Whiskey Orange Marmalade

Whiskey Orange Marmalade

Bread and jam always invokes memories of The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins.  Marmalade is one of the easiest jams to make and citrus fruits are ideal for making marmalade since they have abundant natural pectin.  The addition of whiskey is borrowed from an Australian friend of mine who is of Scottish heritage…makes perfect sense since the Scots are known for their fondness of whiskey…and adds another flavor dimension as well as preventing mold.  The whiskey is actually floated on top of the marmalade before sealing the jar.  Of-course you can leave out the whiskey or if you prefer the whiskey can be added to marmalade in the last 3 or 4 minutes of boiling. read more

Quick and Easy Focaccia

This truly is quick and easy focaccia you can make before dinner.   Just mix everything in the food processor, push it into a flat pan and proof it for 1 hour and bake.  No-kneading required!!  This is my kind of fresh bread.

Not only does this recipe make superb focaccia it makes the best bread sticks to go with soup or serve with a marinara sauce.  The variations of toppings are as numerous as pizza toppings.  You could even make this into a sweet version with cinnamon and sugar or jam.

Make an extra batch to freeze for last minute meals or when friends drop by.   The dry ingredients can be packaged with the recipe in a gift basket including your favorite homemade marinara sauce, pasta, wine and chocolate truffles or espresso beans.

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