Category Archives: Desserts & Treats

Jan’s Irish Whiskey Ginger Sauce

I had used alcohol in my mulled port tri-tip and brandied mushrooms, so Jan thought she would use Irish whisky in a sauce to pour over ice cream for dessert.

Jan’s Irish Whiskey Ginger Sauce

Jan’s Irish Whiskey Ginger Sauce

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Filed under California Fusion, Desserts & Treats, Sauces and Spices, Treats, Vegetarian

Karl’s Caramel Mandarin Micro Marmalade

I have been making marmalade the same way for years for a Christmas giveaway. I bought a  microplane zester that produced very fine bits of rind. Over time I have been experimenting with the recipe— no extra water, fine bits of zest and less and less sugar. This has produced an intensely flavorful marmalade.

Karl’s Caramel Mandarin Micro Marmalade

Karl’s Caramel Mandarin
Micro Marmalade

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Filed under Breakfast, California Fusion, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian

Karl’s Strawberry Jam

Adapted from an Ina Garten recipe

When I was a child my mother, Claudia, would make strawberry jam every strawberry season. With five kids and a tight budget, it was one more way to stretch a dollar—even then commercial jelly was expensive. Whenever she did this, she would also bake bread—the smell of fresh bread and jam would fill the house. We would all gather around anticipating the treat of hot jam on warm bread just out of the oven.

Karl’s Strawberry Jam

Karl’s Strawberry Jam

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Karl’s Sweet Lime Micro Marmalade

One of Jan’s friends has a sweet lime tree. She gave Jan 6 limes from her current crop. I decided that a small batch of marmalade was  the best way to preserve this bounty. I have learned over time that you can make marmalade out of any citrus fruit.

Karl’s Sweet Lime Micro Marmalade

Karl’s Sweet Lime Micro Marmalade

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Karl’s Micro Mandarin Marmalade

Every Christmas for more than the last decade I have made marmalade as a giveaway. A few years ago, I bought a  microplane zester that produced very fine bits of rind. I also stopped using any extra water, just the zest and juice of the oranges. This micro marmalade was an intense flavorful jam, but it did not make as much as the old way I had been using. This year I ended up giving away all of the marmalade I produced and we had none left for ourselves.

Karl’s Micro Mandarin Marmalade

Karl’s Micro Mandarin Marmalade

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Karl’s Ginger Lemon Curd

Adapted from a Fine Cooking recipe

My neighbor lemon bombed me again (~60 lemons), with a hint that he was looking forward to some more of my lemon curd. When I had processed the fruit I had 14+ cups of juice and zest. If I turned all of this into lemon curd it would get very expensive—19 cups of sugar, 15 sticks of butter and almost 5 dozen eggs, as well as all of the jars to put it in.

Karl’s Ginger Lemon Curd

Karl’s Ginger Lemon Curd

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Karl’s Bartlett Pear Butter

Several weeks ago, I make a roasted chicken using some pear jam that my wife had been given. This was not your standard jelly or thick jam, but a clear jelly mixed with translucent pieces of fruit. I thought that some people might need a substitute for this ingredient in my recipe, so I posted a quick substitute that I had not actually tried to make. I had thought, how hard would it be to make this?

Karl’s Bartlett Pear Butter

Karl’s Bartlett Pear Butter

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Jan’s Ginger Chocolate Mousse

For me Claudia’s Chocolate Mousse is the mousse by which all others are judged. It is however, not a health food. Jan has started to make it on anyone’s birthday. Jan spent years perfecting the techniques of making the mousse, but she got bored with making just “chocolate” mousse. She now make a different variation every time she make it.

Jan’s Ginger Chocolate Mousse

Jan’s Ginger Chocolate Mousse

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Filed under California Fusion, Desserts & Treats, Holidays, Treats, Vegetarian

Karl’s Cinnamon Sugar Monkey Bread

Every month, Jan and usually, my daughter, Miriam attend the monthly Ethno Breakfast. While many of the larger companies have discovered the usefulness of using Anthropologist to research what their customers need and want, they usually only hire one or two. This leaves these Ethnographers isolated from others who really “get” what they are talking about. The Ethno Breakfast gives them a chance to socialize and discuss problems and solutions—topics that do not really interest the company officers and computer engineers, with whom  they spend much of their days.

Karl's Cinnamon Sugar Monkey Bread

Karl’s Cinnamon Sugar Monkey Bread

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Filed under bread, Breakfast, Desserts & Treats, Side Dishes, Treats, Vegetarian

Karl’s Pumpkin Pie with Grand Marnier Whipped Cream

What is a Thanksgiving feast without pumpkin pie? Although I recently made a similar pie for Jan’s new brother, there is always room for improvement. I found real pumpkin for this one and I decided to stir in the crystallized ginger, instead if just sprinkling it on top.

Karl’s Pumpkin Pie with Grand Marnier Whipped Cream

Karl’s Pumpkin Pie
with Grand Marnier Whipped Cream

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Filed under Desserts & Treats, Holidays, Pies & Tarts, Vegetarian