Good Morning, Glamour Canners! Are you ready to get your Glam On?

Last week, we talked a little about strawberries and made some jam. This week, lets make a few things from the jam, and use up those leftover berries.

I spent the week trying to find any excuse to make toast, or pancakes just so I could sample some of our freshly made jam. I even stirred it into my yogurt for breakfast.

Q: What could be better than using our left over strawberries to make sweet, refreshing, Popsicles?

A: Using our leftover strawberries to make sweet, refreshing, Popsicles dipped in milk chocolate!

So, do you have your pearls on? Your glittery-gold and diamond jewelry? How about your pink or red nail polish and matching lipstick? Perfect! Let’s begin!

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Popsicles

2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries

1/4 cup coconut (or regular) sugar

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 TBSP coconut (or regular) vegetable oil

Blend the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in your blender until smooth. Pour into your Popsicle molds and freeze until solid. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and the oil together until melted. (30 to 60 seconds)  Mix together until completely smooth. Run the Popsicle mold under warm water to release the treats more easily, and one at a time spoon melted chocolate over each Popsicle. Return to a plate and store in the freezer. Yummy! You may also add crushed walnuts, coconut, or chocolate sprinkles immediately after spooning on chocolate for a more elegant, glamorous treat . Makes 8

 

 

Strawberry Fruit Roll-ups

Using the same recipe as the Strawberry Popsicles excepting  the chocolate chips and coconut oil, pour the berry mixture into a jelly-roll pan lined with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 180 degrees or the lowest heat setting your oven has. Bake 4-6 hours until dry when touched. When cool, roll from the long side into a log, and cut into eight slices. Store in an air-tight container. Makes eight.

 

Strawberry/lemonade Jam-Thumbprint Cookies

2 cubes butter

2/3 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

2 1/4 cups flour

2 TBSP lemon zest

1/3 cup strawberry jam

Cream the butter and sugar together. When fluffy, add the salt, egg, flour and lemon zest. Mix until combined well. Spoon onto cookie sheet using a teaspoon, or a small cookie scoop. Press down on each one lightly with your thumb or finger to make an indent. Fill each indent with a small amount of jam. Bake in 350 degree oven for ten minutes. Dusting with powered sugar when cool will make the cookies fit for any afternoon tea with the queen. ( Dust the cookies with the powdered sugar, not yourself.) Makes 36

 

 

Strawberry Jam Pop-Tarts

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup butter, cubed

1 tsp salt

1 TBSP sugar

Ice water

1/2 cup strawberry jam

For the tart crust: Mix flour, salt and sugar with the cubed butter. Use a pastry blender or two forks to cut butter into the flour mixture. Add enough ice water to allow the dough to stick together, incorporating the crumbs on the bottom of the bowl, but not too wet; about 1/2 cup, maybe a bit more.                                                             

Divide the dough into two balls. Cover with plastic wrap and chill an hour to make the dough easier to work with.

Roll each half into a an 11″x18″.  Measure out 10″x16″ and cut with a ruler to make a nice even rectangle.

Cut this in half the long way, so you have two 5’x16′” pieces, then cut each half into fourths, creating 8, 5″x4″ rectangles.

Repeat with second ball of dough to create eight more 5″x4″ pieces. You now have 8 tops and 8 bottoms for the pop-tarts.

Put 8 pieces on a large cookie sheet. Spread about 1 TBSP strawberry jam on each piece, not quite reaching the edges.

Top with 8 tops. Crimp the entire way around with a small fork. Poke five holes in each one with a toothpick and bake in 350 degree

oven for about 30 minutes, until lightly toasty brown. Eat them plain, or mix 2 TBSP strawberry jam with 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp

milk to create a thin frosting. Frost each one and sprinkle with colored sprinkles.

 

Next week: Let’s get our Glam On with more summer fruit. Raspberries? Blueberries? Gorgeous, delicious, berries, warmed by the sun and kissed by the gentle winds.

Until next week,  “Keep the Glamour Going”.

Cindi

 

 

July marks the anniversary of my mom going to heaven. Although I seem to think of her most often during this month, I carry her memory with me always.     

She taught me to dream, she taught me to laugh. She was elegant, poised, funny and real. She was beautiful, gifted, and gracious.

  To Mom, to Grammy; you will always be missed, you will always be remembered.