Easy Frosting Ideas

Glazes are some of the simplest types of frostings. They’re created from powdered sugar and some type of liquid. Occasionally, a flavoring like vanilla extract or almond extract is added. These are always very thin, and in most cases, you pour them over the top of the dessert. They’re also pretty versatile, so you can use them on the top of a cake or some cookies, but they also work well for special treats like sweet rolls, or other types of pastries. Glazes do harden once they’ve set, which makes them ideal in some settings.

Buttercream frosting is one of the most common types available, and it is fairly simple as well. While there are lots of different recipes out there, typically it’s just a matter of combining butter and sugar together. You can added milk and eggs to alter various properties, and you can also add different flavorings for other effects. While some older recipes make buttercream icing much more difficult, you’ll find most bakers and dessert specialists these days just beat softened butter with the other ingredients. Fortunately, it’s a very forgiving choice. You just can’t overbeat it or use it in the wrong manner. It is, however, very soft, so it’s primarily considered to be a cake icing.

Complex Options

You don’t want to stay stuck in the world of glazes and buttercreams forever. There are many other types of frostings out there that grace the tops of desserts everywhere, but you’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and grab a cookbook and some culinary tools to get involved with these.

Royal icing seems, at first glance, very similar to a glaze, but the technique here is more difficult. You have to add egg whites and, often, meringue powder, to the recipe. The goal with this is to create a thick product with serious hardening capabilities. Royal icing is what builds holiday gingerbread houses as well as sugar sculptures, and royal icing is what makes cookie bouquets look so amazing. So while you may want to use it as an addition, you may not want to top your favorite cake with it.

Fondant has become an increasingly popular choice because of the level of elegance it can convey. Fondant is typically used on cakes, but it can also be used for pastries and candies. There are a variety of different fondant recipes, but most involve powdered sugar, gelatin, corn syrup, and vegetable oil. The neat thing about fondant is that you roll it out, then cut it to any shape you desire. You can even use these on decorated birthday cookies or cupcakes and it looks very professional.

Ganache is served with some of the most sophisticated desserts in the world. One quick taste will show you why. It makes a wonderful filling for pastries and cake, but it can also be used as a glaze. If you go too far with a ganache, you end up with chocolate truffles, so be careful with your recipe.

Whipped cream frosting is a fairly delicate choice While it’s not too hard to make – it’s just a matter of combining whipping cream, a bit of sugar, and the right flavorings – it has to be applied in the right setting. You can easily end up with butter if you whip it too long, and anything you put it on, from cake to cookies, has to be promptly refrigerated.

The frosting is always going to be the best part of the dessert. Getting the right frosting, though, is essential.

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Whether you're a fan of shortbread cookies or like to indulge on something chocolate, we have a collection you'll love!

Contest ends May 26th so hurry and enter today!

Our cookie boxes and tins are a great idea for all your gift-giving needs!  The creative containers that the cookies are packed in add a festive touch that the recipient will love. Birthdays, anniversaries and get well are just a few of the occasions made sweeter with cookies!  At Gourmet Cookie Bouquets, we have a design for just about any event that comes along.

We have delicious cookie towers at include a variety of treats like vanilla pound cake, chocolate chunk brownie bites, mini chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookie cutouts with buttercreme frosting and gourmet cookie flavors like chocolate chip, white chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, chocolate chip pecan, M&M, snickerdoodle and chocolate frosted peanut butter.

For a lovely presentation, try one of our boxes that holds a bouquet of cookies! A few of our bouquets (including the Feel Better Soon design shown above) gives you the option of choosing just chocolate chip, a variety of popular flavor, or even sugar free chocolate chip cookies.  It's a great treat for those with special dietary needs.

Just a few of the flavors you'll find in our gourmet cookie tins are milk chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter with peanut butter chips, white chocolate macadamia nut, semi-sweet chocolate chip and white chocolate caramel pecan. Once the cookies are gone the recipient will be able to use the tin to store items in, or fill it back up with treats to pass along!

No matter which one you choose, we're sure it'll bring a smile to your face.

The giveaway rules:

*Enter using any of the Rafflecopter choices available for entry below. Any of the options are acceptable, and entries per person are limited to the number indicated in the contest form. Entries will be reviewed and duplicate or uncompleted entries will be removed.

* If you have problems using Rafflecopter, be sure you are running the latest version of your web browser and have JavaScript updated.

NOTE - You must complete the specified entry task in order to be eligible to win the contest. If you click the green entry button without completing the task, your entry will be thrown out (disqualified from winning the prize).

*Contest is open to all residents of the 48 Contiguous States and only to those 18 or older!

*Winners will be chosen by random. The winners will receive their choice of cookie box or tin valued at up to $75 from this cookie tin and gift box page.

*Winners will be notified via e-mail. You must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.

*The full list of rules can be found here .

*Sweepstakes ends at midnight EST on May 26th, 2013. The sweepstakes winners will be announced by June 2nd, 2013.
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The Early Days

Girl Scout Cookies didn’t always come from a brightly colored box. Instead, their origins are in the home ovens of the girls and troop leaders themselves. In 1912, Juliette Gordon Low created the Girl Scouts. By 1917, many troops were looking for a way to raise funds for various activities. A cookie sale seemed like a good idea. While it’s hard to pin down the exact first date of a Girl Scout cookie sale, the first mention of the activity occurred in December of 1917.

By July of 1922, the ranks had swelled to nearly 2,000 girl scouts, and a cookie recipe was suggested in a magazine that went out to all of the girls. At a total cost of just 27 cents, the cookies could be sold for up to 30 cents a dozen, making a nice profit for the girls.

Throughout that decade and the one that followed, troops of girls across the country baked sugar cookies with the help of moms and troop leaders, then packaged to sell for 35 cents per dozen. It was the perfect fundraiser for the Scouts.

A Commercial Leap

By 1936, the idea of Girl Scouts selling cookies had become so popular, the organization as a whole began looking for some commercial help. Just a year later, more than 125 troops had reported in that they were holding their own cookie sales.

World War II, though, put a temporary halt to the sale of the cookies. Because sugar, flour, and butter were all carefully rationed throughout the war, cookies were fairly hard to come by in any big amounts. The girls switched, temporarily, to calendars to help raise money.

After the war, the national organization moved forward with its idea of licensing bakeries at a local level to produce the cookies. By the end of the 40’s, 29 bakers across the U.S. were licensed, and girls everywhere were offering delicious cookies at a fair price.

The fifties saw three flavor options eventually expand to four. The first three flavors were sandwich cookies, shortbread cookies, and Thin Mints. By the end of the decade, though, the sandwich cookies were offered in two different varieties, vanilla and chocolate.

The next decade brought carefully wrapped cookies to help preserve them. Lots of varieties were now available, but the favorites remained chocolate mint, shortbread, and peanut butter sandwich cookies. By the seventies, just four bakeries were working on the cookies, which helped to keep quality to a maximum and price to a minimum. All of the boxes had the same design across the country, and all of the designs depicted the scouts actually involved in a variety of different projects. There were now seven different flavors.

These days, there are eight different flavors as well as some sugar free cookies. Girls are encouraged to participate and rewarded for their sales numbers. They’re simply an expected part of scouting, and people around Scouts love them almost as much as the girls do.

The post Girl Scout Cookies - Over the Years appeared first on Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog.

The contest ends May 5, 2013 so hurry and enter today!

Chances are, growing up your mom spent plenty of time baking cookies!  Remember the smell of the fresh-baked goodies as you walked into the kitchen?  Treat mom to some cookies of her own - without all the work!

Our Mother's Day Cookies are also great for all the other important women in your life.  Grandmother's, Aunts and those you hold close to your heart would love to receive a gift that shows you appreciate everything they have done for you.

A popular choice is our cheerfully decorated cookie bouquets.  Delicious sugar shortbread cookies are expertly iced in a variety of designs and then arranged in a stunning bouquet.  Our Mother's Day designs include ladybugs, flowers, hearts, butterflies and more.  What's best is most arrangements allow you to personalize the center cookie to give your gift a personal touch.

We also feature cookie boxes and baskets that hold a variety of flavors from chocolate chip to snicker doodle, so you're sure to find their favorite.

Or if chocolate is what they crave, we carry a great selection of Belgian chocolate covered delights!  Fortune cookies, Oreos, brownies and pretzels are just a few of the dipped cookie treats we offer. The candy sprinkles and mom themed icing decorations make them memorable!

The Condensed Version of the Giveaway Rules (click here for all of them)

Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter the giveaway. The mandatory entry is commenting on this post, but once that entry is completed, various other entry options will become available. Any option is acceptable, but the number of entries per person are limited to the number indicated in the contest form. Entries will be reviewed and duplicate or incomplete entries will be removed.

NOTE - You must complete the specified entry task in order to be eligible to win the contest. If you hit the green entry button without completing the task, your entry will be thrown out (disqualified from winning the prize).

Giveaway sweepstakes is open to all residents of the 48 Contiguous States and only to those 18 or older!

Winners will be chosen randomly. Two winners will receive their choice of Mother's Day Cookie Gift valued at up to $80.  The designs can be seen on the Mother's Day Cookies page.

Winners will be notified via e-mail so make sure you provide the correct address. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another replacement winner will be chosen.

Giveaway ends at midnight EST on May 5, 2013. The sweepstakes winners will be announced by May 12, 2013.
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A Commercial Egg Replacer

Many people who choose to omit the eggs from their favorite recipes decide to use a commercial egg replacer instead. While there are a variety of different brands out there, two of the biggest are Ener-G and the one available from Bob’s Red Mill. Perhaps one of the best parts of commercial egg replacers is the fact that they’ve been specifically formulated to work as well as eggs in a number of different situations, so you know exactly what you’re getting before you start baking.

Substitutions

Not sure you want to go with something as processed as egg replacer? There are plenty of different options, but choosing the right on to meet your needs should be decided on a case by case basis. While you might want one in your cake, you may want an entirely different choice in your cookies. Here are a few of the most common.

Tofu – This works well in something like a quiche. It’s not quite as fluffy as an egg might be, but it does offer a texture that is quite similar when you’re baking. If you want to use it as a substitute, use ¼ of a cup for every egg called for in the recipe.

Applesauce – Lots of recipe makeovers substitute applesauce for the eggs, and with good reason. It’s a great calorie killer. You can use ¼ cup of applesauce (make sure it’s unsweetened) in place of every egg in a recipe. You may want to add ½ tsp of baking powder, though, to help with the rise of your baked goods.

Flaxmeal – Flax seed actually works really well as an egg replacement in a number of different baking situations. You can even buy it lightly colored if you’re going for a white cake. One egg is equal to a tablespoon of flaxmeal and three tablespoons of water. Just be certain that you mix it well before you pour it into your other ingredients. Chia seeds work in much the same manner.

Pumpkin Puree – Just a quarter of a cup of canned or fresh pumpkin puree is a great way to get rid of eggs in a recipe. The key, though, is that it can make your baked goods a little denser than you’d initially expected, so you’ll want to add some baking powder to the recipe to help offset that change. A half-teaspoon should probably do the trick.

Eggs are a typical ingredient in baked goods, but it should be fairly easy to replace them, no matter what you’re cooking.

The post How to Bake Without Eggs appeared first on Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog.

Frozen Blackberry Souffle

Looking for upscale without the hassle of baking? This is it. It will run you about an hour of prep time, but you need to do it ahead, as you’ll have to freeze it.

To get started, you need about a pound and a half of fresh or frozen blackberries, a cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of blackberry liqueur, ¼ cup of water, 4 egg whites, and 2 cups of whipping cream.  You’ll want to cut some wax paper that is long enough to fit around a 1 quart dish for your souffle, then fold it to make a 4 inch ribbon. This will be wrapped around the top of your dish to help extend it a bit. Use tape to secure it.

Once your pan is ready, it’s time to cook the blackberries along with your 1/3 cup of sugar until the berries are soft. It should take you about ten minutes to get there. Puree that mixture, and strain the seeds. You’ll end up with approximately two cups of liquid. Stir in liqueur and then chill. Then heat your remaining sugar and water to 240 degrees. That should take 15 minutes. Stir it until sugar dissolves, then stop, but make sure no sugar crystals form on the sides of your pan.

Simultaneously, you need to beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they’re stiff. While the mixer is running, pour in the sugar mixture and continue to beat until they’ve cooled to room temperature. In another bowl, beat your whipping cream until soft peaks begin to form.

Stir one third of the egg white mixture with the blackberry puree, then pour the rest of the puree over it. Pour the rest of the mixture over the rest of the egg white mixture and fold gentle. Then fold in whipping cream, and put it all in your dish. Freeze it for at least four hours.

Oreo Cake

Need something a little easier? This is one that is sure to cool you off, so it’s perfect for that hot summer picnic. All you need here is  a package of Oreos (take out nine of them from the very start to reserve for later), 8 ounces of cream cheese (softened), 6 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 cups of chilled heavy cream.

To get started, whisk together your heavy cream and sugar until you get soft peaks. Add the cream cheese and beat them with a mixer until completely mixed. Grab a springform pan, and add some of your cream cheese mixture on the bottom.

Arrange a layer of Oreos on the top of that. Then cover that with another layer of the cream cheese mixture, then another layer of Oreos. Repeat the process until you’re out of cookies, and put the rest of the cream cheese mixture on top.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap, then put it in the refrigerator overnight.  When you’re ready to serve, crush the 9 Oreos you held back, and crumble them over the top. Remove the outside of your springform pan, and slice it up.

Skinny Mint Cookie

Looking for something that falls into the finger foods category? This choice is certainly it. And in the end, you can give these to a friend in a neat display and give the gift of very inexpensive cookies that look like they came from a gourmet bakery! You’ll need 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips, 2 cups of mint chocolate chips, 20 Andes mint candies, 1/8 tsp peppermint extract, and 1 package of Oreos.

In a bowl you can place in the microwave, add both kinds of chocolate chips. Microwave them for one minute, stir, then cook for another minute. If they’re still not melted, microwave them again for another minute. Stir the mixture smooth, then throw in the candies. Add your peppermint extract, and stir until everything is combined.

Dip each cookie into the chocolate mixture, shake off the excess chocolate, and put it on wax paper to cool. Display in a nice cookie arrangement, and you’ll have a sweet treat without a lot of effort.

The post No Bake Dessert Recipes appeared first on Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog.

Hurry and enter today - contest ends 4/21/2013!

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Traditional Sugar Cookies: Sugar cookies are a great gift for a housewarming party, partly because you can be so creative with them. Cut them into shapes like houses, sold signs, or cute little keys. Decorate them with text like “Home Sweet Home” and even the new house number if you like. Just take your favorite sugar cookie recipe, some royal icing, and some food coloring. To make things even easier, you could use an icing marker to help get the job done.

Chocolate Chip Cookies: Nothing says “Welcome Home” quite like a warm chocolate chip cookie, so they’re the ideal choice for a housewarming gift. Go with giant ones or small bite-sized ones for a bit of variety. Not sure which recipe to use? The Toll House classics are a sure-fire winner. You need 2 ¼ cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, a teaspoon of salt, a cup of softened butter, ¾ cup of sugar, ¾ cup of brown sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla, 2 eggs, and 2 cups of chocolate chips. You can add in a cup of nuts if you like. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, beat your butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Add in your flour mixture, stir in the chocolate chips (and nuts), then drop by the tablespoon onto your baking sheets. Baking for 9 minutes, cool on the cookie sheet for two minutes, then place on a rack to fully cool.

Whole Wheat Molasses Cookies: Have a friend who is watching her waistline? This is the perfect cookie for a housewarming gift. Filled with delicious wholesome ingredients, this is a surefire winner, even if she’s dieting. To get started, you need 2 tablespoons of ground flax, an egg white, a banana, a cup of whole wheat flour, a cup of oats, ½ cup of blackstrap molasses, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, one teaspoon of ginger, and a teaspoon of baking soda. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Add the egg white to the flax seed and let it sit while you work through the other steps. Put your banana in a bowl and mash it with a fork. Add in the flour and the oatmeal. Then add the molasses, and finally, the flax and spices. Combine it well, then scoop by the tablespoon onto a baking sheet. Let them bake for 25 minutes. Your kitchen will smell spicy and amazing, and your friends are certain to appreciate the healthy treat.

Frozen Cookie Dough: Offering cookies doesn’t have to mean you actually bake them. In fact, a cookie housewarming gift with frozen cookie dough can be very welcome at a housewarming party. Grab three different kinds of frozen cookie dough, a baking sheet, a wooden spoon, and a cute timer. Wrap them up with instructions for all three kinds of cookies, and your gift recipient has something she can throw in the freezer for that special occasion.

Cookies make a wonderful housewarming gift, and while these suggestions would be nothing short of fantastic, almost any cookie you choose will be perfect for the recipients.

The post What Kinds of Cookies Should I Put in a Housewarming Gift? appeared first on Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog.

Hurry and enter today - contest ends 3/24/2013!

We've taken three pastel striped gift boxes and filled them to the brim with fresh-baked goodies that are sure to bring a smile to your face. The bottom tier holds 18 of our assorted gourmet cookies with flavors such as M & M, classic chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin and more. The middle tier holds 12 cut-out cookies that are fresh-baked and hand-decorated with mouth-watering buttercream icing in an array of pastel colors perfect for celebrating spring. Finally, the top tier holds 12 delightful brown bites and 8 classic foil-wrapped chocolates.

And don't forget that Gourmet Cookie Bouquets has a wide array of fun Easter gifts including giant chocolate chip cookie cakes, colorful cellophane-covered cookies that are fresh-baked on sticks and then arranged in fun containers, and hand-iced bouquets featuring bunnies, eggs, chicks, and more.  Visit our Easter cookie bouquets page to see our entire line including the two beauties shown in the photo above!

Now Get Hoppin' and Enter Now!

Giveaway Rules Summary (get the full set of rules here)

Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter the Easter Gift Tower giveaway. The mandatory entry is commenting on this post, but once that entry is completed, various other entry options will become available. Any option is acceptable, but the number of entries per person are limited to the number indicated in the contest rafflecopter form. Entries will be reviewed and duplicate or uncompleted ones will be removed.

NOTE - You must complete the specified entry task in order to be eligible to win the contest. If you hit the green entry button without completing the task, your entry will be thrown out (disqualified from winning the prize).

Giveaway sweepstakes is open to all residents of the 48 Contiguous States and only to those 18 or older!

Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive the Deluxe Easter Gift Tower valued at $65 from the contest sponsor www.gourmet-cookie-bouquets.com

Winners will be notified via e-mail so make sure you provide the correct address. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted.  If you do not respond within that period, another replacement winner will be chosen.

Giveaway ends at midnight EST on March 24th, 2013. The sweepstakes winners will be announced by March 31, 2013.

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Here are some tips for making sure that your cookie gift is perfect for any occasion:

• Consider the recipient. While cookies are beloved, not everyone likes sugar cookies. Not everyone likes raisins in their oatmeal.  If you know your recipient well, include one or two of his/her favorite varieties. If the gift is for a new neighbor, coworker, or another person you do not know as well, then include a variety of traditional choices, including chocolate chip, sugar, oatmeal, snicker doodles, brownies, and M&M.

What if the recipient is diabetic, vegan, trying to watch sugar, fat, or calories, or just watches what he/she eats?  Cookies may still be an ideal gift; just make sure to include healthier varieties. You can find those that call for applesauce or pureed fruits instead of sugar, for instance, or those that use whole wheat flour instead of white.  Other choices are low-cal, including biscotti, which, with a selection of coffee or tea, would be a perfect gift.

• It’s all about the presentation.  You don’t have to channel Martha Stewart – but you certainly can!  You can use cookie cutters to make themed cookies for any holiday or any hobby or taste. From butterflies, bees, and flowers for the gardener to basketballs, baseballs, and bats for the sports fan, you can use this simple method to create a great, personalized cookie arrangement.

• Try out some decorating techniques.  Use sanding sugar, royal icing, melted chocolate, sprinkles, candy bits, and other treats to embellish your cookies.  This is wonderful because you can dress the cookies up to suit the occasion. Even if you just pipe a red outline and fill it in with green icing, that makes an excellent Christmas cookie.

• Be creative. You can also start experimenting with cookie bouquets or cookie pops. There are tutorials all over the internet to help you. This takes your cookie gift to an entirely new level and does not require much additional expense.

• Consider making a gift-in-a-jar. If you are not so handy with the oven, or if you want your recipient to be able to enjoy the cookies anytime he wants, then this is a great option. Again, you can find endless recipes for cookies-in-a-jar. These layered treats are beautiful and delicious.  Attach a ribbon with the instructions, and perhaps attach a whisk or mixing spoon as a useful embellishment.

• It’s a wrap.  One of the most fun parts of making cookies is arranging them in a gorgeous presentation. Whether you are sending a box of cookies across the country or delivering a cookie basket next door, try some fun wrapping and packaging ideas.  You can individually wrap cookies (great if you’re shipping) in plastic wrap or cookie  favor bags and tie with ribbon. You can buy inexpensive cookie tins or boxes online, or put your treats into a reusable cookie jar.  Some people even package up large, individual cookies in a clean paper CD sleeve and then customize it for the occasion and recipient.

• If you are short on time, buy premade cookie dough at the store and add your own embellishments. For instance, if you get sugar cookie dough, you can always add decoration, such as icing and sprinkles, or even use coloring to dye the dough.  You can purchase chocolate chip cookie dough and add nuts, more chocolate, M&Ms, or other treats. You don’t have to start from scratch in order to make homemade cookies!

Next time you are at a loss when it comes to gifts, think about cookies. It is inexpensive, easy, personal, and, best of all, they will be very much appreciated.

The post An Inexpensive Gift For Any Occasion - Cookies! appeared first on Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog.