Cookie Gift Baskets Tip & Recipe Blog

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 3 tbsp. rum or brandy

Cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the rum or bandy, 1 tablespoon at a time. Place in a serving bowl. Chill until firm, but let it come to room temperature when ready to serve.

• 1 3/4 cup hot water

• 1 cup salt

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 egg, beaten with 3 tbsp. water

Pour the hot water into a bowl with the salt and stir for 1 minute. The salt grains will reduce in size, but they will not completely dissolve. Add the flour and blend until all the water is absorbed. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until it is smooth and pliable. Cover the dough in a plastic bag if you do not plan to use it after the 5 minutes of resting time.

Roll the dough out 3/8 inch thick on a floured surface and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Place the cookies on a non-stick baking sheet and brush lightly with the egg wash. Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until golden brown. You can also press the dough into lightly oiled fancy ceramic molds or lightly floured wooden molds and bake as instructed by the manufacturer.

Melting the chocolate

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate bits or 6 square semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 4 tablespoons strong coffee

A small saucepan and a wooden spoon for stirring the chocolate A larger pan with almost simmering water Place the chocolate and coffee in the small saucepan. Remove the larger pan with water from heat and place chocolate pan in it. Stir for one minute or so until chocolate begins to melt slowly over the hot water while you go on with the recipe.

The egg yolks and sugar

• 4 egg yolks
• A 3quart mixing bowl of an electric mixer
• A large wire whip
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup orange liqueur, rum, orange juice, or really strong coffee

A pan of almost simmering water Place egg yolks in mixing bowl and start beating with whip while gradually pouring in sugar in a thin stream. Continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes until mixture is thick, pale and forms a slowly dissolving ribbon when a bit is lifted and falls back onto the surface. Beat in the liqueur or other liquid, and set the bowl in a pan of almost simmering water. Beat at moderate speed for 4 to 5 minutes, or until foamy and warm when tested with your finger. Remove the bowl from the hot water and either beat the mixture in mixer for several minutes until cool, or set it in a bowl of cold water and beat with your wire whip. It should again form the ribbon, and have the consistency of thick, creamy mayonnaise.

Adding butter and chocolate

• 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) softened unsalted butter

Stir the chocolate again and continue until perfectly smooth. Gradually beat the softened butter into the chocolate. Beat the chocolate and butter into the yolks and sugar.

The egg whites

• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• A very clean, dry bowl and beater
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons instant superfine granulated sugar

A rubber spatula Beat the egg whites slowly until they begin to foam then beat in the salt. Increase speed gradually to fast until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle on the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks are formed. Stir one forth of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it; scoop the rest of the egg whites on top and delicately fold them in.

Chilling and serving

Immediately turn the mousse into a lightly oiled 6 cup metal mold, a serving bowl, or individual cups. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.

If you are unmolding the mousse, dip mold for several seconds in hot water, run a knife rapidly between edges of mousse and mold, and turned a chilled serving dish upside down over mold; reverse the two giving a sharp downward jerk, and the mousse should drop into place in a few seconds.

You may wish to pass with the mousse a bowl of lightly whipped cream flavoured with powdered sugar and liqueur. If you are serving a ring-molded mousse, you could put the cream in the center and sprinkle with grated chocolate.

The dough:

• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature

• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened

• 1 tbsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 egg, at room temperature

• 1 tbsp. grated lemon peel

• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 3 cups all-purpose flour or more

Cream the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy. Blend in the baking powder, salt, sugar, egg, grated lemon peel, and the lemon juice. Gradually blend in the 3 cups flour, or more, and knead to form soft dough. Force the dough through a cookie press with a number 16 plate to form 3-inch long cookie bars. Press the cookies directly onto a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack.The icing:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

• 4 tsp. milk

• 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped fine

In a small bowl, blend the sugar, lemon juice, and milk together until smooth. Brush half the top of the cookie with icing. Sprinkle the icing with the nuts. Place the cookie on a rack to dry the icing. Repeat the process until all the cookies are done.

The dough:

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla together until fluffy. Add the flour and walnuts and blend to form dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Candy Mixture for the Garnish:

• 1/4 lb. of peppermint candy

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

In a small bowl, combine both ingredients. Set aside. Three tablespoons of this mixture will be used in the filling and the remainder is used to garnish cookie balls.

The Filling:

• 2 tbsp. cream cheese, softened

• 1 tsp. milk

• 1 drop red food coloring

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 3 tbsp. candy mixture

In a bowl, blend together the cream cheese, milk, food coloring, and the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Blend in the 3 tbsp. candy mixture.Remove the dough from the fridge and for each cookie pinch off a rounded teaspoon of the dough. Form into a ball and shape the dough around your thumb to make a little compartment in the middle. Place about ¼ tsp. of the cream cheese filling in the depression. Pinch the dough back together and roll it back into a ball. Repeat this process with the remaining dough and filling. Place the balls on a non-stick cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not brown.

Remove the cookie balls to a cooling rack. To garnish, roll the cooled cookie ball in the remaining candy mixture.

Keep the cookies small, using no more than one teaspoon of batter per cookie, so they will bake up crunchy rather than crunchy.

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place parchment paper on two ungreased baking sheets.

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed 4 minutes, until very thick and almost white. Add the walnuts and mix well.

Drop spoonfuls of the cookie batter 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until dry, firm, and golden brown. Cool the cookies completely on baking sheets before removing.

• 1 cup minute tapioca
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. green food coloring
• 2 cups fresh coconut, grated or 2 cups flaked coconut

Wash and drain the tapioca. Bring the water and sugar to a boil; stir in the tapioca and cook until transparent. Add the food coloring. Pour into a greased 8×8 inch pan. Chill. Cut in squares and coat all sides with coconut. 

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup molasses

• 2 cups dried figs (about 1 lb.), stems removed, chopped fine

• 1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Garnish:

• Whipped cream

In a electric mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the eggs and molasses and beat again. Add the figs, lemon peel, buttermilk, and walnuts and blend 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until everything is incorporated. Grease and flour an 8 x 4-inch soufflé dish and pour in the batter. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Spoon the pudding out onto plates or cut it into wedges. Garnish with the whipped cream.

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups pineapple juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups crushed pineapple
• 4 egg whites
• A baked pie shell

Mix the cornstarch with a little pineapple juice until smooth. Combine in a saucepan with the rest of the juice, half a cup of the sugar and the salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in the pineapple and cool.

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry; then beat in the remaining sugar. Fold into the pineapple mixture and fill the pie shell. Chill. Serves 6 to 8.

• ½ cup butter, at room temperature

• 1 cup sugar

• 6 eggs, at room temperature

• ½ cup chopped citron

• 1 ½ cups pitted prunes, chopped

• ½ cup dark raisins

• 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 ½ cups fine bread crumbs

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg

• ½ tsp. ground allspice

Garnish:

• Whipped cream

Cream the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer. Beat the eggs in, one at a time. Combine the citron, prunes, raisins, and pecans in another bowl. Add the flour to the fruit and nuts and toss together so that everything is coated with flour. Add to the butter and egg mixture along with the remaining ingredients. Blend for 1 minute so that all is incorporated. Grease and flour a soufflé dish, about 7 x 4 inches.

Add the heavy batter and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 to 555 minutes, or until nicely browned. Serve warm by spooning out or cool and cut into pieces. Garnish with the whipped cream.