Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

Archive for December, 2007

• 2 2/3 cups semolina or farina

• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 qt. coconut milk
• 1/4 lb. butter
• 3 egg whites, stiffly beaten
• 3/4 cups seedless raisins
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds or 1/4 cup thinly sliced blanched almonds

Stir in the semolina, sugar, and salt into the coconut milk. Let stand for 30 minutes. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the butter; cook over low heat, stirring almost steadily in one direction until thickened. Remove from heat and fold in the egg whites and raisins. Turn into a buttered 2-quart baking pan or casserole. Sprinkle the sesame seeds or almonds on top.  Bake in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. Cool completely; turn out and slice.

Pancakes:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups water
• Fat for deep frying

Mix the flour, salt, eggs, and water until smooth. Lightly oil a 6-inch skillet and heat. Pour as little of the batter as necessary to cover the bottom, into the skillet. Bake over very low heat until set, and then turn over for a few seconds. Turn out onto a towel or flat plate. Stack while preparing the balance.Place a tbs. of the filling in the center of each pancake in an oblong. You can use just about anything you’d like as a filling for spring rolls. Vegetables should be either lightly steamed or sauteed and sliced into thin slivers. If you’re using noodles, I find it works best to break them in half before cooking so they’re not too long. Fresh herbs are wonderful to use in spring rolls as well. Fold in the opposite ends, and then roll up.Heat the fat to 375 degrees and fry a few rolls at a time in it. Drain, cut in thirds and serve hot with mustard and duk sauce.

• 1/2 cup coconut cream

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 cup fresh coconut, grated or 1 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Combine the coconut cream and sugar; cook over low heat until sugar melts. Cool and stir into the eggs.Sift the flour and salt into a bowl; stir in the egg mixture until dough is formed. Roll out ¼-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes. Arrange on a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with the coconut. Bake 8 minutes, or until delicately browned. Cool on a cake rack.

• 1 1/2 lbs. chestnut

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup blanched chopped almonds

Make a crisscross cut on the top of each chestnut. Cook in boiling water 20 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel. Mash the chestnuts very smooth; blend in the sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Shape into walnut sized balls. Dip in the honey and roll in the nuts.

• 2 lb. chestnuts

• 1/2 cup honey
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Cut a cross in the top of each chestnut; cook until boiling water until shells burst. Drain, cool, and shell. Force through a food mill and blend in the honey. Shape in mixed with the cinnamon.

These cookies cook quickly and burn easily, so keep an eye on them. Baking cookies on parchment paper or a silicone baking mat placed on a baking sheet can reduce the cookies’ tendency to spread, burn, and stick to the baking sheet.

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter: melted and cooled
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet lightly with butter, or place parchment paper or a baking mat on an ungreased cookie sheet.
2. Pour the melted butter into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, oats, flour, baking powder, nuts, coconut extract, and egg, and mix by hand until blended.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart, as the cookies spread while baking. Bake 5-8 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden brown around edges.
4. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup chicken fat
• 3 eggs
• 6 cups cooked fine noodles, drained

Brown the onions in the fat. Cool for 15 minutes. Beat the eggs very well and stir in the noodles, browned onions and fat. If you have any grebenes, add them. Turn into a greased oblong or square pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until brown. Cut into squares. Serves 6 to 8.

• 1 cup rice flour

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 cups finely ground blanched almonds
• 6 tbs. soft butter
• 1 tbs. ice water
• 30 almonds

Sift the rice flour and brown sugar into a bowl. Mix in the almonds, and then work in butter with the hand. Stir in the ice water. Break off tablespoon-size pieces of dough and shape into balls. Arrange on a greased cookie sheet, leaving at least 1 inch between each. Flatten slightly and place an almond in the center of each. Bake 12 minutes, or until delicately browned.

• 1/2 cups rootbeer
• 1 scoop (1/2 cup) vanilla ice cream
• Butterscotch syrup

1. Fill a glass two thirds full with rootbeer. Add 1 scoop of ice cream. Top with butterscotch syrup.

• 1 cup rice flour
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 cups finely ground blanched almonds
• 6 tbs. soft butter
• 1 tbs. ice water
• 30 almonds
Sift the rice flour and brown sugar into a bowl. Mix in the almonds, and then work in butter with the hand. Stir in the ice water. Break off tablespoon-size pieces of dough and shape into balls. Arrange on a greased cookie sheet, leaving at least 1 inch between each. Flatten slightly and place an almond in the center of each. Bake 12 minutes, or until delicately browned.