Cookie Gift Baskets Tip & Recipe Blog

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Have you started picking those raspberries yet?  Whether you grow your own, pick them somewhere else, or buy them at the store, raspberries are a small delicious little berry that has endless possibilities!

Raspberry butter is a delicious treat on toast, waffles, or anything else you’d put butter on!  The berries give your baked goods a sweetness that will keep you coming back for more!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softenened
• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• Dash lemon juice

Directions:

In a small bowl, beat all ingredients until well blended and smooth. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before serving. Yield: about 1/2 cup.

Are you looking to serve up something cool and green this St. Patrick’s Day?  This recipe combines delicious Mint Chip ice cream with a cookie crumb crust for a dessert that strikes gold.

This is a great plan-ahead dessert because it can be frozen up to 2 months.

Ingredients

• 2 packages (14 ounces each) cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1 gallon mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened
• 1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• Shaved chocolate

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and butter. Press into two 13-in. x 9-in. dishes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, combine milk, sugar, butter and chocolate. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat then cool completely.
• Spread ice cream over each crust. Spoon cooled chocolate sauce over top; evenly spread to cover. Freeze until firm. Spread with whipped topping. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before cutting. Garnish with shaved chocolate.
  

Makes 2 desserts – 12 to 15 servings each.

If you love layered cakes, then you’ll also love filled cupcakes! Cupcakes are quite easy to fill.

One way to do it is to use a decorating bag. Use the regular tip that would be used for large writing. On the top of the cupcake poke the tip about three fourths of the way into the center of the cupcake. Squeeze the tube of filling and pull away from the cupcake. Don’t let the filling ooze out of the cupcake. Gently scrape off any filling that is on the outside of the cupcake before frosting it.

Another way to fill a cupcake is to cut out a small section of your cupcake. This works especially well if your filling is thick or lumpy. At about a 45 degree angle, cut a small circular section out of the top of your cupcake – about 1 – 1 1/2 inches deep. Carefully remove that section. Fill your cupcake with the desired filling (frosting, cream, jam, etc.) and then replace the cut out section (trimming if necessary) then frost to cover up the patch.

Your friends and family will be amazed at how professional these cupcakes look and taste!

Making trifles has been one of my passions this year because we were invited to tons of potlucks. Nothing gets more oohs and aahs than a layered trifle dessert. It looks like you spent hours making it, but secretly you know that it was super easy to make. This recipe for brownie trifle is one of the most requested recipes in my family. It is rich, creamy and just plain fantastic!

Directions:
1) Prepare 1 box (19.8 oz) of brownies according to the box directions for fudgy brownies. Bake, cool, and cut the brownies into bite-sized pieces (1″ squares).

2) In a large glass bowl, prepare 3 boxes (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix according to the package directions. Personally, I use about 1 cup less milk (total) than the package suggests because I don’t chill my pudding prior to assembly and that way I have the correct consistency.

3) Be sure to have a large tub of cool whip topping, thawed and a package of chocolate-covered toffee bits (can be found in the aisle near the bags of chocolate chips).

Now that you have all the ingredients ready to go, you can begin the assembly process. Using a 3 quart trifle bowl, place 1/3 of the brownie squares in the bottom, top that with 1/3 of the pudding, top that with 1/3 of the cool whip and finally put on 1/3 of the toffee bits. Repeat that layering process two more times, ending with a layer of the Heath bar toffee bits on top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 8 to 24 hours. Makes 16-18 good size servings.

Another Idea – For parties attended by adults, I like to poke the baked warm brownies with a fork and pour on 1/3 cup of Kahlua. Then I cool the brownies and cut them into the 1″ pieces following the rest of the directions as outlined above. Kahlua adds a nice flavor to the mix.

You can enjoy them in cookies, ice cream, granola bars or by themselves as a sweet little snack, but where did chocolate chips come from?  In 1933, a very inventive Ruth Graves Wakefield was baking cookies at the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts.  She modified the cookie recipe by cutting up a Nestle chocolate bar and adding the chunks to her batter.  The result – the world’s first chocolate chip cookie!  Once Nestle got wind of Ruth’s ingenius addition to her cookie recipe, they offered her a lifetime supply of chocolate if she would allow them to print her recipe on the packaging of their chocolate bars – which were sold with a chipping tool so customers could “chip” away at the bar.  In 1939, Nestle started packaging the chocolate “morsels” in a bag and selling them with Ruth’s recipe – renamed the original Toll House Cookie Recipe.

In the last 70 years, the chocolate chip has been duplicated and re-invented with different flavors including peanut butter, mint, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, butterscotch and white chocolate – even white and dark chocolate swirls.  You can buy mini chips, regular size chips (a little less than 1/2″ across), or jumbo chips.  The teardrop-shaped morsels are available from a number of manufacturers.

No longer used exclusively for baking, chocolate chips are a staple in most American households – including mine.  I always have at least two bags on hand for cookies, pancakes, brownies, 7 layer bars, or melted down to form a chocolate shell over my famous Christmas bonbons – I’ve included the recipe below:

Simple Chocolate Bon Bons

• 2 lbs confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Melt butter and mix all ingredients together (easiest to do this with greased hands).  Roll into balls and place on cookie sheets lined with wax paper.  Freeze for 2-3 hours.  When the balls are solid, melt together a 12 ounce package of chocolate chips and a bar of parrafin wax (shaved – the best way to do this is with a cheese grater), either in the microwave or in a double-boiler.  Dip the balls into the chocolate mixture and place back on the wax paper to try.

Variations:  You can separate the dough into smaller batches and add mint flavoring, coconut, chopped nuts or maraschino cherries.

Depending on the size of your bon bons, this recipe will make up to 7 dozen candies.

• 2 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Melt the chocolate and butter in the top pot of a double broiler. Add the cocoa powder and stir until dissolved. Gradually stir in the sugar, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring.
2. Add the milk and cream. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Serve warm over ice cream.

• 1 tbsp. orange rind, grated
• 1 cup unsweetened orange juice
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 packets of gelatin
• 2 cups plain yogurt, fat free
• 10 ½ oz. frozen raspberries, drained

In a saucepan, mix orange rind, orange juice, sugar and gelatin. Heat to dissolve gelatin. Remove from stove. Leave to set in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Pour gelatin mixture into bowl of food processor, mix until mixture is creamy. Add yogurt and raspberries and beat again. Pour into dessert dishes or a mold and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve cold. [4 servings]

• Semisweet or milk chocolate for melting
• A variety of ingredients to mix with chocolate, such as chocolate morsels, candy-coated chocolate pieces, mini-marshmallows, peanut butter, honey, cereal, nuts, and candy flavorings, placed in separate containers with spoons.
• Microwave-safe bowl or saucepan for melting chocolate
• Large spoon
• Plastic spoons and knives
• Candy-bar molds, one per person Use shaved or finely chopped chocolate, chocolate morsels, or chocolate discs. Candy-bar molds are available at party-supply or arts and crafts stores. If you prefer, you may combined the melted chocolate and mix-ins in a small bowl and spread the mixture into the mold for a chunkier chocolate bar.
  1. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double broiler, uncovered, over low heat. Or microwave on high power for 1 minute, check chocolate, stir, and place back in the microwave for another minute. Repeat until the chocolate has melted.
  2. Spoon a small amount of the melted chocolate into a mold (leaving room for additional ingredients). Spread the chocolate evenly with a plastic knife. Gently tap the bottem of the mold to remove any air bubbles.
  3. Select mixing ingredients for candy bars and place them on top of the chocolate. Cover with additional melted chocolate and spread until smooth.
  4. Let the chocolate cool slightly, and place the mold in refrigerator or freezer to harden, 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chocolate. When the chocolate begins to separate slightly from the mold, and the mold is no longer warm to the touch, remove the chocolate. If necessary, gently dip the bottom of the mold in the warm water to loosen chocolate.

• 1/3 cup corn oil
• ¼ cup corn syrup
• 1 ½ cups banana puree
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, mix oil, corn syrup, banana puree and eggs, set aside.In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.Gradually pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients while stirring with a wooden spoon; mix just enough to moisten.

Poor into a greased losf pan, bake 50 minutes.

Melted Icing:

• 2 tbsp. milk
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 ½ cups icing sugar

In a saucepan, heat milk and lemon juice. In a medium sized bowl, add icing sugar. Gradually add warm milk, just enough to have the desired consistency to run smoothly over the cake.Turn out cake and garnish with melted icing.

Mixture #1 Outside Custard:

• 1 qt. milk
• 4 tbs. cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 tbs. chopped almonds
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Mixture #2 Cream Filling:

• 1/2 pt. heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 maraschino cherries
• 2 tbs. candied orange peel

Prepare Mixture #1 as follows:

Blend cornstarch in ½ cup of milk. Combine with balance of milk, egg yolks, and sugar. Blend thoroughly in deep saucepan.

Cook very slowly over hot water; stir constantly, about 10 minutes or until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from fire immediately. Stir in chopped almonds. Cool.

Pour into freezing tray of refrigerator. When firm but not hard, remove from tray.

While Mixture #1 is freezing, prepare Mixture #2 as follows:

Pour cream in deep chilled mixing bowl; whip until firm. Add sugar; whip until very thick. Chop maraschino cherries and orange peel very fine; blend into whipped cream. Place bowl in fridge to keep cold and stiff while preparing molds.

Spumoni molds are always made to order. If unable to purchase them, use 10 to 12 individual aluminium, covered jello molds.

Chill molds before using.

Remove Mixture #1 (Outside Custard) from freezing tray. Line individual molds with 1 inch thickness of this partially frozen custard. Leave hollow in center of mold. Fill hollow with Mixture #2 (Cream Filling). Cover with Mixture #1. Cover molds. If molds are without covers, protect spumoni by covering with 2 thickness of heavy waxed paper.

Place individual molds in freezing compartment of refrigerator at degree set for freezing.

Makes enough spumoni to serve 10 to 12.