Polenta Party Bites
December 30, 2008
HAPPY 2009 FROM ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS!
These little gems are an easy, crowd-pleasing hors d’ oeuvre, perfect for holiday entertaining. They’re very pretty, but simple as pie to make, endlessly versatile and, while the final product looks elegant, the ingredients are very common. Whip up a batch to pair with a flute of New Year’s Eve bubbly.
I like to make my own polenta, which is why the bites in the photo are square, but the refrigeratedpolenta logs from the grocery store work just fine, making a simple recipe even simpler. Bites cut from polenta logs will, of course, be rounds or half-moons instead of squares, which is fine.
If you want to make your own polenta, here’s a good recipe. As soon as it’s done, pour the hot polenta into greased shallow, rimmed baking pans or loaf pans to set. (Ultimately you’ll want to cut it into bite size squares that are ¼ to ½ inch thick.) I like to pour it into loaf pans and refrigerate overnight. The next day I just pop it out of the pans and slice, and then cut the slices into smaller pieces.
POLENTA PARTY BITES
The toppings used here are just suggestions. The combination of cream cheese and hot pepper jelly, for example, is a classic combo favored by Southerners, but may not suit everyone. Use these ideas as a springboard for your own creations. Basically, if it tastes good, looks pretty and fits on the square, it works. Other topping choices include crumbled crisp bacon or prosciutto, goat cheese and fig jam, sharp cheddar and green olives, smoked salmon and chopped chives, even caviar and crème fraiche!
INGREDIENTS
For the squares:
Firm set polenta
Olive oil
For the toppings:
Soft goat cheese
Roasted red peppers, cut into strips
Pitted black olives
Olive tapenade
Assorted fresh herbs
Parmesan curls
Cream cheese
Hot jalapeno jelly
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice polenta into bite size pieces, ¼ to ½ inch thick. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil and place polenta bites on sheet, about ½ apart. Bake, flipping the squares half way through, until they are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, about 45 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Top as desired. Serve warm.
FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT www.elizabethwgiftbaskets.com
Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
December 18, 2008
These crisp cookies are good frosted, with sprinkles, or just plain. Suggested beverage: an ice cold glass of milk.
Happy Holidays from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets. Here’s our favorite sugar cookie recipe:
HOLIDAY CUTOUT SUGAR COOKIES
This dough is virtually indestructible so it’s great for baking with kids. It should have the consistency of Play-Doh. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour. For best results, roll out small portions at a time and keep the rest of the dough refrigerated until needed.
(Makes about 48 cookies)
½ cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 ½ tablespoons milk
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ¼ to 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Assorted sprinkles (optional)
1.In large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
2. Add flour, baking powder and salt and beat until blended. Divide dough into two portions, wrap and refrigerate until firm; at least one hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes and place one inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Add sprinkles, if desired. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, until edges are golden. Remove cookies from baking sheets and cool on racks.
Find a gift for everyone on your list at www.elizabethwgiftbaskets.com
Ornaments Made From Nature
December 12, 2008
Ornaments made from an old cardboard shipping box and some of nature’s art supplies. More photos below.
Everyone seemed to love last week’s paper snowflake ornaments so here’s another ornament idea. These rustic beauties take a little longer to make, but order all your holiday gift baskets from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets, and you’ll have plenty of time left for crafting.
To make an ornament: Use cookie cutters as templates for ornament shapes. Trace onto corrugated cardboard (I used an old shipping box, but craft stores have heavy art paper that will be easier to cut.) Cut out shapes with a craft knife or scissors. Using photos as a guide, arrange assorted natural elements (list follows) on front of cardboard shape and glue in place. Cut an 8” length of country twine or cording. Fold in half; glue ends to wrong side of ornament for hanger.
Here’s a list of some of Mother Nature’s art supplies. Take a walk through the woods or a spin through the kitchen spice cabinet and I’m sure you’ll find some new ones that I didn’t think of.
Feathers
Acorns
Oatmeal
Small twigs
Red, white & black peppercorns
Dried beans, berries and split peas
Cardamom pods
Star anise
Tapioca pearls
Tiny pinecones
Whole cloves
Star Anise makes a great tree-topper or ladies hat. Cardamom pods and Tapioca decorate the tree.
Green split peas and red peppercorns decorate the moose and trees. Use country twine for a garland.
Craft a Paper Snowflake Ornament
December 5, 2008
Many of my holiday gift baskets are highlighted with elegant, glass snowflake ornaments. Traditionally however, my own tree is decorated entirely with handmade items… some made when I was just a child. In fact, the snowflake ornaments shown here, are simply a grown-up version of those fold-and-cut snowflakes we all made in grade school. The only difference is that I used fancy vellum instead of those sheets of manila paper from 3rd grade.
To make a snowflake: Cut a square of vellum paper. Fold the square in half, then in half again to make quarters. Cutting along the unfolded edges, cut spokes of snowflake. Unfold paper. Sew hanger onto one spoke with silver embroidery thread. Glue a craft store gem into the center, if you like. Use the snowflakes to decorate a package or greeting card, or to hang on your tree.
FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT www.elizabethwgiftbaskets.com
Savory Party Pies
December 1, 2008
In the gift basket business, holidays are our busiest times. Long work hours however, don’t mean we entertain less. We just entertain smarter. Convenience foods like frozen spinach and rounds of prepared, refrigerated pie dough make this casual party fare a snap to prepare. Slice the pies into slim wedges and serve with cocktails at holiday get-togethers.
RUSTIC SPINACH PIE
(Makes two 8-inch pies)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
One 16-ounce bag frozen cut leaf spinach, thawed
One 15-ounce tub ricotta
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella, plus more for sprinkling
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Two 9-inch refrigerated piecrusts
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the piecrust pouches from the box and bring to room temperature.
- In a large frying pan, heat the oil to medium high and add the chopped onion. Cook until just transparent, about 3 minutes. Add the thawed spinach and cook until all moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, feta, chopped olives, mozzarella, salt and pepper. Add the cooled spinach mixture and mix well.
- To make a pie, unroll a piecrust onto a parchment-covered baking sheet. Spoon half the spinach mixture onto the crust covering all but about an inch of the outer edges. Gently fold the edges up over the filling, pinching the dough slightly as needed to form a freeform outer edge. Note: Neatness does not count here. The object is just to fold up and crimp the outer edges enough to keep the topping from sliding off while the pie bakes. Repeat process with the other piecrust.
- Bake the pies for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned and the topping is bubbly. Remove the pies from the oven, sprinkle lightly with more mozzarella, and return to the oven for a minute more, until the cheese melts. Let pies cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
