Make Whisky Fig Cranberry Sauce and Carrot Cake Jam

Hello, again! And again! There are certain things we do over and over, because, well, they are fantastic!

Today, we’re making our famous Whisky Fig Cranberry Sauce and Carrot Cake Jam to serve at the holidays and to give away as last minute gifts, you know, for the whozits and whatsits who show up at your door, and you’re like, “Wait a minute, sweeheart, I didn’t forget you, either!” You know the types, those, run-on-sentence happy people who just happen to catch you at a prime moment, i.e. when you are looking fabulous in your top hat. So, you’re so happy, then, so happy to smile right back at them!

Here are reprints of our fabulous recipes, all dolled up in recipe-box printable style for your safekeeping. Print a couple out and spill sauce all over them. Then, print them out again!

Print Recipe

Whiskey Fig Cranberry Sauce

For Grandma Geraldine

This recipe makes 1 1/4 pints. But it can easily be doubled or tripled.

Author: Roseanne Carrara, The Lunchbox Season

Ingredients

• 12 oz bag cranberries
• 1/4 c whiskey [We used Fireball Cinnamon Canadian Whisky, but any Whiskey will do!]
• 3/4 c apple cider [juice or water can be substituted here]
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup [50 g] diced dried apricots [OPTIONAL]
• 1 cup [8 oz] quartered fresh figs tips and tails removed, green or purple
• 1/2 lime, both zest and juice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 1/4 tsp cloves

Instructions

• Heat liquid, sugar and [optional] dried apricots in a pot and bring to a boil.
• Add the cranberries.
• [If your cranberries are frozen, wait a minute or two before continuing.]
• Add the quartered fresh figs and return to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium low.
• Add lime zest, lime juice, and spices.
• Boil on low, stirring frequently, until the sauce comes to an almost jam-like consistency.
• [This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.]
• Sauce may be canned using a boiling water bath, leaving 1/4-in headspace in jars and processing for 15 minutes.

Notes

If you would like to make this into a “compote,” add 1/4-1/2 c shredded sweetened coconut and/or 1/4 c sliced almonds per batch to your sauce before serving. Alternatively, you could use coconut and/or almonds as a garnish on the day of your gathering. This is going overboard, of course…..but we like to go overboard around the holidays.

Print Recipe

Carrot Cake Jam

Author: Roseanne Carrara, The Lunchbox Season

Ingredients

• 2 c finely shredded carrots [5 medium]
• 1 c finely chopped peeled apple
• 1 15 oz can crushed pineapple in juice
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 [1.75 oz] package of powdered pectin
• 4 c brown sugar
• 2 c white sugar
• 1/2-1 c flaked coconut
• 2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

• In a large pot, combine carrots, apple, pineapple in juice, lemon juice, and spices.
• Boil and stir constantly.
• Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring often.
• Remove the pot from the burner.
• Add pectin and stir until dissolved.
• Place the pot back on the stove.
• Bring the pot back to a boil and add the sugars.
• Bring the sugared mixture to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove the pot from the heat.
• Skim the foam.
• Stir in coconut and vanilla.
• Ladle jam into hot, sterilized jars, leaving .25 in headspace.
• Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

Notes

Adapted from from a Better Homes and Garden's Special Interest Publication, Canning

And, gifters, make sure that your cans look hot before you hand them out to your admirers! Check out these awesome printable labels from Lia Griffith at worldlabel.com that you can customize to your liking!

Merry Merry, Jingle Jingle and all that.

Please note, this not a sponsored post.