Jenkin’s Jellies

I’ve always been a huge fan of hot pepper jelly, so when Jenkin’s Jellies contacted me to see if I’d be interested in sampling theirs, I jumped at the chance. The package arrived in a few days. The 4 jars of jelly were lovingly wrapped in bright tissue paper,  making the whole package look like a present. Sadly, I seem to have lost the photo. The whole thing was topped by an information sheet and a handwritten note. Classy stuff.

After tasting one of the varieties right off the spoon (spoons included!), we decided to sample it the traditional way: on bread with a bit of cheese. The jellies are made from a blend of 7 fresh peppers, with Hell Fire being the original. The 3 new additions to the pepper jelly line each incorporate a fruit: passion fruit (Passion Fire), guava (Guava Brava), and figs (Fiery Figs). All are bursting with a well-balanced flavor and complexity.

We also liked the jelly as a topping on spice-coated pan-fried tofu. Really, it doesn’t get any easier than this, and the jelly brings a savory finishing touch to the plate.

We’ve tried the jellies many other ways: a dollop on grains, spread on a sandwich, mixed with mayo as a dipping sauce, and so on. It’s fantastic on tempeh burgers!  But probably my favorite thing (so far) were the A to Z Muffins shown at the very top of this post. A gardening friend (thanks, Nicky!) has been sharing her vegetables with us, and this recipe put the zucchini to good use.

A to Z Muffins
Makes 12 muffins


Fresh off working on the Whole Grain Vegan Baking Book, I’m still wondering why I ever baked with white flours. Whole grains have it over white flour with not only their nutritional profile, but their flavors. This simple muffin combines whole wheat pastry flour with a touch of barley flour to create a tender, easy-to-make and packed-with-good-stuff side dish or snack. Corn gives a bit of texture, while the zucchini adds to the beauty of the  muffin, as well as the yum-factor. Check out the oil and syrup levels, too!


1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup barley flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup grated zucchini (the Z!)
1/2 cup cooked corn, cut from the cob, or frozen (thawed)
2/3 cup nondairy unsweetened milk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons applesauce (the A!)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 cup hot pepper jelly, divided
Nonstick cooking spray


Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.


In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in the zucchini and corn. In a second bowl, whisk together the milk, applesauce, oil, and maple syrup. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine. Do not over stir.


Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each of muffin cups. With a spoon, make an indentation in the center of each muffin. Fill each with 1 teaspoon pepper jelly. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until slightly golden. Cool on a wire rack. Some of the jelly will have sunken into the muffin, so add an additional teaspoon to each muffin to level them off.

Geez, I nearly forgot all about the contest for American Vegan Kitchen! The winner is Kelly G., who associates apple pie with the 4th of July. Congratulations, Kelly, I’ll try to email you. But if you don’t hear from me, please email me your mailing address.

Again, many thanks to Jenkin’s Jellies for very generously sending me the jelly to try. I look forward to many more uses for this amazing product.

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