Soap, Soap, Soap

The weather put the kibosh on some of our plans last week, so Claire and I seized the moment to make a couple of batches of soap. 

This was a really fun one.   We tried three new things:


1. A new recipe using  a lot of rice bran oil.
2. Coloring using alkanet.
3. Coloring using charcoal.

Rice bran oil makes great soap.   I highly recommend it.   I love this soap.  We mixed it with coconut oil, canola oil, olive oil and veg shortening.   The canola oil really slows the trace, which was lucky in this case, because we divided the batch.  We finished the pink stuff first, and then decided to add the charcoal to the rest.  And then we decided to add more charcoal, so that stuff almost seized before we got it into the mold.  It turned out really pretty though and it smells fabulous.

To use alkanet to color, we had earlier put a tablespoon of dried alkanet into a pint jar of canola oil.   It colors the oil a deep dark red.    The red turns to a medium blue during the mixing.   The blue turned to light pink during the drying.   Interesting. 

Charcoal is easy to use.  We bought ours ground from Brambleberry.com.   Started with 1/2 tablespoon and wanted it darker, so we added more.    It would probably have been better if we had stirred it in by hand instead of using the stick blender.   Things go really fast with the blender. 

Raspberry Jam White Chocolate Almond Bars

It's a ridiculously long name for these bar cookies but when you taste them, they will Knock. Your. Socks. Off.  These are my favorite holiday cookie and one of my favorite Things To Do with a Jar of Jam.

This year Lily wanted them for her birthday cake.   Her birthday [which was on the 23rd] is the official kick-off of our holidays.  Our holiday baking starts that day and goes through New Year's Day, which is why I'm posting so many recipes lately.  

I hope you can find a moment to make even a half batch of these.   You'll love them. 

I used some of my own black raspberry jam for these.   You could substitute out a different kind if you like.   I was thinking about how good it would be with cherry jam.  Or apricot jam.  Or a chunky apple jam.   Mmmmm.  [Or marmalade...?]


Raspberry Jam White Chocolate Almond Bars
www.rurification.com

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
2 eggs
1 pint red or black raspberry jam [Or cherry jam, or apricot, or chunky apple jam.]
1 cup white chocolate chips [vanilla chips]
4 oz slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine sugar, butter, salt and vanilla.  Cream together.   Add flour one cup at a time and beat until crumbly.   Remove 1 cup of this mixture and set aside.   Add eggs, one at a time to the rest of the mixture and beat well into a dough.   Press the dough evenly into a 13 x 9 pan.   Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.   Remove from oven.

Spread jam evenly over hot crust.  Sprinkle white chocolate chips evenly over the jam.  Sprinkle the almonds evenly on top.    Evenly crumble the rest of the crust mix that you had set aside on top of everything.   Return to oven and bake for another 25 minutes until lightly golden.  Cool completely, then cut into bars. 

Eric's Jam Bars

Every jam-maker has a few batches of jam that just never quite set up the way they're supposed to.   Runny jam is a reality that we all have to deal with now and again.  

Eric loves runny jam.   It's usually thicker than syrup and he considers it much easier to bake with than regular jam.   Plus, it's easier to use on waffles with yogurt.  Plus it's good without the waffles on yogurt.   Or ice cream.

And all sorts of other things.

Like this riff on Lemon Bars.   Only they're not Lemon Bars, they're Elaeagnus Orange Ginger Marmalade Bars.  Because that jam never quite firmed up all the way.   A perfect chance to experiment with some new recipes!   And these are amazing. They disappeared fast!

Eric's Jam Squares:  Elaeagnus Orange Ginger Marmalade Bars
www.rurification.com

Crust:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened 
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1  cup all-purpose flour 

 Filling

• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pint jam  [or 2 jars, 8 oz. each]

 Preheat the oven to 350.

Mix the butter, sugar and flour well.   Eric used a food processor.   Press the crust into the bottom of a 9x9 square pan.  Bake empty crust until golden - 15 minutes or so.

While the crust is in the oven, beat the eggs, flour and jam together well.   When the crust is done, pour the filling in and bake for an additional 20 - 25  minutes.  Keep an eye on it; you don't want it to brown.  

Remove from oven and cool completely.   Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Want the recipe for the Elaeagnus Orange Ginger Marmalade and a whole lot of other terrific jam recipes?   Check out my ebook:  A Simple Jar of Jam  at www.rurification.etsy.com.   You can preview the book by clicking the link on the sidebar.