Lindsay Landis – Page 2

Classic Strawberry Jam, 3 Ways (Old Fashioned, Regular Pectin, and Low-Sugar Pectin)

Homemade strawberry jam is perfect in its simplicity, bright and sweet and bursting with strawberry flavor, no matter if you water-bath process it for shelf stable storage, refrigerate or freeze it, or eat it straight out of the jar with a spoon. This post is jam-packed (pun intended) with all the info you need to […]

The post Classic Strawberry Jam, 3 Ways (Old Fashioned, Regular Pectin, and Low-Sugar Pectin) first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

This post is jam-packed (pun intended) with all the info you need to make your perfect strawberry jam, comparing the different types of pectins and the pros and cons of each with recipes, as well a recipe for a traditional, old-fashioned jam with no added pectin.

Classic Strawberry Jam in an open glass jar with a spoon to show texture, with more jars of jam and fresh strawberries in the background.

Welcome to my treatise on strawberry jam, my jamifesto if you will.

The fact I managed to write over 4,500 words (!!) about strawberry jam should tell you just how passionate I am on the subject (at this point I’ve accepted that my personality is just… jam. Case in point, this purse that I picked up last week that is just TOO perfect 😍😍😍… how did Kate know I spent the entire weekend before making batch after batch of strawberry jam??)

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know I’m not one to make “plain” anything. Plain chocolate cake? How about a red wine chocolate cake instead? Plain chocolate chip cookies? Stuff ’em with ganache.

And plain strawberry jam? The fact that I’ve got a dozen unique strawberry jam recipes with flavorful additions, interesting infusions and clever combinations like strawberry limoncello, strawberry hibiscus, and guava strawberry jam to name a few, and even more in my cookbook, should tell you something about my personal feelings on ‘plain’ or boring jam flavors.

Overhead, marble background with lots of scattered fresh strawberries and three open jars of different kinds of strawberry jam.

So why am I here posting a recipe for plain ol’ strawberry jam?

Well, I figure it’d be a good opportunity to wax poetic about jam in general and just what you can expect from different styles of jam and brands of pectin. These lessons can be applied to any kind of jam, not just strawberry but other kinds of fruits as well.

(Psst! Don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom of this post to download these adorable printable jar labels, absolutely free!)

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Guava Strawberry Jam

Strawberry and guava come together in one fruit-packed preserve that’s bright, fruity, and vibrant, with a perfect amount of sugar and plenty of acid to make the flavors pop. The unique pairing of strawberry and guava makes for a truly memorable jam, whether you can it in a water bath for shelf-stable storage, or store […]

The post Guava Strawberry Jam first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Strawberry and guava come together in one fruit-packed preserve that’s bright, fruity, and vibrant, with a perfect amount of sugar and plenty of acid to make the flavors pop.

The unique pairing of strawberry and guava makes for a truly memorable jam, whether you can it in a water bath for shelf-stable storage, or store it in the fridge or freezer for short term satisfaction (or, you know, eat it by the spoonful straight out of the pot).

Jars of Guava Strawberry Jam on a marble background with fresh strawberries and whole and cut pink guavas scattered around.

Multi-fruit jams are… well, my jam.

Single fruit jams are just so… boring. If you know me, you know I love unique flavor combinations, especially when it comes to my jam recipes. Whether it is the addition of an unexpected flavor, like hibiscus or vanilla bean, basil or even chocolate, a splash of something boozy like limoncello, bourbon or gin, or a hint of heat from habanero or jalapeño.

But more than anything I love mixing fruits and flavors into unexpected fruit combinations. Like mango and raspberry, peach and passionfruit, or blackberry and apple.

But listen, this strawberry and guava jam might just be my favorite fruity combination yet.

Pink guavas have a sweet, musky fragrance with tropical notes of papaya, melon, strawberry and ripe pear… and even a little bit of bubblegum if we’re being honest. Paired with the bright berry flavor of the strawberry the combination is almost candy-like, sweet and bright with the perfect amount of acidity to balance out the sweetness.

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Strawberry Crunch Sheet Cake with Buttermilk Frosting

This pretty in pink sheet cake tastes like pure nostalgia, with a moist and tender strawberry cake, tangy buttermilk frosting, and a generous sprinkle of crunchy strawberry shortcake crumbs that add the perfect sweet and salty finishing touch. Inspired by an ice cream truck classic, this strawberry crunch sheet cake combines all the elements you […]

The post Strawberry Crunch Sheet Cake with Buttermilk Frosting first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Inspired by an ice cream truck classic, this strawberry crunch sheet cake combines all the elements you love about the frozen treat in sheet cake form: a tender strawberry buttermilk cake topped with a cloud-like buttermilk frosting and a scratch-made strawberry crunch topping.

Strawberry Crunch Sheet Cake with Buttermilk Frosting cut into serving squares, on a piece of parchment with messy crumbs, cake server, and a bowl of more crumbs and frosting in the background.

There are few things more nostalgic than the ice cream truck, the tinkling sound of the melodic jingle that starts softly at first but gets louder as the anticipation grows. I strongly recall the breathless feeling of frantically running around the house scooping up the loose change from the couch cushions and bolting out the door before it passes you by.

The sound (and taste) of the ice cream truck is a particularly strong childhood memory for me, maybe because we grew up in an area that ice cream trucks did not frequent, so my only experiences with them were when we were visiting our grandparents in Los Angeles, making it an extra special experience.

The ice cream truck felt like a carnival on wheels, but for your tastebuds.

And of all the classic ice cream truck treats, the strawberry shortcake crunch bars are certainly one of the most memorable flavors, with a core of bold strawberry surrounded by creamy vanilla ice cream and an outer coating of crunchy strawberry shortcake crumbs. I’m usually a chocolate girl through and through, but something about that combo of creamy and crunchy, vanilla and fruit hit all the right notes.

This recipe is inspired by that nostalgic ice cream treat, with all the same flavors and textures, reimagined in a party-ready sheet cake.

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Strawberry Shortcake Crunch Topping (from Scratch)

With a crunchy texture and a bright strawberry flavor from freeze-dried strawberries, this strawberry crunch topping is as versatile and delicious and a cinch to prepare, not to mention entirely scratch-made! This crunchy strawberry shortcake crumb is made entirely from scratch with no strawberry gelatin mix and no pre-packaged cookies. And yet despite its homemade […]

The post Strawberry Shortcake Crunch Topping (from Scratch) first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

This crunchy strawberry shortcake crumb is made entirely from scratch with no strawberry gelatin mix and no pre-packaged cookies. And yet despite its homemade nature, it comes together in under an hour (and most of that time is chilling and baking).

Glass bowl of Strawberry Shortcake Crunch Topping on a marble background, with a few crumbs scattered alongside the bowl.

When developing my recipe for a strawberry sheet cake inspired by the classic ice cream treat from my childhood, I set about creating a crunchy strawberry shortcake crumb mixture—entirely from scratch.

A quick search for ‘strawberry crunch’ brings up dozens of recipes for this nostalgic topping, but almost all of them use either strawberry gelatin dessert mix and/or crushed up golden Oreo cookies (or both) to achieve the bright strawberry flavor and crunchy texture. And I really didn’t want to use either of those things.

So I set about creating my own version entirely from scratch.

I started with a milk bar-style shortbread crumb, made with flour, sugar, and melted butter, and some cornstarch and dry milk powder for added tenderness and dairy richness. It took me a few tries to get the balance right, as I wanted something that came out perfectly crunchy but wasn’t dry (my first attempt tasted too much like flour so I had to dial it back a bit).

Adding a bit of baking powder gives the crumb just a tiny bit of rise, resulting in softer shapes and a more cohesive, crunchy yet tender texture (it’s the kind of delicate crunch that almost melts in your mouth as opposed to the hard, tooth-breaking kind.)

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Candied Orange Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Swirl (Crema del Doge)

This sweet and creamy custard-based ice cream is flavored with candied orange syrup and features a swirl of rich and chewy chocolate fudge and bits of candied orange peel studded throughout. Inspired by a particularly memorable cone of gelato from our travels, Crema del Doge is a flavor fit for a king: sweet cream with […]

The post Candied Orange Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Swirl (Crema del Doge) first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

This sweet and creamy custard-based ice cream is flavored with candied orange syrup and features a swirl of rich and chewy chocolate fudge and bits of candied orange peel studded throughout.

Inspired by a particularly memorable cone of gelato from our travels, Crema del Doge is a flavor fit for a king: sweet cream with a hint of orange, with swirls of dark chocolate fudge and bits of bright candied orange peel mixed right in.

One round scoop sitting in a silver pan with Candied Orange Ice Cream with Chocolate Fudge Swirl, ice cream scoop on the side.

Sometimes, a single delicious bite from a trip is so memorable that you’re still thinking about it 7 years later.

This is one of those bites.

Ok, so we had quite a few memorable bites on our trip to Venice back in 2017, including a decadent pistachio cream and the always satisfying straciatella, but it was a mind-blowing scoop of chocolate-and-orange deliciousness dubbed Crema del Doge that embedded itself in my mind and refused to leave.

Crema del Doge is the signature flavor of Gelateria il Doge in Venice, Italy. (The Doge was the highest ranking leader in Venice from about the 7th to 18th centuries… so this gelato is fit for royalty, wouldn’t you agree?) If you ever find yourself in the Floating City, I highly recommend seeking out this particular gelateria as you won’t be disappointed (SuSo is the other one that’s an absolute must).

This particular flavor flavor features a sweet cream gelato base with a swirl of chocolate fudge and bits of candied orange peel, making for a lovely chocolate and orange combination that’s darn near perfection. It was one of those moments where I knew, shortly after taking that first lick, that this was a flavor I needed to recreate at home.

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Candied Orange Peel in Syrup

Bitter and sweet, fruity and chewy, candied orange peel is one of citrus season’s under-appreciated treats. Whether spooned over ice cream, garnishing a fancy cocktail or mocktail, drizzled over pancakes, or chopped and mixed into cookies or scones, they are as versatile as they are delicious. Pieces of tender, chewy candied orange rind swimming in […]

The post Candied Orange Peel in Syrup first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Bitter and sweet, fruity and chewy, candied orange peel is one of citrus season’s under-appreciated treats. Whether spooned over ice cream, garnishing a fancy cocktail or mocktail, drizzled over pancakes, or chopped and mixed into cookies or scones, they are as versatile as they are delicious.

Pieces of tender, chewy candied orange rind swimming in a thick and sweet sugar syrup, lightly scented with honey and orange blossom water. This recipe has been thoroughly tested and expert reviewed to be safe for water bath canning methods for shelf-stable storage (that said, you don’t have to can them and can store the jars in the refrigerator or freezer too).

Faceted glass canning jars filled with Candied Orange Peel in Syrup in direct sunlight with harsh shadows and highlights on a marble background.

2024 is the year of the candied orange, apparently.

Seriously though, I don’t think I’ve let a weekend go by without at least one test batch of candied oranges in one form or another. I’ve probably gone through 25 pounds of oranges and upwards of 10 pounds of sugar at this point.

I am still finding sticky bits of syrup on various surfaces and even my camera buttons (oops).

Three jars of Candied Orange Peel in Syrup, one jar open with a spoon resting on top, the other two jars sealed with designed orange and white labels on the lid.

So yes, I know I’ve already posted a recipe for candied orange slices (which I used to top these gorgeous Chocolate Blood Orange Cupcakes), but this recipe is slightly different in that it uses strips of orange rind rather than full slices, and it has been developed specifically so that, instead of drying, the peel is preserved in the syrup (you’ll notice it calls for a lot more sugar as a result, since we need enough syrup to fully cover all of the candied peel). Additionally, it’s been thoroughly tested and expert reviewed to be safe for water bath canning! Which makes it a great option to make now while citrus season is still in full swing so you can enjoy candied orange peel all year round.

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Raspberry & Passionfruit Semifreddo with Chocolate Crumbs

With creamy, ultra-flavorful layers of tropical passionfruit and bold raspberry semifreddo and a dark chocolate crumb for a bit of sweet and salty crunch, this no-churn frozen dessert is truly next-level. A semifreddo is an Italian frozen dessert (literally translating to half frozen) that, texturally, falls somewhere between an ice cream and a frozen mousse. […]

The post Raspberry & Passionfruit Semifreddo with Chocolate Crumbs first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

A semifreddo is an Italian frozen dessert (literally translating to half frozen) that, texturally, falls somewhere between an ice cream and a frozen mousse. It is a great option if you’re craving a frozen treat but don’t have an ice cream maker.

Overhead, marble background and three glass plates with cross-section slices of Raspberry & Passionfruit Semifreddo with Chocolate Crumbs, and a few frozen raspberries scattered around.

Spoiler alert: this is not Neapolitan! At first glance you may think you’re seeing the classic strawberry-vanilla-chocolate combo, but don’t be fooled, this sweet frozen treat is anything but ordinary, a next-level-Neapolitan if you will, featuring the trifecta of raspberry, passionfruit, and chocolate flavors.

The texture is lighter than ice cream thanks to the folded-in whipped cream, giving the consistency of a luscious frozen mousse that softens into a velvety smooth texture on your tongue. And thanks to the custard base, it has all the creaminess that you love in ice cream without the extra effort of churning.

The beauty of a molded frozen dessert like this is its layering ability, a benefit that poor ice cream certainly can’t claim. Here I’ve stacked layers of bright passionfruit and bold raspberry with Milk Bar-style chocolate crumbs in between and on top for the prefect foil of salty to sweet, crunchy to creamy.

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Brothy Broccoli & Potato Soup with Crispy Potato Skins

This ultra-flavorful, brothy broccoli and potato soup has a surprising amount of flavor with a limited number of ingredients: it’s dinnertime magic! With a surprisingly robust brothy base (that actually uses just water, no broth or stock at all) flavored with pancettak, garlic and green onions, plus chunks of tender potatoes and broccoli, this satisfying […]

The post Brothy Broccoli & Potato Soup with Crispy Potato Skins first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

This ultra-flavorful, brothy broccoli and potato soup has a surprising amount of flavor with a limited number of ingredients: it’s dinnertime magic!

With a surprisingly robust brothy base (that actually uses just water, no broth or stock at all) flavored with pancettak, garlic and green onions, plus chunks of tender potatoes and broccoli, this satisfying soup gets a crunchy, savory topping of fried potato skins (hooray for zero food waste!) and shaved parmesan cheese.

Green ceramic bowl with a silver spoon filled with Brothy Broccoli & Potato Soup, bowl of Crispy Potato Skins and shaved parmesan in the background.

I think we all think of cream when we think of broccoli soup, and this is certainly not that. I think brothy is the best descriptor to counteract the assumption of cream. And sure enough, there’s no cream in sight.

Rather, this soup is chunky and satisfying in all the right ways, with a surprising amount of flavor considering the limited ingredients. It’s really one of our favorite soup recipes we’ve ever made.

The robust, brothy base (that actually uses no broth at all, just water) gets is satisfying flavor from pancetta, garlic, a bit of tomato paste and some green onions, combined with cubes of creamy potato, broccoli florets so soft and tender they almost melt in your mouth, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top for good measure.

Plus I surely can’t forget to mention the crispy fried potato skins, which add a beautiful crunchy contrast to the otherwise soft ingredients in the rest of the soup (not unlike fried tortilla strips on top of tortilla soup, which is obviously the best part).

The crispy potato skins and the shaved parmesan cheese are truly the icing on the cake, if you will. If the cake was soup and the icing was cheese and crispy potato skins.

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Homemade Pistachio Flour

Pistachio flour provides a nutty flavor and lovely green color in cakes, cookies, and other baked goods and desserts. Making it from scratch is easier than you’d think: all you need are fresh pistachios (and a little bit of time and patience). Pistachio flour is basically just very finely ground pistachio nuts (sometimes it’s called […]

The post Homemade Pistachio Flour first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Pistachio flour is basically just very finely ground pistachio nuts (sometimes it’s called pistachio meal). You can use pistachio flour in baked goods the same way you would almond flour (and can easily substitute it 1:1 in any recipe that calls for almond flour, like amaretti cookies or macarons).

Rough rectangle of homemade pistachio flour with a squiggle dragged through the middle showing the marble background underneath.

I’ve shared more than one recipe that uses pistachio flour, and up until now I’ve always just bought it.

But the thing is, store-bought pistachio flour, despite being a rather pricey ingredient, is frankly, just not very pretty, usually a yellowish green sort of color that doesn’t exactly show up well in baked goods.

Making pistachio flour yourself allows you to source the freshest, highest quality nuts you can find (fresher nuts are going to be greener no matter what kind they are, not to mention have a brighter, fresher pistachio flavor).

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Homemade Candied Blood Orange Slices

These jewel-like candied blood orange slices have a gorgeous, stained glass appearance, making them the perfect decorations for desserts or drinks, and a sweet and chewy texture that makes for a delicious snack all on their own, or (better yet) dipped in dark chocolate. While candying oranges does involve a good chunk of time to […]

The post Homemade Candied Blood Orange Slices first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

While candying oranges does involve a good chunk of time to achieve that perfect chew and glass-like appearance, the result is well worth it. Not to mention the delicious candied orange syrup that’s leftover at the end which as good or better as the orange slices themselves! All you need to make this impressive homemade confection are sugar, water, and oranges (and a bit of powdered citric acid to preserve the leftover syrup at the end).

Homemade Candied Blood Orange Slices on a wire rack in bright direct light to showcase the stained-glass like appearance.

Hello, gorgeous!

Really though, is there anything prettier than a slice of candied blood orange, shiny and translucent in the winter sun?

They’re basically like edible stained glass, deliciously chewy and bursting with sweet orange flavor. And yes, the entire thing is edible! The ‘candying’ process, wherein the orange slices are simmered in a sugar syrup, softens the rind and infuses it with sugar syrup.

Not to mention that the ‘byproduct’ of the entire process is a truly fantastic candied orange syrup that’s almost better than the oranges themselves. It’s like a recipe two-for-one!

I used these candied blood orange slices as a garnish on some chocolate blood orange cupcakes. Cut into half moons and nestled in a swirl of pale pink blood orange buttercream, they provided the perfect finishing touch to the already gorgeous cupcakes, both adding visual impact and hinting at the flavors to be found inside. Rather than try to tack this on as a part of the cupcake recipe (which already had cake and frosting parts), I figured they were pretty enough (and finicky enough) to warrant their own post.

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