Monte Cristo Bites with Raspberry Bourbon Jam | Secret Recipe Club

Time seems to be spinning faster and faster.  Do you feel that way too?  It is hard to believe we are entrenched in the fall season with the leaves changing to those beautiful autumnal shades of brown, orange and yellow.  Living in Northern California, we experience the changing of the seasons however it is subtle as opposed to other regions around America.  I am still sporting my flip flops on the weekends and perfect painted toes, but this shall become a distant memory in the next month or so.  We are currently enjoying what we deem – Indian summer.  It is a time where we have mildly warm weather, shorter daytime light and little to no rain.  It is an exquisite time of year in Northern California.

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Speaking of time whizzing by, it is that time of the month for the Secret Recipe Club big reveal.  If you are not familiar with the Secret Recipe Club, let me give you the readers digest version.  Essentially there are 200 food bloggers who belong to this online cooking club and we are paired with another bloggers to peruse through their blog for a few weeks and then select a recipe that we create and have the option to add our own spin. 

This month I was paired with Debbi from Debbi Does Dinner Healthy.  Debbi is also the “Hostess with the Mostess” for Group C of Secret Recipe Club.  Debbi is a Day Care Provider who lives in Minneapolis.  She made a conscious decision to cook differently for her family by making healthy, low calorie meals without loosing any flavor in the process. In addition, she has a keen eye for stretching her dollar while producing fantastic meals. 

After reviewing her blog for a couple weeks and drooling over so many delicious recipes, I selected her Monte Cristo Sandwich for a few reasons.  First, it has been on my food blog bucket list and second, they are just plain DELICIOUS!  If you are a regular to my blog, you know that I adore appetizers.  With that spirit in mind, I decided to kick up the traditional Monte Cristo sandwich by making mini bite sized sandwiches along with an enhanced raspberry jam.  The result was nothing short of supreme!  Although not a healthy and low calorie version, they were quite tasty and a true treat.  Thank you Debbi for the inspiration and I hope you like my kicked up version!

Monte Cristo Bites with Raspberry Bourbon Jam

Make 24 Bites

Batter

1 Egg

2 Cups Water

1 ¾ Cups Flour

¼ teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

In a large bowl, add the egg, water and vanilla and whisk until combined.  Add the salt, baking powder and flour and whisk until smooth.  Set aside until ready to prepare sandwiches.

Sandwiches

8 Slices White Bread

6 Deli Sliced Jarlsburg

4 Large Slices of Deli Turkey

4 Large Slices of Black Forest Ham

Take two slices of bread and lay on top of a board.  Add a slice of turkey to one side and black forest ham to the other side.  Add 1 ½ slices of the jarlsburg to the top of the ham.  Lay the turkey side on top of the cheese.  Press lightly together.  Trim the edges with a sharp knife.  Proceed to cut the bread into 6 cubes. 

Tip:  Use white bread that is a couple days old so it is firmer.  I like potato sandwich bread.

Topping

2/3 Cup Raspberry Jam

2 teaspoons of Bourbon

Powdered Sugar

To assemble:

Heat a quart of canola oil in a cast iron skillet to 360 degrees.  Use a thermometer to check temperature and reduce heat if getting too hot or the sandwiches will burn. 

Dip each cube into the batter and shake off the excess.  Gently lay into the hot oil and flip on each side until golden brown.  Cook in batches of 6.  Lay cooked sandwiches on a cookie sheet and keep hot in a 350 degree oven until all batches are complete.  Lay on a platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with the raspberry bourbon jam.