Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

Archive for February, 2008

• 1 1/2 cups margarine

• 3 cups sugar

• 3/4 cup cocoa

• 6 eggs

• 3 tsp. vanilla

• 2 1/4 cups flour

• 3/4 tsp. salt

• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Cream together margarine, sugar and cocoa.  Add the eggs and vanilla mixing well either by hand or with a mixer on low.  Stir in the salt and then add the flour a little at a time until completely mixed together.  Finally fold in the walnuts.  Pour the brownie batter mixture into a lightly greased 10×15” pan.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350°.  Cool prior to frosting

Frosting

• 6 Tbsp. margarine

• 1/3 cup milk

• 1 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Bring margarine, milk and sugar to a full boil in a heavy saucepan.  Once the mixture reaches a full boil, time it for 30 seconds, then remove immediately from the heat. Add the chocolate chips stirring vigorously until smooth and creamy.  Spread frosting onto the cooled brownies.

• 1/2 cup shortening

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup evaporated milk

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 2 3/4 cups flour

• 1/2 tsp. soda

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 cup chopped pecans

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugars and shortening. Add the eggs, milk and vanilla stirring thoroughly. Sift the flour, soda and salt together and then add to the wet ingredients mixing well.  Finally fold in the nuts.  Cover mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Drop dough by spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. 

Glaze

To make the glaze – mix together the butter and milk, then stir in the powdered sugar a little at a time until you get a thin glaze consistency.  Pour mixture into a plastic sandwich bag and clip a tiny hole in the corner.  Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies.

• 1 1/2 lbs white candy coating or plain white almond bark

• 2 cups miniature marshmallows

• 2 cups Captain Crunch cereal

• 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

• 1 cup peanuts

Melt the candy coating or almond bark in the microwave in a glass container (about 5 minutes on medium power).  In another bowl, mix cereals, marshmallows and nuts together. Pour melted candy over cereal mixture and stir well making sure all pieces are coated.  Drop as clusters on wax paper and cool quickly buy placing in refrigerator. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container.  NOTE – For a fun variation during the holidays, use Christmas Crunch

Berry cereal instead of Captain Crunch because it has the red and green ‘berries’ in the cereal.

• 8 ounces caramels (about 30)

• 3 Tbsp. milk

• 3 Tbsp. margarine or butter

• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar

• 2 1/2 cups peanuts

In top of double boiler or in a microwave safe bowl, combine unwrapped caramels and milk.  Melt either in double boiler or microwave (on high in 30 second intervals) stirring occasionally until caramels are fully melted. Remove from heat or microwave. Add margarine and mix well. Stir in the powdered sugar beating by hand until smooth. Stir in peanuts. With buttered fingers, press mixture in lightly greased 8” square pan. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. Cut into bars.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

A great treat for those with special dietary needs. These bars use Equal sweetener making them a sugar free alternative to regular carrot bars.

• 2 eggs

• 1 1/2 tsp. Equal sweetener

• 3/4 cup oil

• 1 cup grated raw carrots

• 1/4 cup raisins (optional)

• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

• 1 1/4 cups flour

• 1 tsp. soda

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• Dash of salt

In a large mixing bowl, blend together the eggs, Equal, oil and carrots (and optional raisins and chopped walnuts).  Add the soda, cinnamon and salt mixing well.  Add the flour until well mixed.  Pour the mixture into a greased and floured 8” square pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until firm in the center.

• 1 cup butter

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1 egg, beaten

• 2 tsp. vanilla

• 2 tsp. rum flavoring

• 3 cups flour

• 1 tsp. nutmeg

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the beaten egg, rum flavor and vanilla stirring together well.  Sift flour and nutmeg together and add to the wet ingredients. Sir until thoroughly combined. Shape dough into 1” balls and flatten slightly with either a fork or the bottom of a sugared glass. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes.

• Frosting

• 1 Tbsp. butter

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

• 1 tsp. rum flavoring

• 2 cups powdered sugar

For the frosting, blend together the butter, vanilla, and rum flavoring. Slowly add the powdered sugar until you get the desired frosting consistency. Frost the cooled cookies and sprinkle each one with a bit of ground nutmeg.  Recipe makes 4 dozen iced cookies.

These rich brownies use a store bought cake mix, but you wouldn’t know it by tasting them. Absolutely delectable!

• 1 – 14 ounce package caramels

• 2/3 cup evaporated milk

• 1 box German chocolate cake mix

• 3/4 cup softened margarine

• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

• 1 – 12 ounce bag semi sweet chocolate chips

Combine caramels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk on top of double boiler, stirring until melted. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix (do not prepare according to package), remaining evaporated milk and softened margarine. Mix by hand until well mixed (it is much thicker than a cake – more like a cookie dough).  Press half of the cake mixture in a greased 9×13” pan and bake for 6 minutes at 350°. Remove from oven and cool for a minute. Then pour caramel evenly over top of baked cake mixture.  On top, sprinkle evenly with chopped nuts and chocolate chips and lightly press down so that the nuts and chips settle into the caramel mixture.  Drop the remaining cake mixture by teaspoonfuls on top. Put back in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 more minutes. Cool slightly and cut into bars.

• 1 cup butter

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 3 cups flour

• 2/3 cup cocoa

• 1 tsp. soda

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 bag of miniature marshmallows

Cream together sugars and butter in a large mixing bowl.  Then add the eggs and vanilla stirring well. Sift together the flour, cocoa, soda and salt. Add to the mixture.  Fold about a 1” ball of dough around a single mini-marshmallow (so there is a marshmallow in the middle of each cookie). Roll the tops of the cookies in sugar.  Bake cookies at 375° for 8 to 10 minutes or until they crack.  Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

• 1/2 cup shortening

• 1 egg

• 1 cup flour

• Dash of salt

• 1/2 tsp. soda

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 1 cup quick cooking oats

• 4 tsp. Equal or fructose to sweeten

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1/4 cup raisins (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine together all of the ingredients until thoroughly blended. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 8 to 10 minutes. Store sugar free cookies in an airtight container.

• 1/2 cup mashed potatoes at room temperature

• 1 tsp. butter or margarine

• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 1/2 tsp. almond extract

• 1 – 7 oz. package flaked coconut

• Walnuts, Pecans or Candied Cherries for decorations

Add butter and almond flavoring to potatoes. Gradually stir in sugar (mixture will be very thin). Then stir in coconut. Drop cookies by teaspoonful on waxed paper. Top each one with a walnut, pecan or candied cherry.  Let cookies set-up for about a 1/2 hour before packing in an airtight container.  These cookies freeze beautifully. By using red halved candied cherries you can make them a festive addition to your holiday cookie delivery to neighbors, friends, and family.