[Photograph: Lucy Baker]

When I was growing up, for special occasions in the summertime, my mom would bake a raspberry-rhubarb pie. It had a buttery crumb topping flecked with cinnamon and ginger. The pie inevitably turned into a puddle of fruit and crust on the plate, but I loved it nonetheless.

This jam features all the same great flavors as that pie: tart rhubarb, sweet raspberries, and spicy ginger. A few tips: I find the best way to grate fresh ginger is on a microplane. Be sure to catch any extra juice. If your rhubarb stalks are especially fat, halve them lengthwise before chopping them. The goal is to break them down as quickly as possible to preserve the fresh flavors. I used lemon zest and juice in this recipe because that's what I had on hand, but lime would work equally well.

The flavors of this jam are big and bold, so it would work best with straightforward baked goods that won't compete. Skip the cakes and muffins and pair it with simple buttery croissants, whole-wheat toast, or brioche.

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Raspberry Rhubarb Ginger Jam »

About the Author: Lucy Baker is a food writer and the author of The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son, and dachshund.

[Photograph: Lucy Baker]

I'm always looking for new and unexpected ways to use rhubarb. My latest obsession is pairing it with sweet cherries. In this recipe, a three to one ratio of rhubarb to cherries yields the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Half a vanilla bean and a generous splash of orange liqueur make for one fancy jam. Sure the ingredients are expensive, but rhubarb comes but once a year. And trust me, the results are well worth the splurge.

This jam is the perfect addition to any festive, celebratory brunch (hello, Mother's Day). It would be delicious over waffles with a dollop of crème fresh, or sandwiched in a biscuit with a wedge of brie.

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Millionaire's Cherry Rhubarb Jam »

About the Author: Lucy Baker is a food writer and the author of The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son, and dachshund.

[Photograph: Lucy Baker]

Finally the first stalks of rhubarb have appeared here in New York. They are very slender and barely pink, but after a long cold winter, I'll take them. This week I went on a bit of a binge, baking up two crisps and make a big batch of this jam with strawberries, honey, cinnamon, and lemon zest.

The key to perfect rhubarb jam is to simmer the chopped stalks just until they begin to break down. This ensures that every bit of jam is infused with tart rhubarb flavor and that there are no tough, fibrous chunks. Then stir in the rest of the fruit, sweetener, and any other ingredients (zest, spices, etc.).

I kept this recipe simple, but you could experiment by replacing the water used to simmer the rhubarb with wine (a rosé would be particularly nice), or swapping orange zest and juice for the lemon. Or swap the cinnamon stick for a split vanilla bean.

The tart flavors of this jam make it a perfect compliment to sweet breads, cakes, and other desserts. Try it spooned over vanilla ice cream or swirled into rice pudding.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Jam with Honey and Cinnamon »

About the Author: Lucy Baker is a food writer and the author of The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son, and dachshund.

[Photograph: Lucy Baker]

Every year since I can remember, I've made the same caramel and chocolate-covered matzo for Passover. I love it; everyone in my family loves it. There have been times when my husband has had to pry the tin out of my hands to keep me from inhaling every last crumb. But this year I wanted to try something different, and at least a little healthier.

Enter matzo granola. Who knew that simply swapping crumbled matzo (otherwise known as farfel) for rolled oats would yield such crunchy, clustery results? I would like to claim that I was the first person to have this idea, but in fact I found a number of other recipes floating around. I consulted one from Martha Stewart and one from Chow.com in developing my own version.

This nutty, chunky granola makes an ideal topping for ice cream. Sweetened coconut is reminiscent of traditional Passover macaroons. For a more understated version, use unsweetened. Add up to 11/2 cups of dried fruit. Golden raisins or chopped apricots would be especially nice. The granola will still be very moist when it comes out of the oven—don't worry. It will crisp as it dries. It will keep for at least a week stored in an airtight container.

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Coconut Matzo GranolaPie »

About the Author: Lucy Baker is a food writer and the author of The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son, and dachshund.

[Photograph: Lucy Baker]

Since having my baby last fall, I've eaten a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I can slap one together whenever I have a free nanosecond, we always have the ingredients on hand, and they are perfectly acceptable for breakfast or lunch (and sometimes dinner).

But lately I've grown a bit bored. Since I write this column, I always have a variety of jams to choose from, and yet I always pair them with the same peanut butter. Delicious as Skippy Creamy is, it was time to change things up. With walnuts. And white chocolate.

Ninety-nine times out of one hundred I would tell you to toast your nuts before using them, but this is one recipe where I actually think they are better left alone. Untoasted walnuts have a creaminess that works especially well in this nut butter. Sweet white chocolate, hints of vanilla and cinnamon, and just a bit fleur de sel make for a spread that is worthy of a special occasion. Like naptime.

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White Chocolate Walnut Butter »

About the Author: Lucy Baker is a food writer and the author of The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son, and dachshund.

[Photograph: Lucy Baker]

I am a firm believer that chocolate counts as a breakfast food. Growing up, my favorite thing to eat on the way to school was a chocolate donut from the Dunkin Donuts drive-thru, with its thick, cakey interior and flaky sugar glaze. These days I'll often pair my cup of coffee with a slice of toast slathered with Nutella, and when it comes to Sunday morning pancakes, nothing beats chocolate chip.

So when I saw the recipe for Chocolate Pear Jam in Mary Tregellas' book, Homemade Preserves & Jams, I knew I had to make my own version immediately. Chocolate recipes that are safe for canning are hard to come by. This one works because of the generous amount of lemon juice, and relatively large ratio of sugar to fruit (don't worry, the end result isn't overly sweet). Also, be sure to use a very dark chocolate without milk listed in the ingredients (I like Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Bar).

To give the recipe my own spin, I added a big splash of amaretto. I love the flavor combination of rich chocolate, juicy pear, and nutty almond. I also used Pomona's pectin to shorten the cooking time and ensure a perfect set. If you prefer not to use pectin, simply simmer the jam until it reaches 220°F on a candy thermometer—the temperature at which jams jell.

This jam would make even rice cakes taste like an indulgent treat, but I especially enjoy it with warm brioche or crumbly butter scones.

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Chocolate Pear Jam »

About the Author: Lucy Baker is a food writer and the author of The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son, and dachshund.

My local produce market sells Cara Cara oranges for $1.50 each. Highway robbery, right? And yet I can't stop buying them. There is just something absolutely irresistible about their bright pink flesh and juicy sweet flavor. I crave them especially in January and February, when I need a burst of citrus and a big dose of vitamin C.

This Cara Cara orange marmalade is all about comfort. (Can marmalade be a comfort food? I sure think so!) Tangy chunks of peel, a whiff of honey, and a hint of spice from my secret ingredient, herbal tea, offset the sweet flesh of the oranges. I used Twinnings Hebal Unwind, but feel free to substitute whatever you have on hand.

The marmalade is slow to set up, so don't be alarmed if it looks loose at first. It took my batch a full 24 hours to set completely. If the peel floats to the top of the jars, gently turn and tilt them as they cool to redistribute it.

This marmalade is delicious on a proper English muffin or crumpet. But it was so good I was inspired to take it one step further, swirling it into a blondie batter studded with chocolate chips. They make a bright winter upgrade to traditional blondies.

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Cara Cara Orange Marmelade »

Cara Cara Orange Marmalade Blondies With Chocolate Chips »

About the Author: Lucy Baker is a food writer and the author of The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son, and dachshund.

Recipes!

• Cara Cara Orange Marmalade Blondies with Chocolate Chips
• Cara Cara Orange Marmalade

[Photograph: @sstiavetti]

I'm not a huge fan of drinking liquor, but when it comes to cooking with it, I don't think you'll find a bigger fan. My boozing and schmoozing days are long behind me—what I would give to reclaim my early-20s liver!—but I'm completely in love with the way alcohol can add some much-needed complexity to almost any food. And if done right, anyone nibbling on your dish will be swept away by its intoxicating flavor while not being able to figure out your secret ingredient.

This jam is no different. Sweet Mandarin oranges are cooked down to a gently bitter marmalade, and lemon verbena provides background vocals with its signature sunny, floral notes. To take this recipe a step further, we've invited Campari to the party, whose cherry blush provides a layer of flavor crafted perfectly for this combination.

This soft, comforting marmalade is like none you've ever had. I prefer to leave in the orange zest for a touch of texture, but feel free to leave it out if you want a perfectly smooth preserve.

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Mandarin Lemon Verbena Marmalade with Campari »

About the author: Stephanie Stiavetti is a writer and cookbook author in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her food blog, The Culinary Life, is a repository for all things comfort food related, from savory dinners to transcendental desserts. She also hosts a monthly culinary newsletter is full of stories, review, and helpful tips. Follow Stephanie on: Facebook, Twitter, and Her online pastry training program.

[Photograph: Stephanie Stiavetti

When the frost of January squeezes you tight in its chilly clutches, sometimes you just need a cocktail for sanity's sake. A nice, summery drink—something that tastes like sunshine. Something like, well, peaches. And my dream cocktail must contain bubbles. So how about a Bellini?

After sipping my Bellini for a few minutes while staring out at the rain, it occurred to me that I could easily turn this little concoction into jam. And that's just what I did. On those mornings when you don't fancy a drink at 9 a.m., a swath of these preserves spread across a bagel is the next best thing.

This wonderfully refreshing Bellini jam combines the sweetness of peaches with the giggly swagger of champagne, making for a homey jam with a punch of flavor from the alcohol. I zip my peaches in the food processor for a smoother texture, but you can chop them coarsely if you prefer your jam a little chunkier. It may be redundant to eat this jam while drinking a Bellini, so feel free to pour yourself a morning mimosa instead. I won't judge you if you don't judge me.

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Bellini Jam »

About the author: Stephanie Stiavetti is a writer and cookbook author in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her food blog, The Culinary Life, is a repository for all things comfort food related, from savory dinners to transcendental desserts. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter. Her monthly culinary newsletter is full of stories, review, and helpful tips. She also teaches everyday people how to make pastries at home.

[Photograph: Stephanie Stiavetti]

Winter is a time of spice, and for good reason. Can you think of a more satisfying way to fend off the cold than by eating delicious things made with warming winter spices? Cinnamon and nutmeg are two of the most comforting flavors I can think of. They always remind me of pumpkin pie, gingerbread, and my sock drawer.

You're probably thinking, "Wait. Did she just say sock drawer?" Let me explain.

This spicy-citrusy-sweet jam was inspired by a project I used to work on every winter when I was a little girl, making gifts to give away as Christmas stocking stuffers. A friend and I would sit down and make little packets of whole spices and dried orange peel, which we would tuck into tiny sachets of cheesecloth and tie with a bow. Not only did they make musty old Christmas stockings smell good; they were also perfect for stashing away with clean clothes in a dresser drawer.

The intoxicating scent never failed to garner compliments from the grownups we'd gift with our handiwork. I always managed to keep few sachets for myself, burying them deep in my sock drawer. When I'd wake up in the freezing cold to go to school, the scent of the spices comforted me enough to get out the door and into the frigid air—which was no easy feat given I had to walk two miles to class.

This jam is perfectly warm and inviting, with the heady aroma of citrus and spice. Cranberry is the perfect base for these flavors, rounding out the sweetness of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg with an intensely playful tang. I've added a touch of brown sugar to bring these capricious berries back to earth, which elevates the warm spices even more. This jam is perfect for stuffing homemade toaster pastries or slathering onto hot, buttered waffles.

And in case you're wondering why I call for butter in this recipe, here's a quick jam-making tip: a little butter goes a long way in preventing foaming. Foam isn't a positive byproduct of cooking fruit, so leave the butter and save a little effort by not having to skim the surface of your jam every five minutes.

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Cranberry Potpourri Jam »

About the author: Stephanie Stiavetti is a writer and cookbook author in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her food blog, The Culinary Life, is a repository for all things comfort food related, from savory dinners to transcendental desserts. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter. Her monthly culinary newsletter is full of stories, review, and helpful tips.

VIEW SLIDESHOW: Seven Gift-Worthy Winter Preserves

[Photographs: Lucy Baker]

So you didn't stockpile a bounty of summer preserves to give out over the holidays? Neither did I. But it's not too late! Just because berry season is long gone doesn't mean you can't whip up a batch or two of homemade jam sure to please everyone on your gift list. From pears and cranberries to dried apricots and meyer lemons, here are our picks for perfect cold weather preserves.

Go Straight To The Recipes

Rosemary Pear Jam
Brandied Vanilla Pear Jam
Cranberry Port Jam
Apricot Honey Butter
Meyer Lemon Marmalade
Honey-Tangerine Marmalade
Spiced Cranberry Cabernet Jam

About the Author: Lucy Baker is a food writer and the author of The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets. She is currently at work on a second book about homemade food gifts. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and dachshund.

[Photograph: Jennifer Cordaro]

If you have any experience canning fruit, you've probably heard the line that you need sugar in your jam if you don't want it to go bad. And not just a little sugar. A LOT. I often feel a twinge of guilt as I stir in pound after pound of refined white sugar into my beautiful fruit.

Then I met Jen Cordaro, the magical jam-maker at Jenny's Jars. She shared some of her white sugar-free strawberry jam, and it was one of the best things I've tried in a while. She also shared a few tips for making fruit juice-sweetened jams.

• Practice, practice, practice! Write down what you did so you can either replicate it if it comes out right or find your mistake if it didn't.
• Remember, when making jams without white sugar, it will not gel the same. Don't expect a hard-set jam.
• If you want your jam to gel, add no-sugar needed pectin. It still won't be like a traditional jam, but it will be pretty close. A little heavy on the pectin is better than too light, if you want a more traditional set.

Want to try it out for yourself? Try this Spiced Vanilla Pear Jam, which gets a boost of flavor from cardamom, cinnamon, and vanilla beans.

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Spiced Vanilla Pear Jam »

About the author: Stephanie Stiavetti is a writer and cookbook author in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her food blog, The Culinary Life, is a repository for all things comfort food related, from savory dinners to transcendental desserts. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

[Photograph: Stephanie Stiavetti]

When I first thought of adding alcohol to jam, I thought about using sweet liquors such as spiced rum to give the preserved fruit a mysterious boost. I made a few jams and they were incredible; the smack-you-upside-the-head liquor flavor cooks off, leaving only an interesting—and often unidentifiable—complexity of flavor. When you add liquor to jam and keep your pouring hand under control, you'll undoubtedly be asked questions by anyone who tastes your preserves. "What is that I'm tasting?" they'll wonder. "I can't figure it out, but it works!"

A few weeks ago, it occurred to me to try adding not-so-sweet liquors to preserves. My mind started racing with ideas of pucker-y gin jams, piquant vodka compotes, and yes, maybe even a tequila marmalade.

I've not had a great relationship with tequila, since we've butted heads a few times in the past. (The tequila won every time, in case you were wondering.) But after a lovely tequila tasting in Mexico, I've learned that tequilas can have a range of complex qualities, and that this frighteningly boorish liquor might actually have culinary value in the sweet pastry space.

The key here is to not go overboard. Booze is booze, as they say, and your liquor-flavored preserves will taste unpalatably boozy if you add too much. Practice self control when adding liquor to jam. Ideally, alcohol will give your jam just a nudge in the flavor department without knocking your tasters on the floor.

I like sweet-tart jams, and this marmalade is one of the best I've tried. Tangy orange accepts a sweet hug from bright-red pomegranate, and the whole thing is given a happy, drunk kiss from a touch of tequila. The alcohol mostly boils off, leaving a complex flavor, a touch of bitter orange, and the autumn depth of pomegranate. Little bits of orange and orange zest add a lively texture to this tenderly bitter marmalade, which goes well on toast with a cup of tea. Make sure to strain your pomegranate seeds out of your juice before cooking with it—they don't add anything positive to the texture!

Note: This recipe involves cutting oranges into segments, a method also called supreming an orange. Click here for a tutorial on how to segment citrus.

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Tequila Sunrise Marmalade with Orange and Pomegranate »

About the author: Stephanie Stiavetti is a writer and cookbook author in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her food blog, The Culinary Life, is a repository for all things comfort food related, from savory dinners to transcendental desserts. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter. Her monthly culinary newsletter is full of stories, review, and helpful tips.

[Photograph: Stephanie Stiavetti]

Growing up, I was not a kid that liked fruit-flavored sweets. Fruit pies were totally lost on me, as were crumbles, cobblers, and jams. While I'd tolerate jam in the PBJ that found its way into my lunchbox every day, I preferred the deeper, moodier flavor of brown sugar, maple syrup, and chocolate.

It wasn't until my mid-20s that I learned to love the nuanced flavor that fruit can bring to sweet dishes, and the greatest appreciation that grew from my maturing palate was for jam. It started with the chance tasting of a particularly luscious strawberry preserve, made from tiny mountain-grown berries that burst with sunshine and summertime flavor. This wasn't the insipid grocery store jam I'd grown up with. This was something special.

From there, my love of unique jams grew even more when I learned that I could easily make them at home. With minimal time and effort, I could throw together interesting flavor combinations leagues ahead of anything I could buy at the store. Hallelujah! I was in gourmet heaven!

Perhaps the greatest realization in my jam making was when I discovered I didn't have to limit myself to summer produce. Fall and winter, while not considered seasons of abundance, provide gorgeous fruit that is just as preservable as anything you'll find in the middle of July. Take this jam, for instance: sweet pears and figs get a leg up from tart orange juice, and a touch of cinnamon grounds the entire experience in a warm autumn kiss. Sweet and comforting, I enjoy this jam spread on across fresh scones with a generous layer of crème fraîche or ricotta cheese.

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Autumn Jam with Pears, Mission Figs, and Cinnamon »

About the author: Stephanie Stiavetti is a writer and cookbook author in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her food blog, The Culinary Life, is a repository for all things comfort food related, from savory dinners to transcendental desserts. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

[Photograph: Lucy Baker]

For much of my life, the only figs I'd ever tasted were sandwiched inside a Newton. It wasn't until my early twenties that I tried my first luscious, fragrant fresh fig. One juicy bite and I was hooked. I loved their supple flesh and honey flavor. Armed with a copy of Marie Simmon's cookbook Fig Heaven, I began adding fresh figs to everything from salads and fruit crisps to pork loin and roasted salmon.

Every time I flip through the book I seem to get stuck on the recipe for fig, strawberry, and lemon jam. The combination of flavors strike me as lively, bold, a little unusual, and perfect for summer. I decided to create my own late summer version, swapping raspberries for the strawberries.

[Photograph: Lucy Baker]

What I like best about this jam is that you can really taste each individual component, from the fig's subtle perfume, to the bold raspberries, to the tart lemon. I've added a bit of natural pectin to help it set to a perfect, spreadable consistency. I love the way it looks in the jar too, with the sprinkling of raspberry seeds and the dark chunks of fig.

The robust flavors of this jam would pair perfectly with hearty, flavorful breads like cornbread or crusty sour dough. You could also serve it with oatmeal scones or bran muffins.

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Fig, Raspberry and Lemon Jam »

About the Author: Lucy Baker is a food writer and the author of The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets. She is currently at work on a second book about homemade food gifts. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and dachshund.