Kumquat Lychee Preserves & Sweet Puffs

When I was a kid, I loved to go visit my Aunt and Uncle in Pensacola. They had the most wonderful plant in their backyard, a small kumquat tree. I had quite a fondness for kumquats and their tree was the perfect size for me to pick. My Aunt and Uncle weren't that fond of kumquats, so they let me have any ripe fruit on their tree when we were visiting. I loved the sweet tart flavor of the kumquats and the way they burst open in my mouth as I bit down on them.

You can imagine my joy, when I discovered the kumquats had come in season. They were piled in a lovely display at the entrance to Whole Foods. I grabbed several pints to bring home and began to day dream about all the fabulous foods I could make with them. Once they got home, my daughter asked if she could try my kumquats. Delighted, I sliced some up for her to try and warned her that they could have the same flavor as the yellow Sweet Tart candy. She popped one in her mouth and was smitten with their lovely sweetness followed by a hint of tanginess.

Before long, I was down to just a dozen of the beautiful little orange orbs. So, I didn't have enough for the kumquat preserves I had planned on making. Looking through my pantry, a can of lychee fruit caught my eye and I wondered how they would taste with kumquats. A few tasting experiments later and adding some slices of the last of my Clementines, I had the makings of a great recipe for preserves - kumquats, Clementines and lychees. It is a fabulous celebration of sweet and piquant fruit.

After making up the preserves, I began making some sweet puffs that I could fill. The first batch of puffs were literally devoured by my family. My daughter sat and opened each of her sweet puffs filled them with some homemade strawberry preserves. While I was cleaning up the kitchen, my preteen son slipped in and scooted out with the last of the sweet puffs clutched close to his chest. My husband sat in the kitchen laughing and told me I'd have to make more if there were going to be any for breakfast.

My sweet puffs recipe is a variation on the Master Pate a Choux recipe from Sherry Yard's The Secrets of Baking. I'm submitting my kumquat lychee preserves to Sugar High Friday, hosted this month by the lovely Tartelette.

Recipes

Kumquat Lychee Preserves

12 kumquats, peeled & seeded
2 clementines, peeled & seeded
1 20-oz can lychee fruit in syrup
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp monocalcium phosphate*
1/4 tsp pectin*
1 medium canning jar & lid, sterilized

Sterilizing Canning Jar(s)

1. Your canning jars need to be thoroughly cleaned before use. Run the jars through your dishwasher or wash and rinse them.

2. Place the jar(s) in a large pot of water, so that the jar is totally covered in water. Then bring the water to a boil. Boil gently for 10 minutes and then keep the jar(s) in the hot water until you are ready to fill them.

Making the Preserves

1. Chop the fruit into medium sized chunks. Then place the fruit and sugar into a food processor. Blend until all the chunks are broken up.

2. In a medium sauce pan, pour in the water and the monocalcium phosphate. Stir until the calcium dissolves.

3. Then sprinkle the pectin across the water and stir together. Break up any small clumps of pectin that remain.

4. Pour in the fruit and sugar mixture, then stir together. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Then cook for 20 minutes.

5. Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal.


Miniature Sweet Puffs

4 Tb chestnut flour
2 Tb sweet rice flour
2 Tb arrowroot starch
1 tsp chia seed meal
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cane sugar
2 tsp agave syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup almond milk
3 Tb vegetable shortening
2 large eggs, beaten
hot water for the steaming pan

Egg Wash

1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place one oven rack in the center of the oven and another rack on the lower under it. One the lower oven rack place a heat proof pan or bowl on it.

2. In a medium sized bowl, dump in the flours, chia seed meal, sugar and salt. Stir together, making sure the chia seed meal is thoroughly mixed with the flours.

3. In a medium sized sauce pan, pour in the water, almond milk, agave syrup and vegetable shortening. Bring to a boil. At the first sign of boiling, remove the sauce pan from the heat and dump in the flour mixture. Using a thick wooden spoon, stir the mixture. The dough will become thick and gloppy.

4. Return the sauce pan to the burner and place on medium heat. Stir for about 1 to 2 minutes to cook out the flour flavor.

5. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and using a hand mixer or the paddle attachment from a stand mixer. Mix on low speed making sure the mixture is 180 degrees Fahrenheit or a little less. Add one egg and continue to mix. Scrape down the sides as necessary until the egg is thoroughly incorporated with the dough. Add the second egg and repeat. At this point you can cover the dough and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

6. Transfer the dough to a piping bag using a number 1 tip. Pipe small mounds about 1 inch high and 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Then brush the dough with the egg mixture.

7. Place the cookie sheet into the oven and pour water into the heat proof pan or bowl. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Prop the oven door open slightly with the handle of a wooden spoon.

8. Remove from the oven and cool completely before serving. Makes 30 miniature sweet puffs.


Substitutions

1. You can substitute more clementines for the kumquats in the preserves recipe.

2. You can substitute 1/2 tsp xanthan or guar gum for the chia seed meal in the sweet puffs recipe.

3. You can substitute 1/2 cup gluten free flour blend for the various flours. If your flour blend has xanthan gum already added to it, then do not add an extra binder (chia seed meal, xanthan or guar gum).

* Monocalcium Phosphate & Pectin - I used Pomona's Universal Pectin. In the box from Pomona, you will find a packet of monocalcium phosphate and a packet of pectin. I purchased my box of Pomona's from Whole Foods. I found it on the baking aisle near the sugar and spices.

Cream Cheese Cookies

When I was a kid, my Mom always had homemade cookies or bars in the house for us to eat. My brother's favorite were her blondies, my Dad loved her pecan pie and I craved her peanut butter sauce pan cookies. Mom was always making sure that she rotated her baking so that each of us got something we loved to eat.

For Christmas, Mom would do her baking and always made sure that there was a pecan pie. So that Santa could have a piece of pie. My brother and I, thought Santa would prefer cookies. Mom said, she had it on good authority that Santa preferred pecan pie and a nice hot cup of coffee.

Sometimes she would make these delightful little treats called cream cheese cookies. Slightly crisp on the outside, they are soft and chewy on the inside. My husband thinks these are some of the best cookies he's ever eaten. So, converting her recipe into a gluten free version had become a necessity.

This gluten free version has the crisp exterior, soft interior and all the fabulous flavor of the original wheat version. When my husband realized I had made these cookies for him, he was thrilled. All he could do was smile and reach for a handful of cookies as he made his way to the kitchen table. My daughter thought they were really good, although my son isn't all that keen on the flavor of cream cheese. I thought they were fabulous. Thanks Mom for a terrific recipe.

Recipe

4 Tb vegetable shortening, softened
2 oz cream or Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cane sugar
3 Tb brown rice flour
3 Tb chestnut flour
2 Tb sweet rice flour
1 tsp chia seed meal
1/4 tsp + pinch cream of tartar
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 Tb chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cookie pan with parchment paper.

2. In a mixing bowl, dump in the butter and cream cheese. Cream on medium speed and then pour in the sugar. Continue to cream until the sugar is thoroughly incorporated. Then dump in the vanilla extract and continue beating.

3. In a small bowl, pour in the flours, chia seed meal, cream of tartar and baking soda. Stir together, making sure the chia seed is mixed into the flour very well.

4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and beating on low speed. When the flour is mixed thoroughly mixed with the cream cheese dump in the pecans. Continue to mix until the pecans spread through out the dough.

5. Drop by spoonfuls on the parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Makes 21 cookies.

Substitutions

1. You can substitute the Neufchatel cheese with cream cheese. You can also substitute all the cheese with Tofutti cream cheese.

2. You may substitute 1/2 tsp xanthan or guar gum for the chia seed meal.

3. You can substitute the millet flour or more brown rice flour for the chestnut flour.

Anasazi Almond Brownies

I cook with a variety of foods that I buy from Native Seeds. They are a nonprofit conservation organization based out of Tucson, Arizona. Their mission is to "...conserve, distribute and document the adapted and diverse varieties of agricultural seed, their wild relatives and the role these seeds play in cultures of the American Southwestern and northwest Mexico." * They are working to retain our crop biodiversity and cultural diversity of traditional foods of Native Americans and the Southwest.

They seek out traditional crops and collect their seeds for raising on their Conservation Farm. Then they collect the seeds to maintain in their Seed Bank and to sell in their retail store and catalog. Additionally, they have created a Gardener's Network from around the country to grow and evaluate the seeds in the Seed Bank.

In their store they sell the seeds they have collected from their Conservation Farm, foods, crafts, books, videos, soaps, salves, and cards. They have a wide variety of food offerings from the Southwest. My family's favorites are the different variety of beans, corn products, agave syrup, and various meals. A unique and recent addition to my kitchen is the Madrone Serving Spoon, carved by the Tarahumara Women's Cooperative in Cusarare, Chihuahua, Mexico. It is the perfect spoon for serving or working a large pot of beans.

This recipe uses the Anasazi beans, a beautiful maroon and cream fleck bean. It was originally collected from the 4 corners region of the US. They have a rich flavor and a creamy texture making them perfect for making brownies.

My family loved these brownies. They were moist and very flavorful. They didn't last long, which thoroughly disappointed my children. My son asked if I could buy some more chocolate so I could make these brownies again.

Recipe

1 cup cooked Anasazi beans, drained
3.5 ounce bar Green & Blacks Organic Dark 70%, melted
1/2 cup + 2 Tb cane sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup vegetable shortening, melted
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond meal
1 1/2 tsp chia seed meal
Optional: 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1. Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Dump the cooked beans into the food processor and process until smooth or in a large bowl dump in the beans and mash until the beans are a smooth paste. Pour in the melted chocolate, sugar and salt into the bowl and stir.

3. In a small bowl, dump in the almond meal and the chia seed meal. Stir together and work out any lumps you might have in your almond meal. Then pour this mixture into the bean mixture and stir.

4. Pour in the melted shortening and beaten eggs and stir. Using a spatula ease the brownie mixture into the pan and spread out evenly.

5. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing the brownies from the pan. Cut and serve. Makes 16 brownies.

Substitutions

1. You can substitute any mild flavor bean for the Anasazi beans in this recipe. You can use Bolita, Pinto, Tepary, Colorado, Moon beans.

2. If you cannot tolerate chocolate you could substitute it with 1/2 cup carob powder.

3. If you would like to use an alternative sweetener, substitute the cane sugar with 2/3 - 3/4 cup honey.

4. I used chia seed meal as my gluten free binder, you could substitute with 1/2 tsp xanthan or guar gum.

* Quote from the Native Seeds Website.

Disclosure: I am a Native American member of Native Seeds, supporting their conservation efforts.