Sweet and spicy jam to kick up your holiday snacking

I was looking for something different to serve with some little breads and cheese I was going to set out for a holiday party.

Sweet jams are OK, but I needed to punch it up a bit. I don't like to do boring when it comes to holiday food. I want food with a little bite. (It's not news when you bite your food, but it is when it bites you back, to paraphrase an old newsroom saying.)

Don't get me wrong, this is a sweet treat with a peppery flavor. You could eat this for breakfast with no regrets, but it's not your usual jam fare.

This pepper jam does the trick when it comes to being it a little more interesting on the platter. It's hot, but not overpowering and it goes well with cheese, with a dollop of cream cheese on a crusty chunk of bread or just as something in which to dip a boring crudité.

Don't be afraid of the color. It will be some sort of brown color, depending on the mixture of colors of the peppers. Close your eyes and enjoy it.

If you have housemates who don't like the smell of vinegar (I do), make this when they're out of the house as the smell is pretty strong in the first step of this recipe. They'll love the end result, but you don't want to turn them off with the offending olfactory odors before they even try it.

Make this for your holiday buffets or pour it into pretty jars as holiday gifts for those with adventurous taste buds.

Pepper Jam for the Holidays

8 ounces of hot chili peppers, halved and seeded
1 1/2 pounds of green and red pepper
2 cups of apple cider vinegar
4 cups of sugar

• In a pot, combine the chili peppers, the bell peppers, and the apple cider vinegar. Cover the pot and cook for about 20 minutes or until the peppers have softened.
• In a colander, drain the pepper mixture and, with the back of a wooden spoon, press on the peppers to extract any excess liquid.
• Transfer the peppers to a blender and puree.Press the puree through a sieve to remove the pepper skin.
• Discard the skin. In a saucepot, over medium heat, add the pepper puree and add the sugar a little at a time and mix until the sugar has dissolved.
• Continue to cook the mixture for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat when the mixture resembles a jam texture.
• Allow to cool and transfer into jars.

Vegan