I made some Apple Ginger Jam for next week’s Tigress’ Can Jam (here’s the jam recipe), and I started thinking of various things I can do with it. Well, besides spreading it on a toasted bagel. Here’s the first thing I thought of: Apple Cream Napoleons With Dulce De Leche. Sinful, ain’t they?

I can not tell a lie. I was inspired by this blog post by my friend Jim at Oxford Falls. I read that, and the inspiration light bulb went off over my head. Also, I was in the middle of making jam at the time.

Apple Cream Napoleons With Dulce De Leche
(makes 6)

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
4 oz. cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
4 Tbs. Apple Ginger Jam (or your favorite jam)
1 recipe dulce de leche (follows)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400º.

Thaw the puff pastry at room temperature for about 30 minutes. On a floured surface, gently unfold and roll it out to a square, roughly 13″ x 13″. Now, you’re not going to get a perfect square – who’s kidding who, here? – so take a knife or a bench scraper and square it off to 12″ x 12″. I really did use a measuring tape that I keep in a kitchen drawer just for the purpose. Seriously.

With the knife or bench scraper, cut 12 squares about 3″ x 3″ and place them on an ungreased baking sheet. I left mine puffy, but if you prefer your squares a bit flatter, dock them by poking them a few times with a fork. Brush each square with a bit of water and sprinkle with sugar of your choice (I used demerara). Bake for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool (which will take only a few minutes).

In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a spoon until fluffy. Add the jam and stir to combine. Spread this mixture on half of the puff pastry squares and top each with a plain square.

Serve as is, or drizzle (okay, I used a heavy drizzle) with warmed dulce de leche.

Dulce de leche is a rich milk caramel sauce, hugely popular in the Spanish-speaking world, and a flavor that’s becoming more and more popular here in the U.S. Heck, even the Girl Scouts have a dulce de leche cookie! The secret’s out and you can make your own at home. Spread it on your toast, spoon it over ice cream, drizzle it over fresh fruit or just about any plain dessert you want to make a little extra-special.

Making the dulce de leche is the easiest thing on the planet, but it does take a bit of advance planning, attention, and care.

Dulce De Leche

Ingredient:

1 or 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk

Preparation:

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Remove any labels and put the unopened can(s) of sweetened condensed milk in the pot of boiling water, reduce heat slightly so that the water continues to boil a bit less violently. Allow to boil for 2 hours, taking care to keep the water level over the tops of the cans at all times. Keep a kettle of hot water available to top off the pot when the water level drops.

Notice I said “when the water level drops.” It will. Check on the pot every 15 – 20 minutes and top off the pot when needed. Do not allow the pot to boil dry, as it’s possible that the can(s) could explode. I’ve never had it happen to me, but I’m paranoid. A little paranoia is never a bad thing.

Remove the can(s) from the water and allow to cool before handling. If not using right away, you should probably mark the contents on the can. I keep mine in the refrigerator, just to be on the safe side (see previous paragraph regarding “paranoia”). Once opened, you should transfer it to a sealable container and refrigerate. It’ll keep for months unopened, and weeks after opening… if it actually lasts that long!

When you want to use some, open a can of your now-dulce de leche, spoon some out into a microwave-safe bowl. It will be really thick. Microwave on high for 15 seconds, give it a stir, and microwave for another 10 seconds. Repeat if necessary to get the spreadable or drizzly consistency you need. It will set up once cooled, so save this step for the last moment before serving.

If you have Dulce De Leche on hand, you’ll never be at a loss for a last-minute dessert. And with the holidays approaching, expect the unexpected!

Any questions?

Dulce De Leche

This is the second in my Blueberry Series for Tigress’ Can Jam, and today I bring you Grand Marnier Blueberry Peach Sauce! Sounds delectable, doesn’t it?

Strawberry season is over for us in South Florida. In fact, the farmers markets and local vegetable/fruit stands all pretty much closed by the end of April. Remember, the bulk of our fresh and local produce comes in the winter and early-mid spring. With our growing season kind of topsy-turvy to most of the rest of the country, finding “local” produce is going to present a bit of a challenge for future Can Jams.

I mention this, because we in the South tend to think pretty much of the whole South as “local.” If it came from Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, or anywhere in Florida, well darlin’, that’s as good as our own backyard. Otherwise, we’d be pretty much fruit-less… at least until the mangoes come in. And our local mango season is running a bit late this year because of all the strange weather we had this winter. But I digress…

During the month of June, aside from the Florida blueberries, there is nothing quite like a Georgia peach. They just don’t come any sweeter and juicier – and they are coming into our markets right now. So, why not combine the two?

This dessert sauce is kind of a riff on, and adapted from, a hazelnut mango blueberry sauce I spotted in Small Batch Preserving by Topp and Howard. And I’d have made it with mangoes, too, except for the fact that, as I said earlier, the only mangoes available right now are those small, hard, stringy things from Mexico. Also? I don’t have any hazelnut liqueur.

But what I did have, were peaches. And mmm…. Grand Marnier. The result was something my husband said is so good, I could sell it. And it may come to that.

Grand Marnier Blueberry Peach Sauce
(makes about 6 half-pints)

Ingredients:

7-8 peaches
2 dry pints (approx. 4 cups) blueberries (washed and stemmed)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/4 cup Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur)

Preparation:

Cut an “X” through the skin of the bottom of each peach and drop them into a pot of boiling water. Allow them to blanch for 3 minutes, then remove them to a bowl of ice water for a minute. The skins should slip right off. Remove the pits and dice the peaches about the size of your blueberries. Slightly larger is okay.

Place all ingredients, except the liqueur, in a large, non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the fruit has softened and the liquid has thickened.

Add the liqueur and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Ladle into hot, sterilized jars, seal with new lids and rings (prepared appropriately), and process in a boiling water canner. Ten minutes for half-pints, 15 minutes for pints.

Remove from canner and allow to cool. Wait 24 hours and check your seals.

This sauce is fantastic served over cheesecake, pound cake, or ice cream. Here, I’ve served it over some One-Ingredient Banana “Ice Cream” (2 banana recipe, to which I added 1/2 tsp. vanilla and a tiny pinch of salt). The combination of the cold, creamy banana with the blueberries, peaches, and hint of liqueur, is like a match made in heaven!

Stay tuned for Blueberry Mojito Jam!

And did you see the Blueberry Marmalade?