Cookie Gift Baskets Tip & Recipe Blog

• 6 bananas
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup vanilla ice cream

Cut bananas in half lengthwise and cover with flour. Melt the butter in skillet and fry bananas until they are golden brown in color. Drain and arrange on a dish; sprinkle with sugar and serve with the vanilla ice cream.

• 6 medium bananas (cut into 1/2 inch strips)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Whipped cream

Arrange bananas in a greased baking pan. Sprinkle with salt. Combine butter and crumbs. Add cinnamon and sugar, mixing well. Sprinkle mixture over bananas. Bake 20 minutes in moderate oven. Serve with whipped cream.

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 tbsp. yeast
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup 2% milk
• ¾ cup butter
• 2 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup apricot jam, melted for icing

In a large bowl, mix 2 cups of the flour, ½ cup of sugar, yeast and the salt. Heat water, milk and ½ cup of butter until warm. Pour over the dry ingredients, mix. Add eggs and the remaining flour to get dough that shapes up well into a ball.

On a floured surface, knead dough until has a smooth and supple surface. Cover and let rise for 10 minutes.

Roll out dough to a dimension of 22 in. x 18 in. Melt the rest of the butter and spread it over dough. Sprinkle the rest of the sugar and cinnamon over dough. Roll up dough like a jelly roll, pinching sides to seal edges well.

Cut roll into 24 slices. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let dough rise at room temperature until they double in size [about 45 minutes]Preheat oven to 359 degrees F. Bake for 29 minutes or until golden. Let cool and garnish with apricot jam.

• 1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks

• 1 can (20 oz.)Mandarin orange segments

• 1 firm, large banana, sliced (optional)

• 1 ½ cups seedless grape

• 1 cup miniature marshmallows

• 1 cup flaked coconut

• ½ cup pecan halves or coarsely chopped nuts

• 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

• 1 tbsp. brown sugar

Drain pineapple and orange segments, banana, grapes, marshmallows, coconut and nuts. In a 1 quart measure, combine sour cream and brown sugar. Stir into fruit mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or overnight.

• 1 1/4 cups rice flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 cups coconut milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil

Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl. Beat in the coconut milk and eggs until a very smooth batter is formed.

Heat 2 tsp. oil in a 7-inch skillet; pour enough batter into it to thinly coat the bottom. Lightly brown the pancakes on both sides. Roll up like a jelly roll. Keep warm while preparing the balance.

• 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.

Baba

• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4  cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. 2 % milk
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 package yeast
• 3 egg whites, beaten until stiff

Preheat oven to 350 5 F.

 In a bowl, beat egg yolks with a mixer, gradually add milk, flour, baking powder, yeast and egg whites. Pour into a greased crown mold. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Let cool and turn out Baba on serving dish; set aside.

“William Pear” Syrup:

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• !/4 cup “ William Pear “ liqueur

In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil, add sugar and “William Pear” liqueur. Simmer for 2 minutes stirring constantly.

Pour syrup over Baba, let cool in refrigerator.

“William Pear” Light Cream:

• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with a little water
• 2 tbsp. “ William Pear “ liqueur
• 1 cup 35 % cream, whipped

In a double boiler or saucepan at low heat, add egg yolks and sugar. Stir until mixture whitens.

Add warm milk, cornstarch and “William Pear” liqueur. Heat until mixture thickens.

Let cool and add cream; mix well

Pour light cream in the middle of Baba and garnish with fruit cocktail. [6 to 8 servings]

Garnish

• 1 can [28 oz.] fruit cocktail

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tangerines or oranges
• 2 peaches
• 1 cup strawberries or raspberries
• 1/4 cup blanched chopped almonds

Cook the orange juice, water, sugar, and cinnamon until a syrup is formed. Cool. Segment the tangerines or oranges; slice the peaches and berries. Combine in a bowl and pour syrup all over them. Chill 1 hour; sprinkle with the nuts and serve in sherbet cups.

• 2 cups boiling water

• 1 (6 oz.) package cherry flavor gelatin

• 1 cup cold water

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 1 1/2 cups apples, chopped

• 1 cup chopped celery

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

• Lettuce leaves

• Apple slices and celery leave, optional

In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over gelatin; stir until dissolved. Add the cold water and lemon juice; chill until partially set. Fold in apples, celery and nuts. Pour into lightly oiled 6 cup mold or a 9 inch square baking pan. Chill until set, 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Serve on lettuce. Garnish with apple and celery leaves if desired. 

• 3 cups pitted sour red cherries or blueberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• Homemade noodles dough, one recipe
• 1 cup sour cream

Save any juice that oozes from the cherries (if cherries are used). Combine the fruit and juice, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Mix cornstarch and water and add. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain, reserving the syrup.Make the noodle dough and roll it out but do not let it dry. Cut into 3 inch circles. Place a tablespoon of the fruit on each. Fold over into half-moons and press edges together with a little water.

Cook in rapidly boiling water for 10 minutes or until verenikas rise to the top. Drain. Serve with sour cream. Make about 24.