Fill your kitchen with fresh flavors

Jujube Cake

1 cup white sugar
2 cups minced dried jujube
1 cup water
2 cups wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt 

Heat oven to 325°F. Grease square baking dish; set aside.

In large saucepan, combine sugar, fruit and water. Bring to boil; remove from heat, set aside and allow to cool.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to fruit liquid. Pour mixture into prepared dish; bake until done.

Candied Jujubes

3 pounds dried jujube
5 cups water
5 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch 

Wash fruit, drain; prick each piece of fruit several times with a fork.

In large kettle, bring water, sugar and cornstarch to boil. Add fruit; simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Cool, cover and chill overnight.

The next day, bring syrup and jujubes to boil; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

With slotted spoon, lift jujubes from syrup and place slightly apart on rimmed pans. Dry in oven or sun for 2 or 3 days.

Check fruit frequently, turn occasionally until fruit looks like dried dates you see in the store.

Jujube Syrup

Boil syrup from candied jujubes, uncovered, until reduced to about 2 cups. Use over pancakes and waffles. Store covered in refrigerator.

This recipe from Jane Rossen, of Binghamton, New York, isn’t strictly for jujube fruit, but it sounds good for any type of fruit. Jane writes, “The batter rises up through the fruit and makes a crust.”

Pearl’s Any Kind Fruit Pie

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
2 cups lightly sweetened fresh fruit, any kind 

Heat oven to 400°F.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add milk and vanilla; mix until smooth.

In 8- to 9-inch pie plate, melt butter. Pour batter over butter, but do not mix. Top with fresh fruit.

Bake in center of oven for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350°; bake pie for another 50 minutes, until pie bubbles and crust is lightly browned. /G