Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

Archive for February, 2008

• 2 cup chestnuts

• 2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup honey

Soak the chestnuts overnight in water to cover. Drain, shell, and dry.Combine the sugar and honey in a saucepan. Cook over low heat 1 hour, stirring frequently. Add the chestnuts and cook 2 hours, stirring frequently. Separate the chestnuts and let cool.

• 5 eggs

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3/4 cup sifted flour
• 3/4 tsp. double acting baking powder
• 2 tbs. confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8 x 8 inch brownie pan or 9 x 12 inch loaf pan and dust lightly with flour. Beat the eggs until light, and then add the sugar and honey. Beat until thick (about 10 minutes). Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture; beat only until smooth. Turn into the pan. Bake 40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto the cake rack until completely cool. Turn right side up and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

A flaky crust and rich layers make these bars sinfully delicious! 

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

• 1/4 cup cocoa

• 1 cup cold butter, cut into chunks

Using a pastry cutter, mix the crust ingredients together until they have a flaky pie type consistency.  Pat crust mixture firmly into a 9×13” pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.

Middle Layer

• 1 – 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 cup chocolate chips

• 1 tsp. vanilla

In a double boiler or in the microwave, melt together the middle layer ingredients. Mix until all ingredients are melted and well blended.  Pour on top of cooled crust.

Top Layer

• 1 cup chocolate chips

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Sprinkle the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts over the middle layer being careful to distribute them evenly.  Press lightly on chips and nuts so they set into the middle layer.  Bake again at 350° for 20 minutes.  Cool and cut into cookie bars.

Adjust the amount of chilly to your taste. Wear plastic or rubber gloves while handling the chilies to protect skin from the oil in them. Avoid direct contact with eyes, and wash hands thoroughly after handling.

• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeno chile, cored, seeded, and diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• Cilantro leaves, chopped
• Salt

1. In a medium bowl, combined all the ingredients, adding the cilantro leaves and salt to taste. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

• 1/2 cup shortening

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 beaten egg

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1 1/2 cups applesauce

• 2 cups flour

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 1 tsp. cloves

• 2 tsp. soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 cup raisins (optional)

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cream together the shortening and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Add the beaten egg, vanilla and applesauce mixing well. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients stirring together well. Add these dry ingredients to wet mixture stirring until thoroughly mixed.  Spread cookie bar mixture evenly in a greased and floured 10×15” pan.  Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 25 minutes.  Cool bars prior to frosting.

Frosting

• 1 – 8 oz. package softened cream cheese

• 5 Tbsp. softened butter

• 2 tsp. vanilla

• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together with an electric mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time stirring between each addition until you achieve the desired frosting consistency. Frost the cooled applesauce cookie bars, cut into squares, and store in the refrigerator.

• 3/4 cup butter

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 cups flour

• 1/2 tsp. soda

• 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Filling:

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 small can crushed pineapple

• 1 cup chopped dry apricots

First cook the filling by adding the sugar, pineapple with juice and dry apricots to a heavy saucepan and cooking over low heat for 20 minutes – be sure to stir often to prevent burning.  Cool completely prior to spreading on the crust.  For the crust, cream together the butter and sugar, stir in the flour and soda until well mixed.  Spread evenly into 9×13” well greased pan and bake for 25 minutes at 350°.  Spread cooled filling over baked layer.  Sprinkle over the coconut and walnuts pressing down gently with fingers so it sticks to the filling layer.  Bake cookie bars another 20 minutes at 350°. Cool and cut into squares.

• 1 – 12 oz. bag milk chocolate chips

• 2 – 1 oz. squares unsweetened chocolate

• 1 cup chopped pecans

• 5 cups corn flakes

• 1 cup chopped and pitted dates

• 1/4 tsp. salt

Melt chocolates together in the microwave (be sure to use a glass microwavable bowl). Remove from microwave and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto wax paper. Place in refrigerator chilling until firm. Store cookie delights in an airtight container.

A classic cookie for the holidays that both adults and kids will love alike.  Santa undoubtedly likes them too – with a big glass of cold milk on Christmas Eve. 

• 1 cup butter

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 3/4 cup white sugar

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 2 eggs

• 2 1/4 cups flour

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 bag M&M candies (Christmas Colors)

Cream together the butter and sugars. Add the vanilla and eggs mixing well. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, folding in the M&M’s last so they won’t get smashed. Drop cookies by the spoonful on a cookie sheet.  They should be about 2” in size and spread about 2” apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 375°.  Recipe makes about 8 dozen festive Christmas cookies.

Bottom Layer

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 stick margarine

• 1 cup Hershey’s Chocolate syrup

• 1 cup flour

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Middle Layer

• 1 1/2 cups Miniature Marshmallows

Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 6 Tbsp. margarine

• 6 Tbsp. milk

• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs well, then add sugar and margarine and cream together.  Mix in the chocolate syrup.  Then add the flour a little at a time (mixing between each addition).  Fold in pecans. Pour batter into a 9×13” pan and bake at 350° for about 25 minutes, use a toothpick to test.  Remove brownies from the oven and immediately sprinkle the miniature marshmallows on the brownies. Put brownie pan back into the oven (which has been turned off) for a couple of minutes to soften the marshmallows and make them spreadable. Remove from the oven and spread the marshmallows so they are evenly distributed over the brownie base.  Cool prior to frosting.

To make the frosting, bring sugar, margarine and milk to boil. Boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips mixing until melted.  Cool frosting until it is the desired consistency so that you can pour it over the marshmallows and spread evenly.  Cut into squares and serve.  

• 2 cups sugar

• 1/2 cup cocoa

• 1 cup melted butter

• 4 eggs

• 2 tsp. vanilla

• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• 1 tub of chocolate frosting

Mix together sugar and cocoa before stirring in the melted butter. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well on medium speed with an electric mixer.  Sift flour and salt together and slowly add a little at a time to the bowl beating well between each addition.  Once well mixed, fold in the walnuts by hand. Pour the brownie batter into a greased 9×13” pan.  Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool brownies well and frost with your favorite store bought chocolate frosting.  For a gourmet or designer look, cut brownies into squares and place an individual walnut at the center of each one. Store them in an airtight container.