Lime Marmalade

I love my husband.
Seriously, I love him.
Look at how sexy he is.

No, stop looking.  You're drooling, and that makes me uncomfortable.
*giggles*

ANYWAY...

My very sweet hubby has had a rough go of it at work lately.  Through some pretty wicked curve balls, he has yet to complain.  Another reason that I love him so. ♥

The down side with his job means that I have a lot of time to myself.  Ordinarily, this would be dangerous.  (bwahaha!!)  However, since we have moved into a new place a little over a month ago, setting up house has kept me kind of busy.  I am sure he is happy for that!

So when he told me that he had to get up this past Saturday and go into work for a meeting, my heart sank a little, but I also understood.

I found a great deal on limes last week.  I also found a little bit of gumption I didn't know I had, and after I called and begged my mother for her recipe for marmalade, I knew that I was going to get in there and attempt it.  Ever since the nectarine pickles (which are delicious, by the way) and peach salsa success, I have been itching to get in there and can something else.

My mother has been a canning queen my whole life.  She can do things in the kitchen that amaze me.  One of my very favorite things that she has made is her watermelon pickle.  When I get my hands on that stuff, people have to almost fight me for a piece!

I was surprised at how deceptively easy this was to make!  Since this post, I have made another batch of it...annnnnd...curiosity got the best of me, and I made some pink grapefruit which turned out amazing.  Honestly, you can make it from any type of citrus fruit and use the same directions.  When I get more jars, I want to try a tangerine lime or orange grapefruit mix.  This is seriously addictive stuff and makes great Christmas gifts for neighbors and co-workers!

Lime Marmalade

fresh limes, about 6

1 package pectin (such as Sure-Jel)

5 cups sugar

• Zest enough limes to make 1/2 cup of peel.  Make sure not to include any white membrane.  Set aside.
• Juice zested limes to get 3/4 cup.  Strain to remove pulp, then add enough water to lime juice to equal 4 cups.  If you are not happy with the color, now is the time to enhance it with food coloring !
• Put zest in small saucepan and add 1 cup water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Drain and retain peel.
• Put contents of pectin in small bowl and stir in 1/4 cup of the sugar.
• Add lime juice and pectin/sugar mixture to large pot.  Stir.  Add zest and bring to full boil.  Add remaining sugar, then return to rolling boil.  Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.  
• Remove from heat, and skim foam from top.  Ladle into hot, sterilized jars and cover with sterilized lids and rings.  Invert overnight to seal.  If one fails to seal, process in water bath for 15 minutes, or just go ahead and eat it...you know you want to!  ;-)

Cookie Butter Cupcakes

My husband's job is pretty demanding.  It keeps him busy...sometimes double shifts and overnights.  That leaves me with a lot of time on my hands.

Anyone that knows me realizes that can be a pretty dangerous thing.
Me + time on my hands = Trouble.

Ever since we found Speculoos Cookie Butter at Trader Joe's, we have been in love.  Hubby's favorite way to eat it is on toasted waffles, making the cookie butter melty and gooey in all the cracks and crevices a waffle has to boast.  I have to admit his way is pretty awesome, having had a few that way myself.  He also likes to have a sandwich of 1/2 cookie butter and 1/2 Nutella.  However, my favorite way to eat it is on a spoon.  It is SOOO good.

So today found me with time on my hands...once again.
I eyeballed the three (!!!) jars of it in the pantry he had purchased earlier this week.  (we ran out, and tend to get a little panicky if there isn't any in the house - which was only intensified when we went to pick some up one day and found they had sold out.  Sob!)  Casually, I began to wonder what it would taste like in a cupcake.  I'm sure it's been done a million times in a million ways.  I'm certainly no recipe pioneer for this idea,  but I had never baked them before.  So I got out my recipe I use for peanut butter cupcakes and my mom's recipe for her peanut butter icing, and went to work.

A little while later, I was rewarded with 20 fluffy cupcakes...and the icing?  Nom, nom, nom!  I alternated from the dipping method to the spatula method for icing them since it really wasn't piping consistency.  I still can't decide which I like best, but I love the gold sugar sprinkles on the top!  

The best thing about making these cupcakes is the fact that I have coworkers to share the calories with!  Piling them up and taking them to the office on my day off makes everything worth it.  I get my baking fix out of the way, and temptation out of the house!  ;-)

Cookie Butter Cupcakes

(makes about 20)

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup Speculoos Cookie Butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350º.  Mix butter, sugar and cookie butter together in bowl with mixer until fluffy.  Leaving the mixer running, add eggs (at room temperature!) one at a time.  Add buttermilk.  Sift flour, then add to bowl.  Mix well.  Turn mixer off, then stir in vanilla by hand.  Fill cupcake liners halfway and bake until done, about 15 to 20 minutes.  (the tops don't really brown that much)  While cooling, prepare icing.

Speculoos Cookie Butter Icing

1/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup Speculoos Cookie Butter

1+ pounds of powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together cookie butter and one cup of powdered sugar with a hand mixer on high.  Alternately add rest of powdered sugar and milk until well combined.  Add butter and vanilla, mixing well.  Adjust milk and powdered sugar until the icing is at the consistency you like.  Cover bowl when not in use for an extended period of time, because the icing will crust over.