It's still snowing here with no end in sight until Monday. Certainly is beautiful!
My DIL took some amazing pictures of birds in our back yard. The Chickadee seemed not too afraid and the Hummingbird, all puffed up to keep warm, was not about to use needless energy just because a person was a few feet away with a camera.
We enjoy hot pepper jelly and I thought I'd look up some recipes on-line then make my own version. I didn't want to make more than a jar of each before I even knew how it would turn out. The jar on the left is a basic mixture of vinegar, sugar, sweet peppers and also hot ones. I used Bird's Eye peppers that I got at the East Indian market ( these peppers apparently are widely grown in India). They are hotter than Jalapenos and I had to guess how many to put in for a small batch ( I used 4)
The jar on the right called for Pineapple and hot peppers in it...nothing else ( altho' I did add a bit of sugar and some of the juice in the can).. So far I have only one vote for that one so I doubt I'll do more of it.
I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine. It's a Fudge-topped Shortbread....it's in the middle of the page here. It's a basic shortbread base onto which you pour a basic Condensed milk and chocolate chip fudge. Very simple to do and I think mine turned out fine. One thing I did change is that I used an 8X12 pan instead of the 9X13 called for. Not too sure how they managed to cover theirs with what the recipe called for. I find that is a common problem in recipes with pictures. The finished product looks nice and thick but when you make it at home it's way too skimpy.
Here's mine before I chilled it enough to be able to cut it up and put it in the freezer....in my impatience I did try to lift it out too soon and it wrinkled a bit, as you can see.
This has turned out to be rather a long post.
Thanks for coming by.
Granny Marigold
Great bird photos! It looks so strange to see a hummingbird against snow.
ReplyDeleteI imagine your hot pepper jelly is very good. Your fudge topped shortbread looks delicious!
Take care and stay warm!
I envy you the snow! We are supposed to get 3-5 inches on Monday, but around here that forecast could change within the hour!
ReplyDeleteHi GM! Enjoy that snow!
ReplyDeletePlease pass the chocolate topped shortbread.
So you are still getting more snow! After our dump of 30 cm of snow, everything looks more like Christmas but the temperatures are frigid. It's -24C right now. Our hummingbirds are long gone south where I wish I was too, lol. I make hot pepper jelly too and I add a habanero in with the jalapenos to give it more zing. I love the combination of sweet and heat. Fantastic with cream cheese on crackers. Keep warm and dry and stay off icy walkways!
ReplyDeleteEllabie
I was reading that the Bird's Eye pepper measures around 100,000-225,000 units on the Scoville scale which is at the lower end of the range for the habanero bit still much spicier than a jalapeno.The only reason I used the Bird's Eye is because its so available around here in Fall.
DeleteWonderful photos of your birds and what a cute helper you have:)
ReplyDeleteOur snow is all gone now and it actually warmed up to 43 today!
ReplyDeleteThe bird photos are wonderful!
I make a hot pepper jelly, but just use sweet peppers and a pretty hot chili powder, not actual hot peppers. That way I don't have to worry about the juices from the hot peppers ending up where they shouldn't. That is a lot of work you went to just to make those two tiny little jars! Quite the weather we are having, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYes, the weather is way too wintery for my liking. Can't even get out for a walk since the paths in the park are not cleared.
DeleteI don't see it as work when I experiment with recipes. If I had to make stuff in the quantities that you have to I'd feel very differently I'm sure.
Sweet little birds. Sounds like you are keeping busy. Anything with vinegar in is a no no for me, so the hot pepper jelly (never heard of it before) wouldn't be something I like. How do you eat it? With something?
ReplyDeleteThe hot pepper jelly is usually served with crackers and cream cheese but I don't care for crackers so I make my own long thin "baguettes" and slice them thinly instead. Some jellies are actually quite sweet but if you make your own you obviously can control the sweetness and the heat.
DeleteThat shortbread looks wonderful. Care to pass on that recipe? Condensed milk was on sale at 2/$4.00 so of course being the "frugal" person that I am, I bought 8. So now I'm looking for recipes calling for condensed milk. Chris
ReplyDeleteThe shortbread recipe is the basic 3 ingredient one....a cup of butter ( quite softened), half cup sugar or icing sugar and 2 cups flour. ( I, of course, have to fool around with any recipe and substituted some cornstarch for part of the flour). After its mixed together you pat it into an 8X12 parchment lined pan and bake at 325F until the edges are golden. The fudge is also the basic can of condensed milk warmed to melt 2 cups of chocolate chips. You know how I like very simple recipes and this is definitely one. If you try it let me know if you liked it.
DeleteThe best hot pepper jelly I've ever tried is the Hot Jalapenos Peach my sister makes. She keeps us supplied most of the time. :) Seems to me like everything you make turns out beautiful and perfect.
ReplyDeleteOh Henny Penny! My stuff doesn't turn out any better than yours I'm sure. My DH will eat anything so I fool around with recipes and often they either look or taste strange but usually it's edible. If not I have a Lab that will gladly eat any "failures".
DeleteThe fudge-topped shortbread looks delicious, and you are very adventurous with the hot pepper jellies!
ReplyDeleteDo the hummers stay around all winter?
At first only one species of Hummingbirds would stick around ( that was the Anna's) but now we also have some Rufous that we see as well. I do wonder why because they rely totally on the feeders people hang out!
DeleteI hope to be able to try the fudge-topped shortbread on Boxing Day! Yum!
ReplyDelete- Sheila
Chocolate and shortbread sounds like a winning combination in my book. Yum!
ReplyDeleteLove the photos of the puffed up birdies. I can't believe you still have hummers visiting. How fun.