Posted by Unknown on July 19, 2001 at 18:10:59:
RAINBOW SUGAR COOKIE ARRANGEMENT
Courtesy Gale Gand, “Butter Sugar Flour Eggs” by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Julia Moskin, Clarkson N. Potter Publishers, 1999
Decorative container
Tissue paper
Dough disk, recipe follows
Flower pots of various sizes
Long and short lollipop sticks
Jar of jelly beans in varying shades of green
Flower foam
Flower-shaped cookie cutters
Floral tape
Store-bought icing in various colors
Silk leaves
Recipe card, see below for text
Dough Disk:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Dough Disk: In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the granulated sugar, butter and shortening until fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and baking powder and mix. Add the flour and mix. Shape the dough into a large flat disk, kneading briefly if necessary to bring the dough together. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 1 to 2 hours.
Line container with tissue paper and place all items inside. The recipe card should read as follows:
Get started on your cookie bouquet garden by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, then butter a sheet pan. After that, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Using the cookie cutters, cut out cookies and transfer to the prepared pan. Insert a lollipop stick inside each cookie and bake until light golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on the sheet pan.
To ice the cookies, you can either use the icing provided, or if you’re feeling a bit adventurous, here’s a quick and easy recipe:
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons whole, 2 percent fat or 1 percent fat, milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 colors food coloring
In a medium bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar, 4 tablespoons of the milk, and the vanilla until smooth. If still too thick to spread, add the remaining tablespoon of milk a little at a time until the icing is smooth and pourable, but thick enough to coat. Measure 1/4 cup of white icing into each of 4 small bowls. Color them 4 different colors. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.
When you’re ready to ice the cookies, set a wire rack over a piece of waxed or parchment paper. Place the cooled cookies on the wire rack and pour the remaining white icing onto them. Using a metal icing spatula, cover the cookies completely with an even layer of icing. Before the icing sets, use forks or squeeze bottles to drizzle the other 4 colors of icing over the cookies to make spidery lines. Let harden 1 hour then store in an airtight container.
To assemble the cookie bouquet, start by cutting out cubes of flower foam that will fit into the flower pots, then wrap the foam in plastic. Place a silk leaf against the stick in one of the iced cookies, then wrap the entire stick with floral tape, so it looks like a flower stem. Stick the cookie “flower” into the foam in the flower pot then cover the foam with jelly beans. ALL DONE!
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OATMEAL LACE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
Courtesy Gale Gand, “Butter Sugar Flour Eggs” By Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Julia Moskin, Clarkson N. Potter Publishers, 1999
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon ice cream, recipe follows
Cinnamon Ice Cream:
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
Ground cinnamon, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, and oats. In a medium bowl, mix the cream, corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Set aside for 15 minutes. Keeping in mind that the cookies will spread until completely flat, drop the batter in heaping teaspoons onto nonstick sheet pans, spacing them out evenly. You can fit 6 cookies on a 14 by 17-inch pan. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool 2 to 3 minutes in the pan, then use a spatula to transfer to wire racks to finish cooling. To store, layer the cookies with waxed paper and store in an airtight container.
Ice Cream: In a cold bowl, mix the ice cream with ground cinnamon until desired taste. Return to freezer.
To assemble sandwiches, turn the cookies flat side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Using a mini ice cream scoop, scoop 2 balls of ice cream and place side by side on the flat side of a cookie. Top with a second cookie flat side down. Serve immediately or return to freezer.
Prep Time: 50 minutes
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HAZELNUT SEMIFREDDO
Courtesy Gale Gand
1 cup hazelnuts, blanched, toasted and cooled
1 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream, whipped
*3/4 cup egg whites
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Warm glossy chocolate sauce, recipe follows
Warm Glossy Chocolate Sauce:
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
7 ounces semisweet chocolate
3/8 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup hot water
Grease a 10-inch spring form pan and line with parchment paper.
In a food processor grind the hazelnuts and 3/4 cup sugar together, pulsing to avoid over blending so it does not become a paste. Whip the cream using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, until fluffy, soft peaks. Transfer to the refrigerator.
In a clean dry bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla extract and 1/4 cup sugar and continue whipping until glossy and stiff, about 30 seconds more. Fold into the whipped cream, then fold in the ground nut mixture. Spoon the mixture into the spring form pan. Smooth the top. Freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.
Warm Glossy Chocolate Sauce: In the top half of a double boiler, combine the 2 chocolates over simmering water. Stir constantly until melted, then whisk in the corn syrup and water. Whisk until smooth and shiny.
When ready to eat, remove the collar and serve frozen with chocolate sauce.
*RAW EGG WARNING The American Egg Board states: "There have been warnings against consuming raw or lightly cooked eggs on the grounds that the egg may be contaminated with Salmonella, a bacteria responsible for a type of food poisoning....Healthy people need to remember that there is a very small risk and treat eggs and other raw animal foods accordingly. Use only properly refrigerated, clean, sound-shelled, fresh, grade AA or A eggs. Avoid mixing yolks and whites with the shell”
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 4 hours 0 minutes
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ITALIAN ALMOND-ICED COOKIES
Courtesy Gale Gand, “Butter Sugar Flour Eggs” by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Julia Moskin, Clarkson N. Potter Publishers, 1999
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
Icing, recipe follows
Icing:
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon egg white
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 colors food coloring, of your choice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 baking pans. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy. With the mixer running, drizzle in the oil, vanilla, almond extract and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your hands, form into logs 1-inch in diameter. Working in batches if necessary, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices and arrange the cookies on the sheet pans. Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.
Icing: In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, egg white, confectioners’ sugar and almond extract until smooth. Divide the icing into one large and two smaller batches. Leave the large batch of icing white; color the other 2 to your liking.
When the cookies are cool, dip the tops into the white icing. Use a fork or a squeeze bottle to drizzle the cookies with the other colors. Let set in a cool place 1 hour.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
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CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES WITH VANILLA-CREAM FILLING
Courtesy Wayne Harley Brachman, Retro Desserts, Harper Collins Publishers, 2000
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (recommended: Dutch-processed)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg
Vanilla-cream filling, recipe follows
Vanilla-Cream Filling:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Set 2 racks in the middle and upper third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. In a food processor or the bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. While pulsing or on low speed, add the butter, then the egg. Process or beat until the dough is thoroughly blended and massed together. Drop rounded teaspoons of batter onto nonstick or parchment-lined cookie sheets at 2-inch intervals. With moistened fingers, round out the cookies and flatten them a little. Bake for 9 minutes, turning the pans once for even baking, until the cookies are set. Set the cookie sheets on a rack to cool.
Vanilla-Cream Filling: Put the butter and shortening in a mixing bowl and, at low speed, gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, until blended. Turn the mixer up to high and beat for 2 or 3 minutes more, until fluffy.
With a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip, pipe teaspoon size blobs of filling onto the tops of half the cookies. Keeping the smooth bottoms of the cookies facing up, flip the remaining cookies on top of the filling and lightly press to form sandwiches.
Yield: 36 sandwich cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 9 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
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VANILLA CRUSTED STRAWBERRIES
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand's Just A Bite by Gale Gand and Julia Moskin: Clarkson N. Potter Publishers, 2001
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups superfine sugar
1/3 cup egg whites (from about 2 eggs)
5 drops (scant 1/8 teaspoon) lemon juice
About 30 ripe, firm strawberries with nice green tops
At least 1 day or up to 1 month in advance, make the vanilla sugar: Put the vanilla bean in a jar and pour the superfine sugar over it. Cover tightly and let set at room temperature overnight or for up to a month to infuse vanilla flavor into the sugar.
When ready to make the strawberries, place the vanilla sugar in a bowl. Whisk the egg whites with the lemon juice in another bowl until frothy. Holding the berries by their green tops, dip them in the egg whites 1 at a time, just up to their shoulders. Let the excess egg white drip off. Roll in the vanilla sugar to coat evenly and transfer to a cookie sheet, resting the berries point side up. Let set at room temperature until dry to the touch and serve the same day.
*
Yield: 30 pieces
Prep Time: 24 hours 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
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BLACK-AND-WHITES
Courtesy Gale Gand, “Butter Sugar Flour Eggs” by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Julia Moskin, Clarkson N. Potter Publishers, 1999
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Vanilla and chocolate icing, recipes follows
Vanilla Icing:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Icing:
1/2 vanilla icing recipe
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons milk
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper. In a mixer, cream the butter. Add the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, milk, and extracts and mix to combine. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and salt and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar-egg mixture and mix to blend. Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared pans. With a spatula, press and spread each cookie into a circle about 5 inches in diameter and about 3/8-inch thickness. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden. Let cool on wire racks.
Icing: In a medium bowl, stir the sugar, milk, and vanilla together until it forms a smooth icing. Transfer half of the icing to another bowl and stir in the cocoa powder and milk until smooth.
When cool, turn cookies over, so the flat side faces up. Spread white icing on half of each flat surface, then spread the other half with chocolate icing. Let set at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Yield: 12 large cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 55 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
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PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE
Recipe courtesy Wayne Harley Brachman
Non-stick vegetable spray
1/4 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease with vegetable spray. Sprinkle the peanuts over the bottom of the pan. Put the milk and sugar in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Boil over medium heat, occasionally stirring to keep from sticking. Cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F (soft ball). Remove from the heat and gently place the butter, peanut butter and vanilla in the pan, taking care not to disturb the syrup. Do not stir. Let the mixture cool down for 5 minutes, then beat vigorously with a spoon or the flat beater of a stationary mixer until dense and smooth. Turn the fudge into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a metal spatula. With a sharp knife, score into portions. Let set, 45 minutes then cut into 1 1/3-inch squares.
Yield: 36 1 1/3-inch pieces that will last up to 3 weeks if well wrapped and refrigerated
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
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SNO CONES
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand
4 cups water
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, separated
2 cups frozen raspberries, thawed
1 cup purple grape juice concentrate
4 fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon honey
In a saucepan bring the water and 1/2 cup sugar to a boil. Let cool then pour into a shallow pan and freeze overnight. The next day, scrape the surface of the ice with a metal spoon to make shaved ice. Store in the freezer until ready to serve. To make the toppings, puree the raspberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and strain to remove the seeds and set aside. Blend the grape juice concentrate with the mint leaves in a blender and strain and set aside. Whisk together the citrus juices and honey and set aside. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop a ball of the shaved ice onto 4 cones. Drizzle with various syrups and serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
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POUND CAKE FINGER SANDWICHES
Courtesy Gale Gand
2 pound cakes
Semisweet chocolate, melted
1 pint strawberries
Strawberry cream cheese
Blueberry cream cheese
Macadamia nuts, toasted and chopped
Cinnamon and sugar spread
1 (8-ounce) jar Nutella spread
Strawberry Cream Cheese:
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup strawberry preserves
Blueberry Cream Cheese:
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup blueberries
Sugar, to taste
Cinnamon and Sugar Spread:
6 ounces crème fraiche
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Strawberry Cream Cheese: In the bowl of a food processor, combine cream cheese and preserves. Blend until combined. Taste for flavor adding more preserves if necessary. The cream cheese should be pink. Set aside and bring to room temperature for easy spreading.
Blueberry Cream Cheese: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cream cheese and blueberries. Add sugar to taste.
Cinnamon and Sugar Spread: In a bowl, combine crème fraiche, cinnamon and brown sugar.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the pound cakes into 3/4-inch thick slices. Spread on a baking sheet and toast until just golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly. Using a pastry brush, brush each piece of pound cake with melted chocolate to “waterproof” the sandwich. Cut the pound cake slices in half on the diagonal. Slice the strawberries. Spread a thick layer of strawberry cream cheese on top of some of the slices of pound cake that have been coated with chocolate and top with sliced strawberries. Cover with a second piece of pound cake. Spread blueberry cream cheese on some of the pound cake pieces and top with macadamia nuts and a second slice of pound cake. Repeat with cinnamon and sugar spread and Nutella.
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
Difficulty: Easy