Cookie Gift Baskets Tip & Recipe Blog

Archive for the ‘Other’ Category

Ingredients:

• Semisweet or milk chocolate for melting
• A variety of ingredients to mix with chocolate, such as chocolate morsels, candy-coated chocolate treats, 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 bottom of the mold to remove any air bubbles.
  3. Pick 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.

Banana bread is one of America's favorite recipes. It seems like it's good for you (unlike chocolate brownies, even if they are amazing), as banana bread involves fruit, right? So here is a great recipe for you to make your own banana puree bread at home.

Ingredients:

• 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.

Care to try making more desserts with bananas? Try this recipe for banana cupcakes!

From your trials of cookies and bars, you may or may not have heard of a dessert called spumoni, the Italian version of ice cream. If you haven't, then you're in for a treat. Although, either way, you're in for a treat because the recipe is as follows:

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 aluminum, 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.

Christmastime is one of the best times to make unique desserts instead of your usual chocolate chip cookies. In this case, your dessert is going to be one of the most desired at the party!

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (4 serving size) or 1 package (8 serving size) strawberry flavored gelatin
  

• 5 cups boiling water

• 2/3 cups sour cream or vanilla yogurt

• 2 packages (4 serving size) or 1 package (8 serving size) flavored gelatin

Directions:

Dissolve strawberry flavor gelatin into 2 1/2 cups of the boiling water. Pour 1 1/2 cups of strawberry flavor gelatin into 6 cup ring mold. Chill until set but not firm, about 30 minutes. Chill remaining strawberry flavor gelatin in bowl until slightly thickened. Gradually blend in 1/3 cup of the sour cream or yogurt. Spoon over gelatin in mold. Chill until set but not firm, about 15 minutes.

Dissolve lime gelatin in remaining boiling water. Chill until slightly thickened. Pour 1/2 cups of the lime flavor gelatin over creamy layer in mold. Chill until set but not firm, about 15 minutes. Chill remaining lime flavor gelatin in bowl until slightly thickened. Gradually blend in remaining sour cream or yogurt. Spoon over gelatin in mold. Chill for about 2 hours. Unmold.

Making coconut cream pudding might sound more difficult than it actually is. The simple recipe has everyday Joe's looking like chefs at their neighborhood get-togethers. How do you make this infamous dessert instead of your usual cookies? Read on.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs. butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 tbs. sifted flour
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups coconut cream
• 6 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Directions:

Cream the butter; gradually beat in the sugar. Mix in the flour and cinnamon. Add 1 egg yolk at a time, beating after each addition and until light and fluffy. Gradually add the coconut cream. Fold in the egg whites. Divide among 8 buttered custard cups. Set in a shallow pan of hot water. Bake 45 minutes or until set. Chill and turn out.

Making hard sauce is even easier than making cookies! This recipe features only three ingredients that you'll likely have around the house.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 3 tbsp. rum or brandy

Directions:

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.

Making chocolate mousse is one of the most fun activities to do in baking, and one of the tastiest chocolate treats out there. The end result is a delicious treat well worth the work.

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 flavored 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.

Making sago sweet treats is a great adventure. Trying new things instead of baking the same old cookies is always a great idea.

Ingredients:

• 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

Directions:

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 8x8 inch pan. Chill. Cut in squares and coat all sides with coconut.

Oh bring us some figgy pudding, oh bring us some figgy pudding... Oh bring us some figgy pudding, - Oh, sorry. Didn't see you there.

Well then, here is a wonderful recipe for making a traditional treat that the whole family will love, figgy pudding. It's not one of your traditional Christmas cookies, but it's just as good!

• 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.

If you're a pudding fan, then you'll love plum pudding. It's a different flavor that not too many people have heard of (or tried) but it is certainly worth trying! Not to mention, it's a great Thanksgiving treat to share with family and friends.

Ingredients:

• 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

Directions:

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.