Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

Archive for October, 2007

A pincho is broiled food, usually meat or mushrooms, cooked and served on a short metal skewer (4 to 5 inches long). Cubes of meat are sometimes alternated with button mushrooms or bits of onion or red pepper. Mushrooms alone are good, as are chicken livers, marinated in olive oil for 1 hour before grilling. Tender lamb cut in small bits and basted with olive oil is really good!

Bunuelitos - Small Fritters

Fritters take about ½ hour to prepare, but because the batter can be made beforehand (even the previous day), there is little work at the last minute. The fritters should be small enough to be eaten in one bite from a toothpick. They need not be served hot, and in fact are best just warm. The following batter, which will make three to four dozen small fritters, can be used for many varieties.

Fritter Batter

• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup water

Put flour in mixing bowl and gradually add enough water (about 1/3 cup) to make a batter of the consistency of a thin cream sauce. Stir in one lightly beaten egg and the baking powder.

They'll look like a gourmet dessert, but manage to be a somewhat healthy entree or appetizer idea!

If you enjoy mushrooms, you'll enjoy this recipe for Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sifted flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the center. Drop the eggs, salt and water into it. Work into the flour with the hand and knead until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Knead on a board until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll into pencil thin strips. Cut into 1 inch pieces and drop into boiling salted water. Cook until they rise to the surface. Drain. Serve hot with meats. Serves 6 to 8.

Every meal needs a dessert to follow! Whether it's cookies, brownies, cake or some other sort of sweet treats - be sure to prepare in advance!

Find some delicious dessert recipes here:

• Cocktail Cupcakes
• Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes
• Eggless Milkless Butterless Cake
• Butter Cake Recipes

Ingredients:

• small fish (mackerel, anchovy, or sardine)
• ¼ cup olive oil for frying
• 1 cup olive oil for marinade
• 1 tbs. paprika
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• ½ head of garlic, unpeeled
• A few sprigs of parsley, chopped
• ½ tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste
• Flour for dusting

Fry lightly floured fish in ¼ cup olive oil over medium heat. When lightly browned, put in a recipient, preferably one with a flat surface large enough to accommodate the fish. Heat the cup of olive oil over a high flame. Fry in it coarsely chopped unpeeled half head of garlic with the black pepper and chopped parsley. Let it bubble, stir a few times, remove pan from the fire, and blend in the paprika mixed with the cayenne. Add salt to taste. Pour the hot liquid over the fish. Let it marinate 24 hours before serving. The fish will keep in a cool place five days or more.

This recipe is one of many that you could include in a fishing gift basket. Fisherman love new ways to fry their catches!

For more fish recipes, try:

• Fish Kugel
• Fish Chowder - Sinigang Na Isda
• Fried Fish with Sweet and Sour Sauce
• Sweet and Sour Pungent Fish - Tiem Shun Yu

Little cocktail pastries are excellent made with any leftover, unsweetened dough. Fresh dough does not take long to prepare and can be mixed the day before you wish. For that matter, the pastries can be baked hours in advance. Best hot or warmed over in a moderate oven, they are also good cold. The following recipe makes enough dough for about forty bite-size pastries or thirty tartlets.

Empanadilla Dough

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 egg
• 2 tbs. milk
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt

Put flour on a board or marble slab, make a hole in the center, add all ingredients in the hole, and mix well with fingers. Roll into a ball and cover with a damp cloth. The dough must rest for 15 minutes before use; it can be kept in a cool place for 24 hours.

Enjoy your gourmet desserts, and don't forget to share!

If you liked this recipe, you'll really enjoy this recipe for French Breakfast Puffs.

• 3 eggs
• 3 cups grated, drained potatoes
• 1/3 cup potato flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons grated onion
• 4 tablespoons melted butter or fat

Beat the eggs until thick. Stir in the potatoes, potato flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, onion and butter or fat.Turn into a greased 1 ½ quart baking dish or casserole. Bake in a 350 degree oven until brown, about 1 hour. Serve hot. Serves 6 to 8.

When all is said and done, don't forget to bake some cookies for dessert!

For more kugel recipes, try:

• Barley Kugel
• Fish Kugel
• Noodle Kugel
• Kraut Kugel
• Rice Kugel
• Tzibbele Kugel