Brie, Fig Jam, and Apple Paninis

I made fig jam for the first time a couple weeks ago.  It is sooooooo good.  That's an understatement.  There should be an expletive between soooooooo and good.  I've always bought it to use on appetizer platters or sammies, but homemade is the bomb diggity.

I took the first jar to my sister's with three different cheeses, fruit, and bread, and we tore that bad boy up.  Oh my gosh it's good.

Remember the vacant house with the peach tree?  Welllllll, they have a fig tree, too.  Score.  I ended up with eight cups of cut up fresh figs for the jam.

I used this recipe as a starting point, and adapted it for the additional amount I had.  I cut the sugar back a bit, and then just added the balsamic and lemon juice to taste.  Beyond delicious.  I didn't can it, so I've got several jars in the freezer.  Mmmmmm.

So onto the paninis.  The combo of these three ingredients is definitely one of my faves, so it was no surprise to anyone in the house when it ended up as dinner one night.

No recipe needed, just butter up the outsides of some yummy bread, spread on the fig jam, then lay out your sliced brie and apples. Stick the assembled sammies in a panini press, a pan with a foil covered brick on top, or in the oven.  Cook until the cheese is melted and gooey.  Eat your plate of heaven.

Here's dinner comin' together at my house:

And on my plate:

Make it happen.

To close, I have nine words for you:

Fig jam, aged gouda, Asian pear, and crusty bread.

I have five more.

 A glass of red wine.

You can thank me later.

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