Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

• 3/4 cup farina

• 1/2 cup sifted flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 lb. butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut, chopped fine
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 egg whites, stiffly beaten
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the farina, flour, and baking powder together. Cream the butter; add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in one egg yolk at a time, and then add the flour mixture, coconut, and vanilla. Fold in the egg whites. Turn into 2 buttered 8-inch layer cake pans. Bake 20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack. May be decorated with whipped cream and grated coconut.

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups rice flour
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup flaked coconut
• 2 cups corn oil

Cook the sugar and water until syrupy. Cool. Sift the rice flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl; stir in the syrup and coconut. Let stand 2 hours.Heat the oil in a deep skillet; drop the batter by the tablespoon into it. Fry until browned on both sides.

• 2 cups flour

• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup cooked diced pork, chicken or beef
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 lb. crab meat
• 1/2 cup cooked vermicelli or fine noodles
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• Fat for deep frying

Sift the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives. Beat the egg yolk and water and add, tossing lightly until a ball of dough is formed. Chill 1 hour.

Chop together until very fine the meat, mushrooms, crab meat, vermicelli, egg, remaining salt, and pepper. Roll out the dough ¼-inch thick and cut into 6-inch circles. Place some of the filling on one end, turn ends in and roll up like a jelly roll. Moisten edges with egg white or water to seal. Heat the fat to 365 degrees and fry 2 or 3 rolls at a time for 10 minutes, or until browned. Drain and keep warm while preparing the balance.

• 1 cup orange juice

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tangerines or oranges
• 2 peaches
• 1 cup strawberries or raspberries
• 1/4 cup blanched chopped almonds

Cook the orange juice, water, sugar, and cinnamon until a syrup is formed. Cool. Segment the tangerines or oranges; slice the peaches and berries. Combine in a bowl and pour syrup all over them. Chill 1 hour; sprinkle with the nuts and serve in sherbet cups.

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. ground anise
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking powdered

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch layer-cake pan and dust with flour. Beat the eggs and sugar until very thick and light. Sift the anise, flour, and baking powdered into it and folds in lightly but thoroughly. Bake 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack. Turn out and cut into pie-shaped wedges.

• 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

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

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar

• 1 cup oatmeal

• 3/4 cup flour

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. soda

• 1/2 cup margarine

• 1 beaten egg

• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1/2 cup walnuts

Combine together the first 5 ingredients (all dry).  Then add the wet ingredients including the margarine, egg, lemon juice and vanilla.  Mix together well using an electric mixer on low speed.  Fold in the walnuts.  Spread cookie dough evenly in an 8” square pan.  Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes (until golden brown).  Cut into square cookies and serve.

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 1/2 cup margarine

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup sour cream

• 3 large bananas, mashed

• 2 tsp. vanilla

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. soda

• 2 cups flour

Cream together the sugar and margarine in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and sour cream mixing well.  Then add the bananas and vanilla mixing well.  Sift together the flour, soda and salt.  Then mix them in with the wet ingredients.  Pour the gourmet banana bar mixture into a greased and floured 15”x10”x1” pan. Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes.  Use a toothpick to test bar doneness.  Cool completely prior to frosting.

Brown Butter Frosting

• 1/4 cup butter

• 3 Tbsp. sour cream

• 2 cups powdered sugar

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat stirring constantly until light browned and bubbly.  After removing from the heat stir in the sour cream until mixed well. Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar at a time beating with an electric mixer between each addition until you achieve a fluffy, creamy frosting consistency.  Frost and cut bars into squares.  Store gourmet bars in the refrigerator.

• 1 2/4 cup flour

• 1 cup quick cooking oatmeal

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 cup cold margarine

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

• 20 caramels

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 can apple pie filling

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, soda and salt. Using a pastry cutter or the back of a large spoon, mix in the margarine until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of crumb mixture for later use and then press the rest with fingers in the bottom of a greased 9×13” pan. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.

Melt caramels with sweetened condensed milk by placing the unwrapped caramels and milk in a microwave safe bowl and microwaving on high in 30-second intervals. Check and stir the caramel mixture after every 30 seconds and if it isn’t melted, go another 30 second interval.  Mixture should be smooth.  Spoon apple filling over prepared and cooled crust. Top with melted caramel mixture.  Mix 1 cup of walnuts in with the reserved crumb mixture and then sprinkle evenly over the top.  Bake bars 20 minutes or until set.  Cool and cut into squares.

• 1/2 cup whole natural almonds

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1 cup shreds of wheat bran cereal

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 3/4 cup milk

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 1 tsp. grated orange peel

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup vegetable or almond oil

Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted. Cool and chop. In crease the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, combine the cereal, sugar, milk, orange juice, and peel. Let stand 2 minutes or until cereal is softened. Add egg and oil; beat well. Stir in the almonds. Add the liquid mixture; stir just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy; do not over mix. Spoon batter evenly into 12 greased 2 ½ inch muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.