Cooking With Amanda

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Bourbon Blackberry Jam Bars

Can I get a fist bump, thumbs, high five, or whatever your favorite hand emoji may be because spring is finally here! There's no real reason to complain that it took forever to get here, or that it was such a horrible winter, but I'm still excited for spring.

Fresh air, new blooms, longer days and of course all the produce. As soon as the sun starts shining and temperatures reaches above 50 degrees, us New Yorkers break free of the confines of our apartments and you'll see us everywhere making the most of spring in the city.

For me, that's hitting up the farmer's market or even going for long strolls through my neighborhood at different ethnic grocery stores for some cooking inspiration. Normally I'm all about asparagus, artichokes, ramps and rhubarb right now, but I couldn't keep my hands off some beautifully plump blackberries at my local produce stand.

It's far from berry season, but I guess the early spring weather got the best of me. I hope the excitement of the first berries popping up in the stores will get you too, because these bourbon blackberry jam bars are totally worth not waiting until summer.

This dessert couldn't be any easier. We start with a simple shortbread cookie crust and once it's baked you top it off with boozy, bourbon mixed blackberry jam and finally a layer of fresh blackberries. Everything goes back into the oven for a second round and wham, bam you're done. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool to dig in.

This dessert is no shrinking violet either, you get a nice bourbon punch with each berry-packed punch. Absolutely perfect for those spring park picnics or barbecues coming up soon.

Print Save

Bourbon Blackberry Jam Bars Recipe

Embed

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (8 tablespoons)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Filling:

1 cup blackberry jam
1 ounce bourbon
12 ounces fresh blackberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
confectioners sugar, for dusting

Directions

Heat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9x9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
In the bowl of your food processor combine the butter, sugar, flour and salt. Pulse 8-10 times until the dough resembles coarse sand.
Dump the dough into your prepared baking pan and press firmly into the pan and the corners creating an even layer.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges start to turn a light golden brown.
In a small bowl whisk together the blackberry jam and bourbon and top the crust with the jam.
Arrange the blackberries in a single layer on top of the jam and sprinkle the sugar on top.
Place back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely before removing from the pan.
Dust the top with confectioners' sugar and cut into 8 triangles.
The bars can be cut into smaller squares or triangles to serve a larger crowd if desired.
Bars are best served the day they are prepared.

via Food Fanatic http://ift.tt/1W1gDsD

Put the internet to work for you.

Turn off or edit this Recipe

Bruschetta Chicken Skillet

I am most definitely a balsamic lovin' gal. One of the best surprise gifts my hubby gave me last year was a bottle of GOOD balsamic vinegar. There was a local mac n cheese festival and competition last year. I couldn't go, because obviously there would be nothing gluten free.

So my husband went with his sister and stuffed his face with mac n cheese. When he came home he surprised me with a bottle of good aged balsamic vinegar he had bought from a vendor at the festival.

I pulled a loaf of gluten free bread out of the freezer and soaked it in the balsamic and it was amazing! So good that I almost forgot about all of the mac n cheese that I missed out on. (There was a blueberry cheesecake mac n cheese that won 1^st place, I still think about that one.)

The vinegar that my hubby bought me is pretty good, but a few months later I stumbled into a small tea shop that also sells syrupy aged vinegar and flavored olive oils. I used their fig balsamic in this bruschetta chicken skillet recipe and OMG is it good!

You can use a syrupy sweet aged balsamic vinegar or one that is not as thick. That being said, nothing is better than a syrupy aged balsamic. It is definitely worth the extra money for me.

Any who… I am a big fan of balsamic vinegar. Which is one of the reasons why I bug puffy heart this bruschetta chicken skillet. It makes an easy weeknight dinner AND it is naturally gluten and dairy free. I just love any excuse to drizzle balsamic vinegar all over things.

I love cooking in my cast iron skillet. It is perfect for "grilling" the chicken without using a grill. After your chicken is cooked through I sautéed onions and tomatoes in my cast iron skillet and then deglazed the pan with… you got it: balsamic vinegar.

Serve your bruschetta chicken with a salad or over pasta for a complete meal.

Print Save

Bruschetta Chicken Skillet Recipe

Embed

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken breasts, (use smaller breasts or cut 2 larger breasts in half lengthwise to butterfly them into 4 thinner breasts)
salt and pepper
2 roma tomatoes
1/2 red onion
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
good aged balsamic vinegar, to drizzle
fresh basil, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Generously salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle in approximately 2 tablespoons of olive oil and swirl to coat the pan, then place the chicken breasts in the hot pan pretty side down.
Cook until golden brown on the bottom (3-5 minutes) and then flip over and cook until cooked through (another 3-5 minutes) (chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F via an instant read thermometer.)
While the chicken is cooking, dice the red onion. Then cut the tomatoes in half, scoop out the seeds, and dice the tomatoes.
When the chicken is cooked removed the breast to a plate to rest. Add the red onion and another tablespoon of olive oil (if the pan is dry.)
Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the onion is softened and almost translucent. Add the diced tomatoes and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Add the balsamic vinegar to the skillet and stir to deglaze the pan and remove from heat.
Add the chicken back to the skillet, scooping the bruschetta topping onto the breasts.
Serve with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and fresh basil (optional.)