloaf.
• 6. Bake through for 1 full hour. I use a meat thermometer and make sure the internal temp is 160 degrees.
• Let the meatloaf sit/rest 5-10 minutes before slicing. I will sometimes return the meatloaf to a warm oven while I get the side dishes ready.
  Transfer to a serving platter before slicing.
• Happy Meatloaf Making!
  Gran Jan

JALEPENO CORNBREAD

I love cornbread and I love spicy food. So jalepeno cornbread is my favorite as I especially love jalepeno peppers. When I make this cornbread, I add in lots of chopped pickled jalepenos.  My recipe makes 12 muffins or a 10-12″ cast iron skillet of cornbread.

Gran Jan’s Jalapeño Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 2 beaten eggs
• ¼ Cup corn oil
• 1 Cup buttermilk
• 1  medium to large onion, diced
• 1 14.5 ounce can of creamed corn
• 2 Cups self-rising cornmeal – White Lily preferred
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (freshly grated)
• 4-5 Tablespoons of diced pickled or fresh jalapeños (or less or more)

Prepare:
1.  Mix eggs and oil together, whisking until well blended.
2.  Pour in buttermilk, add diced onion, and then fold in creamed corn.
3.  Next add cornmeal and stir well. 
4.  Lastly, add shredded cheese and diced jalapeños. 
5.  Bake in a 450 degree pre-heated oven for about 25-30 minutes. Batter will be thick. You won’t be able to “pour” it out into the skillet, but it should not be too thick. You can add a splash of buttermilk if it seems too thick. You will learn the right consistency in time.

BAKING OPTIONS: Use a muffin tin or a cast-iron skillet.

You may pour about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the batter into each tin of a greased muffin tin (makes 12), or use a  good old Southern cast-iron skillet two ways:

First and “easier/safer” is to grease your skillet with solid Crisco shortening and then sprinkle it with cormeal and scrape the batter from your mixing bowl into the cold skillet to bake, OR:

you can pre-heat your skillet with oil or shortening in the oven or on the stovetop until the oil is hot and “glistening.” When you scrape the cornbread batter into the skllet, it will sizzle and be so crunchy. Be so careful handling that hot skillet. I like to pre-heat my skillet on the stovetop so I only have to move it in and out of the oven one time! Skillets are heavy – be careful!

Jalepeno cornbread is so good with chili, soup, stew, or my favorite…a bowl of either pinto beans, great northern beans, or black-eyed peas!

I hope you make some soon!
GRAN JAN