We are slightly obsessed with watching baking shows at our house.
But, we really only like the nice ones. The ones where the critiques are a bit more gentle and the competitors tend to celebrate each other instead of ruthlessly cutting each other down.
There’s nothing better for showing your kids how to handle how to win or lose with grace and dignity than to watch how other people handle it, right?
This new obsession with baking shows has stirred (pun intended) in my daughter a desire to bake her little heart out and most weekends we can be found in the kitchen covered in flour and creating all sorts of yummy concoctions.
She also likes to imagine what the back stories are for the contestants and has gone so far as to inform us that she could totally see that cute contestant guy proposing to that pretty contestant girl and living happily ever after. Tween girls are a hoot I tell ya!
One of our most favorite things to bake (and consume) in our home is bread.
And this apricot bread? You guys, this was reduced to mere crumbs in about a day and a half!
But we couldn’t just stop with the bread. We had to make some apricot freezer jam too.
I wish I could properly convey to you the deliciousness that was apricot bread smothered with apricot ginger jam. Like, over the top yummy goodness.
And, if you want to take it over the top of THAT top, you could layer chunks of bread with whipped cream and jam in a mason jar for a delectable dessert.
Because, why not?
There is just something about homemade bread and jam that feels so timeless and heart-warming.
As summer approaches, I’m more determined than ever to help my kids become more and more comfortable in the kitchen.
Maybe we need to start our own ‘baking challenges’.
Of course, with a teenager and ‘tween’ager that could be a recipe for disaster. Pun, of course, intended. 😉
Ingredients
- For the bread:
- 3 eggs 1 tsp. baking powder
- 2 cups white sugar 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsps. vanilla extract 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup vegetable oil 3 tsps. ground cinnamon
- 2 cups canned apricots, drained 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- For the jam:
- 3 cans apricots (drained and rinsed very well)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 pkg. fruit pectin (specified for freezer jam)
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
Instructions
- For the bread:
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two (8x4 inch) loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Blend in the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix until just combined. Stir in the apricots.
- Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.
- For the jam:
- Place drained and rinsed apricots in a large bowl. Using potato masher, crush fruit being sure to leave it slightly chunky. Add lemon juice to fruit in bowl. Gradually stir 1 box pectin into fruit. Mix thoroughly. Set aside for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to completely dissolve pectin. Pour 1 cup light corn syrup into fruit mixture. Mix well. Stir in sugar gradually until it is completely dissolved and no longer grainy. Stir in ground ginger. Pour into prepared containers leaving a 1/2 inch space at top for expansion during freezing. Cover. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours until set. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or store in freezer for up to 1 year.
Thanks for stopping by today friends,
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4 Comments on "Homemade Apricot Bread and Apricot Ginger Freezer Jam"
This looks and sounds scrumptious! It’s so Much fun cooking with the kiddos, isn’t it.
I have been making homemade bread for many years! My mom and her mom passed it down to me and now passing to my granddaughter! The art of baking will need to be taught by parents and grandparents as home economics is no longer in schools in my area any way! Good job for your daughter!
I love apricot anything! What size cans of apricots?
This looks so yummy! Thank you for sharing!