Preparing for Christmas...

                            ~ Christmas Jam ~

With Christmas slowly approaching and the delights that come along with it , it's so nice to slowly add more warmth and coziness to our home and hearts as we remember the coming of our Messiah in a lowly manger , hundreds of years ago in the city of Bethlehem..

Today when we looked out of the window into the rainy garden we saw birds having their early Christmas meal of the apples that were still hanging on our trees after the first harvest. 

We had work to do !!! 

We went ouside and picked all the suiteble apples that were still left and decided to make a batch of Christmas Jam !!!

Oh the delightful aroma it spreads through the kitchen when adding all the spices... 

It couldn't get any more Christmassy!!!

So get out the Cinnamon , Raisins and Marzipan for the...

        Christmas Jam

 Ingredients

• 100 g. raisins 
• 100 ml of freshly brewed tea of your choice
• 1 lemon or orange
• 1 kg apples
• 1 tsp. Bourbon vanilla
• 25 ml lemonjuice ( we used orangejuice)
• 100 g. marzipan
• 500 g. Jam sugar 2 : 1 
• 80 g. chopped almonds
• 2 tsp. cinnamon 
• 6 drops of almond extract

   

Rinse the raisins with hot water , dap dry and let them soak in the hot tea of your choice. Set aside.

Squeeze out the orange. Peel and core all the apples ( do save the peels for later use,more in a future blog post! )

Cut all the apples in pieces and add the juice of the orange and the lemonjuice as well.

Now add the vanilla

 

Start by cooking the apples until you have a smooth creamy consistency and then add the marzipan which you cut into small pieces.

Meanwhile cut the almonds into small pieces.

Then add the cinnamon and drops of almond extract to it and mix together. Lovely aroma, isn't it ?!

   

 Now add the mixed almonds and Jam sugar to the apples and stir well.

 

Bring the apples to a boil and cook for about 4 minutes on high heat.

Lastly add the soaked raisins and stir before ladeling the hot jam into sterilized jars.

Cover with lids and turn the filled jars upside down for about 5 minutes. Turn and let them cool completely.

Et voilà...

Your own filled to the brim with love...

~ Christmas Jam ~  

Give someone a heartfelt token of love and friendship this Christmas Season by giving a basket filled with this Christmas Jam accompanied with a fresh homemade loaf of bread,a little jar of butter , a few napkins and candles...

Christmas joy in the receivers eyes guaranteed...

 When we keep the spirit of Christmas, we keep the Spirit of Christ, for the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit.

~

Love and Blessings,

The Three Little Women