Oatmeal White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
September 28, 2010
Make cookie take-home gifts for your party guests with this easy recipe,
compliments of Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets.
Happy Entertaining!
Sometimes I order too much chocolate for my gift baskets. Wait. That’s not right. Whenever possible, I order too much chocolate for my gift baskets so I can eat all the leftovers. This time it was big bars of Green & Black’s Organic Vanilla White Chocolate. After tossing back several bars straight up, I decided to experiment a little. The result is this recipe for decadent, crisp-chewy, very vanilla-y oatmeal cookies.
You don’t have to use Green & Black’s white chocolate in this recipe (although I highly recommend it), but it’s important to use good quality white chocolate.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 3 dozen cookies)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon each baking powder and baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1-1/2 cups uncooked old fashioned oatmeal
2 (3.5 ounce) bars white chocolate such as, Green & Black’s Vanilla White Chocolate, coarsely chopped
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well blended. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour, beating until just blended. Stir in the oatmeal and white chocolate chunks.
2. Roll generous tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Slightly flatten the balls with the palm of your hand.
3. Bake until the edges are lightly browned, 12 to 13 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (The cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen up to 1 month.)
Make ahead tip: Form the dough balls and tray freeze until hard, then transfer to a zip lock bag and store in the freezer until ready to bake.
FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS
We do party favors too! Click here for details!
Breakfast Bruschetta
September 22, 2010
Make crowd-pleasing brunch sandwiches in a snap with this easy recipe from
Happy Entertaining!
BREAKFAST BRUSCHETTA
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ll know that I have been raving on about tomatoes all summer long. Alas, the tomato season is coming to an end here, and the last green ones on my withering vines may have to be ripened on the windowsill. Still, I managed to harvest enough to make these hearty, open-faced breakfast sandwiches. If you have leftover garlic bread from dinner, use that instead of the baguette and omit the olive oil.
Slice a baguette crosswise into 4-inch pieces. Slice each piece lengthwise in half. Brush the sliced sides lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. Broil until lightly toasted and crisp around the edges, about 1 minute. Top each piece of bread with a slice of mozzarella and a slice of tomato. Return to the oven for another minute, until the cheese begins to melt. Scramble eggs (plan for 1 egg per sandwich) with a splash of heavy cream and salt & pepper to taste. Spoon scrambled eggs on top of each open-faced sandwich and garnish with fresh basil. Serve immediately.
FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS!
We’re starting to add Halloween baskets to the site. Check this one out!
Carrot-Scallion Pancakes with Asian Dipping Sauce
September 15, 2010
Make savory, ginger-spiced party pancakes with this easy recipe from
Happy Entertaining!
CARROT-SCALLION PANCAKES WITH ASIAN DIPPING SAUCE
I don’t usually share my Weight Watchers-friendly recipes here because what’s the fun in that? This is a party food blog! However, this is one of those crossover recipes that, while very low fat and, dare I say healthy, makes a wonderful party appetizer. In fact, if you want to make them completely fat free, omit the oil and just spray your nonstick pan with cooking spray. Your guests can toss these bad boys back all night long and never feel one iota of guilt!
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 8 four-inch pancakes)
For the pancakes:
2 egg whites
2 ½ cups shredded carrots
½ cup thinly sliced scallions
3 tablespoons corn flake crumbs
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon each minced garlic and grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
DIRECTIONS
Make the sauce:
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients with 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside.
Make the pancakes:
- In a large bowl, lightly whisk egg whites until frothy. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the oil. Stir to mix well.
- Add one tablespoon of the oil to a large, nonstick skillet and heat to medium high. Using about ¼ cup mixture per pancake, spoon 4 pancakes into the hot pan. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 6 minutes per side, until lightly browned and crisp. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Add the other tablespoon of oil to the pan and repeat the process with the remaining mixture. Garnish with scallion strips, if desired. Serve warm with the dipping sauce.
FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS!
We’ve just added a new kosher gift basket!
Not Your Mama’s Granola
September 8, 2010
Whip up a dessert topper, breakfast cereal, or healthy snack
with this easy recipe from
Happy Entertaining!
GRANOLA
If you still have your favorite tie-dyed t-shirt tucked away in the attic because you just can’t bear to toss it, you’ll remember jonesing for this standby munchie from the good old days. This, however, is not the gummy, overly sweet granola of the Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Procol Harum days. This lighter, crisper, more flavorful version is great sprinkled on ice cream or fruit compotes to make a party-worthy dessert, or added to yogurt to make a healthy breakfast.
Oh wow! Thinking of those old bands was fun. Wonder how many more I can remember. Let’s see. Besides The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, there was Steppenwolf, Black Sabbath, oh and Cream, who could forget Cream! Blue Oyster Cult, The Who, The Byrds, The Kinks, Derek & The Dominos…
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 4 cups)
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
¾ cup shredded coconut
3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 large egg white
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine the oats, nuts, coconut, flaxseed, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg white and salt until frothy. Whisk in the syrup, brown sugar and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until oats are evenly coated. Spread the mixture out on a large, rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake until golden, stirring every 10 minutes, about 40 minutes total. If granola on the outer edges of the pan starts getting too brown, gently stir those parts into the middle. Remove from the oven, stir, and let cool completely in the pan.
Note: Add a cup of mixed dried fruit to your granola, if you like. Just be sure to wait until the granola has cooled completely before adding. ¼ cut of crystallized ginger also makes a yummy addition.
FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS!
We do spa baskets too!
Deep Dish Tomato Pie
September 2, 2010
Savor summer tomatoes with this easy recipe that’s perfect for entertaining from
Happy Labor Day!
DEEP DISH TOMATO PIE
This rich, cheesy pie is great as a main course for a summer brunch, or can be cut into thinner wedges for a dinner party appetizer. Use whatever tomatoes you like. For the pie in the photo I used a mix of heirloom German and Mr. Stripey tomatoes, which I (proudly) grew in my own garden.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 6 main course servings)
Pastry dough for a single crust pie
1 cup each shredded Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Mozzarella cheese
2 large tomatoes, cut into thin (about ¼-inch) slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Fit the pastry dough into a glass deep dish pie plate and prick all over with a fork.
- Toss together the Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Mozzarella cheeses and sprinkle evenly over the pie crust. Lay the tomato slices on top, slightly overlapping in a circular pattern, covering the entire top of the pie. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the dried oregano, salt and pepper.
- Mix together the breadcrumbs and melted butter and sprinkle on top, along with the sliced green onions.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with the chopped fresh basil, cut into wedges and serve.
FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS!
