Mah Haw Recipes

Steps:

• For the thumbprint cookies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Cream butter and pudding mix together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg. Add the flour and salt, beating at low speed until a dough forms.
• Put granulated sugar on a plate. Roll the batter into 1-inch balls, then roll through the sugar and place on the lined cookie sheet. Make a thumbprint in the center of each.
• Bake until firm to the touch, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack immediately and let cool completely.
• Fill each thumbprint with the preserves.
• For the cream soda glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar with the cream soda in a small bowl until smooth, white and shiny. Drizzle glaze criss-crosses over the cookies and let dry completely, about 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.
• Remove stems and blossom ends from mayhaws; place in large saucepan. Add water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 min., stirring occasionally. Crush cooked mayhaws. Place three layers of damp cheesecloth or jelly bag in large bowl. Pour prepared fruit into cheesecloth. Tie cheesecloth closed; hang and let drip into bowl until dripping stops. Press gently. Measure exactly 4 cups prepared juice into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. (Add up to 1/2 cup water for exact measure, if necessary.)
• Stir pectin into juice in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 5 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Steps:

• 1. TO PREPARE JUICE: Sort and wash fully ripe Mayhaw berries (about one gallon). Crush fruit and add some water (about one cup, cover and bring to a boil on high.) Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool. Extract juice by straining through a juicer wrapped with cheese cloth. Set aside.
• 2. TO MAKE JELLY: Measure 4 cups of juice in a large, heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil, add pectin and stir well. Bring back to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Add sugar and continue stirring. Heat again to a full rolling boil, boil hard for one minute.
• 3. Remove from heat; skim off foam quickly. Pour jelly immediately into hot, sterile canning 1/2 pint jars to 1/4 th inch from top. Seal with hot lids and process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath. Makes 6 (1/2 pint) jars.

Steps:

• Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.
• Place mayhaws in saucepan; add water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 min., stirring occasionally. Crush fruit mixture in saucepan. Place three layers of damp cheesecloth or jelly bag in large bowl. Pour prepared fruit into cheesecloth. Tie cheesecloth closed; hang and let drip into bowl until dripping stops. Press gently. Measure exactly 3 cups prepared juice into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Stir in lemon juice.
• Stir sugar into juice in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 5 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Steps:

• First, make the pesto by: Using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, crush or grind the peppercorns into a fine powder.
• Combine the pepper, cilantro and garlic and work into a fairly smooth paste in the mortar or in a small blender or food processor.
• If you opt to use a blender or food processor, you may need to add a little vegetable oil or water to ease the grinding.
• To keep the pesto for later use, put it in a glass jar, pour a little oil on top to cover it and seal tightly.
• Heat a wok or medium skillet over medium heat.
• Add the oil, and swirl to coat the surface of the pan.
• When oil is hot, add the Cilantro Pesto.
• Stir-fry the pesto until quite fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium high and crumble in the ground pork.
• Stir-fry the pork until it breaks up into small lumps, renders some of its fat, and is no longer pink, approzimately 2 minutes.
• Add the fish sauce and sugar and continue cooking, stirring and scraping often to brown and coat the meat evenly.
• After approximately 4 minutes, when the meat is nicely browned, remove the pan from the heat and taste the sauce for a pleasantly salty-sweet balance.
• If needed add more fish sauce and/or sugar and return pan to heat in order to reduce the additions.
• Remove from the heat, transfer to a medium bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Peel the pineapple and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch-thick slices.
• Remove the hard core from the center of each slice and cut into 1-inch squares.
• You should have about 2 cups of squares.
• To serve, mound a spoonful of savory pork onto pineapple square.
• Garnish each mound with pepper strips and cilantro leaves.
• Transfer to a platter and serve at room temperature as a finger food.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F and grease/flour bundt pan.
• Mix first four ingredients together in a bowl; add cake mix and continue to beat with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended.
• Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes or until cake tests done.
• Let cool for 5 minutes in pan; turn out onto cake plate.
• Stir mayhaw juice into powdered sugar and mix well; pour glaze over warm cake.