Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

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It’s growing season!  Soon peppers of every color will be sprouting in your garden.  Even if the green thumb gene skipped a generation, local Farmer’s Markets are a great place to pick up fresh produce.

Bell peppers are perfect for stuffing!  This classic recipe is healthy and delicious and perfect as a main dish served with garlic toast and a salad.

Ingredients:

6 – 8 large red, yellow or green bell peppers
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 lbs of ground beef
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
1 can peeled chopped tomatoes
2 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water

Step 1:  Prepare the Peppers: Rinse the peppers well under running water (if they have a waxy finish, you should scrub them as well). To core the pepper, use a paring knife to cut around the stem. Remove the stem and scoop out the pepper’s insides including the seeds and fibers.

Boil the peppers in salted water for 5 to 8 minutes (or steam them). Drain well and set aside to cool a bit.

Step 2: Cook the Rice:  Cook the rice according to package directions.

Step 3: Prepare the Filling: In a large frying pan, brown the onion and beef together adding a little oil if necessary. Once it is cooked, drain it.

Then either in the large frying pan or in a separate bowl, add the cooked rice, tomatoes, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the cooked onion and hamburger.

Stir well until all the ingredients are distributed evenly.

Step 4: Stuff the Peppers with Filling: In a 9 x 13 baking dish or similar sized oval dish, arrange (stand up) the bell peppers and stuff them full of the hamburger/rice mixture. If you still have any hamburger/rice mixture left after stuffing all the peppers, just pour it next to the peppers in the baking dish.

In a small glass bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, remaining salt and pepper. Pour evenly over the stuffed peppers (and any excess rice mixture that you placed outside the peppers in the baking dish).

Step 5: Bake the Stuffed Peppers: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour at 350 degF. Baste tops of peppers frequently with juices in the baking dish. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 1/2 hour more. Top should be slightly brown and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Valentine’s Day is approaching fast!  We’ve just unveiled 2 new fun and delicious Valentine cookie bouquets for your sweetheart!

Our gourmet cookie bouquets are created from delicious butter creme cookies, baked fresh daily and professionally hand-decorated. Cookies are approximately 4-5″ tall, depending on shape.  Each bouquet is artfully arranged and carefully packaged for shipment to insure it arrives safely.

Our first new design really packs a punch!  Let your Valentine know you think they’re a real knockout!  We’ve decorated cookies shaped like boxing gloves, boxer shorts and heart for a unique and unforgettable gift!  Perfect for the hard-to-buy-for man in your life!

The next new bouquet is our “Sending My Love” cookie bouquet.  Sweetly decorated mailboxes, lips, hearts and an evelope sealed with a kiss make up this fun bouquet.  Whether your Valentine is near or far, go straight to their heart (or stomach!) with a delcious cookie bouquet!

Prices start at $28 and we ship them straight to their door!

• 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.

• 1 cup shortening

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup white sugar

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. soda

• 1 tsp. salt

• 2 cups oatmeal

• 2 cups coconut

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream the shortening and sugars together. Add the vanilla and beaten eggs stirring well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add to the wet ingredients mixing well. Finally add the oatmeal, coconut and walnuts stirring until thoroughly mixed. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes. Recipe makes about 5 dozen cookies.

• 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.