Cookie Gift Baskets Tip & Recipe Blog

Archive for November, 2007

• 5 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3/4 cup sifted flour
• 3/4 tsp. double acting baking powder
• 2 tbs. confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8 x 8 inch brownie pan or 9 x 12 inch loaf pan and dust lightly with flour. Beat the eggs until light, and then add the sugar and honey. Beat until thick (about 10 minutes). Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture; beat only until smooth. Turn into the pan. Bake 40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto the cake rack until completely cool. Turn right side up and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

If you think this is a little far fetched for you, there are still plenty of cookies you could make with our many cookie recipes.

• 1 1/2 lbs. chestnut
• 4 tbs. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• Preserved kumquats
• Orange slices
• Glazed Almonds or walnuts

Make a crisscross cut on the top of each chestnut. Cook in boiling water until shells burst and chestnuts are soft. Drain, cool, and remove shells. Force through a food mill. Blend in the sugar, salt, and ginger; fold in the whipped cream. Pack into a greased bowl or mold, and then carefully turn out. Garnish with additional whipped cream, the kumquats, orange slices, and gourmet nuts.

• 1 1/2 lbs. kumquat
• 2 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup preserved ground ginger
• 3 tbs. lime juice

Wash the kumquats in warm water; drain and dry. Gently prick each kumquat with a skewer in 2 or 3 places.

Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan (not aluminum). Bring to a boil and the kumquats. Cook over low heat 20 minutes, or until syrup is thick and clear. Stir in the ginger and lime juice. Pack in sterile jars and seal. Makes about 3 pints.

If you'd rather stick to cookies and cakes, try this simple article about the many uses of white chocolate.

If you're a lover of gourmet nuts, then this recipe might be right up your alley!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup blanched chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 tbs. honey
• 2 tbs. soy sauce

Wash the rice under cold running water. Combine in a saucepan with the water and salt. Cover, bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 25 minutes or until rice is tender and dry. Lightly brown the almonds and pine nuts in the oil. Add to the rice with the honey and soy sauce. Toss lightly with 2 forks. Serve in place of vegetables.

Making rice fritters is almost as easy as making cookies! And they taste great. To get started, gather the following ingredients:

• 1 cup sifted flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup coconut cream or heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup soft-cooked rice
• Fat for deep frying

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Beat the eggs, cream, and vanilla together, then mix into the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the rice.

Heat the fat to 370 degrees. Drop the mixture into it by the tablespoon. Fry until browned. Drain and serve hot.

• 1/2 cup leaf lard or oil
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbs. ice water
• 1 egg yolk
• 3/4 cup sesame seeds
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

If lard is used, melt it and cool slightly. Sift the four, baking powder, and sugar into a bowl. Make a well in the center and drop the lard or oil, the egg, and water into it. Work in the flour mixture with the hand until a smooth ball of dough is formed. Roll out 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a cookie cutter; arrange on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with the egg yolk and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until browned.

Steamed sponge cake is a great recipe for something simple yet tasty. It's even easier to make than cookies, if you'll believe that!

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sifted flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder

Beat the egg whites until peaks form, and then gradually beat in the sugar until very stiff. Beat in the egg yolks. Sift the flour and baking powder over the egg mixture and stir thoroughly. Divide the mixture among 12 paper cupcake cups or greased, glass custard cups. Place on a rack in a large saucepan and add water to just below the level of the rack. Cover, bring to a boil and let steam over low heat for 20 minutes or until cakes are set. Serve hot or cold.

If you don't have a lot of time, then you may want to rethink making these delicacies. However if you know it's not another walk around the cookies block, proceed with caution.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb. butter
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup water
• 18 maraschino cherries
• 4 eggs
• 1tbs. sugar
• 1 tsp. grated lemon rind
• 1 tsp. grated orange rind
• 1/2 cup glazed orange peel

Place water and butter in saucepan; bring to a boil. Add flour and salt; keep stirring until mixture leaves sides of pan or forms a ball in the center.

Remove from stove and cool. Add eggs one at a time, beating each in thoroughly. Add sugar, orange peel, and lemon rind; mix well. Drop by tablespoon on cookie pan, placing the puffs about 3 inches apart, or put in muffin tins.

Heat oven to 400 degrees and bake 10 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 350 and bake about ½ hour or until light brown. Remove from oven. Open puffs immediately to allow steam to escape. (Puffs should be opened through center top.) Cool. Fill with Ricotta Filling: top with a cherry and two thin slices of glazed orange peel. (A plain custard filling may be substituted if desired.)

Ricotta Filling:

• 1 lb. ricotta
• 2 tbs. grated chocolate
• 1 tbs. grated orange rind
• Sugar to taste
• 3 tbs. milk
• 2 tsp. almond extract

Blend all ingredients thoroughly. Use milk sparingly, and only if needed to make smooth custard like mixture. Put in refrigerator until used.

Recipe makes approximately 18 cream puffs. Place cream puffs in a nice container for wonderful holiday gift baskets.

Pastry:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tbs. dry sherry
• 2/3 cup butter or shortening
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Sift together flour and salt. Cut in butter or shortening; gradually add sherry. If necessary, add a little water to hold mixture firmly. Do not knead too much. Roll in circular piece about 1/8 inches thick to fit 9 or 10 inch pie plate. Butter plate before placing pastry in it. Cut balance of pastry in strips ½ inch wide to use as crisscross (lattice) top.

Filling:

• 1 1/2 lbs. ricotta
• 1/4 lb. toasted almonds
• 1 tbs. chopped citron
• 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbs. powdered sugar

Chop almonds fine; add ricotta and mix thoroughly. Beat eggs and granulated sugar well; add vanilla. Add to ricotta; stir until well blended and smooth.

Pour ricotta filling into prepared pastry; place lattice strips over top. Pinch edges lightly. Bake in moderately hot oven 45 minutes or until mixture is firm but not dry and pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven; cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (and optional: more gourmet nuts) just before serving.

Serves 10.

There are many different variations of sponge cake these days. But if you want to stay simple and plain, then this recipe is perfect.

Ingredients:

• 6 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/8 cups fine granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup sifted flour

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease only the bottom of a 9-inch tube pan and dust it lightly with flour.

Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form then beat in 1 tablespoon of sugar at a time, beating steadily until stiff. Beat the egg yolks until thick then mix in the lemon juice, vanilla and rind. Fold about 1 cup of the egg whites into the yolks until no white remains. Pile the remaining egg whites on the yolk mixture then sift flour over them. Fold together carefully. Turn into the pan and smooth top with a rubber scraper. Pick up pan carefully and hit bottom on a hard surface. Bake 40 minutes or until top springs back when pressed with the finger and is browned. Cool on a cake rack.

Note: For layers, bake in two 9-inch layer cake pans for 25 minutes or until done.

Do you enjoy cakes and cookies? Then you might enjoy cookie cakes! They're fun and cute and full of joy.