Cookie Gift Baskets Tip & Recipe Blog

• 2 qt. apple cider

• 3/4 cup lemon juice

• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

• 8 whole cloves

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 3/4 cup rum, optional

• Additional cinnamon sticks, optional

In a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients except rum and additional cinnamon sticks; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove spices; add rum just before serving if desired. Serve hot with cinnamon sticks, if desired.

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 eggs, at room temperature

• 2 tsp. vanilla

• 2 cups pitted dates, chopped course

• 3 cups applesauce

• 2 cups walnuts, chopped coarse

• 2 cups raisins

• 2 cups mixed candied fruit, chopped coarse

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves

• 1 tbsp. baking soda

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, along with the vanilla. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until all is incorporated. Divide the batter among 3 greased loaf pans, approximately 8 x 4 x 3 inches each.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to a cooling rack. When cool enough to handle, remove the loaves from the pans and cool completely on the rack. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the freezer.

• 1 qt. mincemeat

• 1 granny smith apple, cored and chopped but not peeled

• Pie crust

• 1 egg, beaten with 3 tablespoons of water

Combine the mincemeat pie filling with the apple and place in the bottom of the pie crust. Spread out evenly.Cut 1/2 inch strips out of the remaining dough and lay over the filling in a lattice design. Brush lattice strips with the egg wash. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly.

• Pie crust, baked and cooled down [9 in. ]
• 1 package 4 oz. instant chocolate pudding
• 1 tsp. liqueur or schnapps, any flavor
• 4 canned pear or peach halves, drained
• tbsp. toasted almonds

Prepare chocolate pudding according to package directions, adding the liqueur or schnapps .Pour pudding into pie crust and refrigerate until pie firms up.Cut fruit into thin slices and place on pie fan-shaped. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. [ 8 servings]

 For the Baklava:

• 1 pound (approximately 3 cups) blanched almonds, coarsely ground

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter

• Peel of 1 orange, grated finely

• 1 1/2 pounds phyllo dough

For the syrup:

• 4 cups sugar

• 2 cups water

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel

• Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

To make the baklava: In a bowl, combine nuts with the sugar. Add the orange peel and set mixture aside.

Brush a 9×13 inch baking pan along the bottom and sides with some of the melted butter.

Place one sheet of phyllo in the pan.

Brush the phyllo generously with the melted butter. Repeat layering and brushing with butter 8 sheets of phyllo, working quickly.

Sprinkle approximately ½ cup (more or less according to taste) of the nut mixture evenly across the top.

Layer 3 more phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Then sprinkle nut mixture evenly across the phyllo. Repeat this step until you run out of nut mixture.

After the last of the nut mixture, layer 8 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter. Cover the pan and place in the fridge for approximately 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

When the baklava is chilled, remove the pan from the fridge. Using a long, very sharp knife, Cut the baklava into small diamonds: First make 6 evenly spaced lengthwise cuts. Cut straight down until the tip of the knife touches the bottom of the pan, and keeping the knife straight, cut in a straight line all the way. Next, begin at the upper left end and cut diagonally across the lengthwise cuts to form diamonds, starting in one corner and making cuts until you reach the opposite corner. You should have about 48 diamonds.

Bake 90 minutes or until golden brown.

To make the syrup: Mix the sugar and water in a medium saucepan, Add the lemon peel.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 25 minutes, until the syrup thickens. Remove from heat and remove the lemon peel with a slotted spoon.

Add the lemon juice and stir. Set the syrup aside to cool.

Remove the baklava from the oven and spooned the cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava.

Cover and allow to rest, at least several hours and preferable overnight, at room temperature, before serving. 

• 6 eggs

• 1 lb. flour

• 6 drops anise oil

• 1/2 lb. butter or shortening

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

Beat 5 eggs with salt; add sugar; blend thoroughly.

Sift flour and baking powder; add to eggs and sugar mixture. Add anise oil (which may be purchased at the drugstore), softened butter or shortening; mix well. Knead until dough is smooth and manageable. Then roll dough into oblong loaf 5 inches broad and about 3/4 inch thick. Brush with 1 beaten egg; sprinkle with sugar; cut into 1 inch slices.

Place slices in greased baking pan; bake for 15 minutes in moderate oven, or until light brown.

Enough for 2 1/2 dozen slices. An unusual flavor!

• 1 Sponge cake (10-12 inches in diameter)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 lb. glazed mixed fruit
• 1 1/2 lbs. ricotta
• 2 squares bitter chocolate, chopped
• 2 tsp. almond extract

Strain ricotta through wire sieve to refine. Add sugar; mix thoroughly. Add chocolate and almond extract; blend until custard-like consistency is obtained. Set aside in cold place until ready to use.Cut plain sponge cake in 3 layers. Put bottom layer in large round dish. Spread about ½ inch thick with filling. Top this with another layer of cake, then another ½ inch of the filling. Top layer should be sponge cake. Set aside in the refrigerator until this frosting is ready:

• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
• ½ tsp. lemon juice

Gradually mix 1 cup of sugar with egg white; beat with spoon until smooth. Add flavouring and lemon juice; blend with more sugar (about ½ cup) until thick enough to spread.Cover sides and top of cassata evenly. Place cherry in center. Distribute glazed fruit on top to form an attractive design. Sprinkle with nuts and citron if desired. Serves 10 to 12.

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• Vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 3 cups milk
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• Powdered sugar

In large saucepan, mix cornstarch, sugar and nutmeg. Gradually stir in milk. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil and stir 1 minute.

Remove from heat; stir in butter and lemon peel. Spread evenly in an ungreased square baking dish. Refrigerate3 to 4 hours. Cut into 2 inch squares with wet knife. Dip squares into eggs and then coat with the bread crumbs. Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 360 degrees. Fry 2 to 3 squares at a time until light brown. Drain and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

 Use a heavy-duty, thick sided tube pan. For this recipe, do not preheat the oven. Turn the oven on only after the cake is put into the oven.

• 1 1/2 cups salted butter, softened
• 1 (8ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons vanilla extract

Grease and flour a 10 inch heavy sided tube pan, or spray with non-stick cooking spray with flour.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the cream cheese with an electric mixer on high speed until combined. Add the sugar and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir in the flour and salt. Add the vanilla. Blend well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Start in a cold oven, and bake at 300 degrees F. about 2 hours, until the top is light golden brown and crunchy. (A toothpick stuck in the center of the cake should come out with batter on it- it will never come out completely clean.)

Cool the cake 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan onto a plate, then immediately turn onto a wire rack so cake is right side up (this will allow the crust to develop on top). Be careful not to break the crispy brown top as you turn the cake out.

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp. salt

• 3 cups Quick oats

• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped fine

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1 cup shortening

• 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1 tsp. grated lemon peel

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp, ground nutmeg

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and knead together to form a dough. Place half the dough, shaped into a rough rope, on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over and work the dough into the shape of a log 2 inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining dough. Freeze the logs until hard, about 2 hours.

To make the cookies, cut the dough into 3/16 inch slices and place on non-stick cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool or eat warm from the oven.