How to Make a Mother’s Day Gift Basket
April 28, 2011
Show Mom how much you love her with this easy recipe from
Whipping up a homemade gift for your mom is easier than you may think. Buy a cookbook you know she’ll like. (I chose one of my favorite basic baking books, “Mom’s Big Book of Baking” by Lauren Chattman.) Bake one of the loaf cakes from the book, or use my favorite chocolate loaf cake recipe below. Wrap the cooled cake in a fancy new dishtowel with a spatula on top. Arrange it all in a pretty basket. Done! Now wasn’t that easy?
BASIC CHOCOLATE LOAF CAKE
INGREDIENTS
(Makes one 9 by 5-inch loaf)
1 ½ sticks butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 ¾ cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 (8-ounce) carton plain yogurt
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Cream together butter and sugars, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa. Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix well after each addition.
3. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove cake from pan and let cool completely on a rack.
Baking’s not your thing? We can help. Click here to see our selection of Mother’s Day gifts like the “Sweet Surrender” shown above.
NO-FUSS MOTHER’S DAY MENU
Want to make lunch for Mom on her special day, but just don’t have the time? Snag a quiche, a bag of salad greens, dressing, a bottle of wine, and some fancy cupcakes from any large grocery store. Serve it all on your best china with a fresh flower centerpiece. (You can get the flowers at the grocery too.) See, Mom doesn’t really care if you made it all from scratch yourself. Mom just cares that you care.
Lavender Lemonade
June 22, 2010
Perk up your party with this unique lemonade recipe from
Happy Entertaining!
LAVENDER LEMONADE
I first tasted Lavender Lemonade many years ago at the Vermont State Fair. I’ve always wanted to make it, but could never get lavender to grow in any of the places I lived… until now. Here in Virginia I’ve managed to produce two giant, runaway lavender bushes that get bigger every year. Now I’m sorry I planted them behind the garage. I would have given them a more prestigious spot if I’d known they were going to actually live!
I haven’t tried it, but I bet this would make a fabulous summertime cocktail with a little vodka or gin mixed in. If you don’t have any lavender, you may want to try the quickie recipe for super-refreshing sparkling lemonade that follows.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup sugar
About ¼ cup fresh lavender blooms, stripped from their stems*
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained.
DIRECTIONS
- Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar with 2 ½ cups water in a saucepan and boiling until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, add the lavender blooms and cover. Let stand for 1 hour, or up to 4 hours. Strain syrup and discard lavender.
- Pour lavender syrup into a pitcher. Add lemon juice and 2 ½ cups water. Stir, taste, and adjust to your liking, adding more lemon juice or water if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
* Culinary lavender can be found in farmer’s markets if you aren’t lucky enough to have some growing behind your garage.
SHORTCUT SPARKLING LEMONADE
Thaw a 6-ounce can of frozen lemonade concentrate in a large pitcher. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Cut a second lemon into thin slices and add to the pitcher. Just before serving, pour a bottle of chilled seltzer into the pitcher and stir.
If you’d like to make Pink Lemonade, add a splash of grenadine.
FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS!
2 Sweet & Savory Super Bowl Party Menus
January 30, 2010
Make all 17 of the recipes on these Super Bowl party menus, or just pick a few favorites like the Bacon & Caramelized Onion Dip with Oven Roasted Fries pictured above.
Wow your Super Bowl guests with delicious recipes and menus,
from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets.
Party On!
Since I blog about party recipes and celebration tips, I thought it would be fun to pull together a couple of Super Bowl menus using Shindig411 recipes. All the recipes in the following menus can be found in this blog and are linked for your convenience.
Of course, you don’t have to make every item on the menu. I just happen to prefer cooking to watching the game. My idea of a fun Super Bowl is hanging out in the kitchen cooking, sipping wine and chatting with other guests who share my preference. If you do decide to make everything, you’ll be surprised at how many dishes can be made ahead of time. I’ve listed the make-aheads at the end of each menu.
SKINS & SLIDERS MENU
KICK-OFF
Cayenne-Cheddar Cocktail Cookies
Almond-Coconut Chicken Bites with Dipping Sauce
Pizza Dip with Warm Breadsticks
Crudites
HALF TIME
Sweet & Spicy Barbeque Sliders
Potato Skins with Assorted Toppings
Cole Slaw
FINAL QUARTER
Vanilla Ice Cream
Drink Suggestions:
Amber Ale
Pinot Grigio
Cabernet Sauvignon
The following menu items can be made ahead of time so you don’t have so much to do on game day.
Cayenne-Cheddar Cocktail Cookies – Make up to a day ahead and store at room temperature in a tightly covered tin.
Pizza Dip with Warm Breadsticks – Mix the dip ingredients and transfer to a baking dish up to a day ahead. Store covered in the refrigerator. Bake just before serving.
Sweet & Spicy Barbeque Sliders – Make the barbeque up to 3 days ahead and store covered in the refrigerator or freeze up to 3 months. Spoon reheated barbeque on small, soft rolls just before serving.
Pimento Cheese Canapes – Make the pimento cheese spread up to 2 days ahead and store covered in the refrigerator.
Cole Slaw – Buy prepared cole slaw from the deli or grocery and store in refrigerator until serving time.
Banana Cupcakes – Make the cupcakes up to a day ahead and store at room temperature in a covered container or freeze up to 2 months. Frost on the day of the party.
Brownie Cookies – Make up to 2 days ahead and store at room temperature in a tightly covered tin. Or, make dough up to 2 months ahead, shape into a log and freeze. (Thaw slightly before slicing and baking.)
NACHO NOSHING MENU
KICK-OFF
Bacon & Caramelized Onion Dip with Oven Roasted Fries
Picadillo Empanaditas (mini empanadas)
Pepperoni Popcorn with Roasted Wasabi Edamame
Crudites
HALF TIME
Green Salad with Sliced Avocado & Orange Segments
Chips & Salsa
FINAL QUARTER
Warm Chocolate-Strawberry Stuffed Breadsticks
Mango Sorbet
Drink Suggestions:
Mexican Beer
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
The following menu items can be made ahead of time so you don’t have so much to do on game day.
Bacon & Caramelized Onion Dip with Oven Roasted Fries – Make the dip up to 2 days ahead and store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature and stir before serving.
Picadillo Empanaditas – Assemble unbaked empanaditas up to 3 months ahead and freeze. Bake just before serving. (Do not thaw before baking.)
Mile High Quesidilla Pie – Prepare fillings for the pie a day ahead and store in the refrigerator. Assemble and bake the pie just before serving.
Super Bowl Super Nachos – Make the giant nacho chips up to 3 days ahead and store at room temperature in a tightly covered tin. Prepare refried beans up to 3 days ahead and store covered in the refrigerator, or freeze up to 3 months.
Polenta Bites – Make the polenta up to 2 days ahead and store in the refrigerator. Or, use storebought polenta logs.
Coconut-Pecan Blondies – Make up to 2 days ahead and store at room temperature in a tightly covered tin or freeze up to 3 months.
FIND THE PERFECT VALENTINE GIFT AT ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS!
Happy Memorial Day from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!
I like to kick off the beginning of picnic season with a menu featuring my all time favorite barbeque recipe. It’s absolutely, positively the best pulled pork I’ve ever eaten! (Recipe follows.) It’s good warm or at room temperature on buns, flour tortillas, or sliced baguette. For dessert this year, I’m going with the classic ice cream and cookies combo. Or, in this case, rainbow sherbet and cookies.
OATMEAL-RAISIN COOKIES WITH SALTED CASHEWS
Substitute dried cherries for the raisins, if you like. This recipe makes a lot of dough. You may want to bake off half of it and store the other half in the freezer for a future cookie emergency.
(Makes about 40 large cookies)
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon each salt, cinnamon and ginger
1- 1/3 cups unsalted butter (2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons)
2 cups brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3- ½ cups regular oatmeal
1- ½ cups chopped, salted cashews
¾ cup raisins
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment.
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger and set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix well.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir in the oatmeal, chopped cashews and raisins until thoroughly incorporated.
- Roll pieces of dough into 1- ½ inch balls and place them on baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Press lightly on each ball with your fingers to flatten into 2- ½ inch rounds.
- Bake in upper third of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are flat and brown. Remove from the oven and let cookies stand on baking sheets for 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
SWEET & SPICY BARBECUE
This recipe serves 4, but can easily be doubled.
Ingredients
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark molasses
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon each paprika, ground coriander and salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or stew beef or “stew beef,” cut into 2-inch cubes
2 bay leaves
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together the molasses, vinegar, tomato paste and spices. Place the meat cubes in a large, shallow, non-aluminum baking dish. Add the molasses mixture and stir well to coat. Cover with foil and bake until the meat is very tender, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
2. Remove the meat from the sauce and shred it with a knife or two forks. Return the shredded meat to the baking dish and mix with the sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature in crusty buns or rolled into flour tortillas.
(I adapted this recipe from one developed by Marcia Keisel, test kitchen supervisor of Food & Wine magazine.)
FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS
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
Fall Fiesta Menu
September 30, 2008
I am about 99 percent vegetarian. Whenever I need to taste-test sausages or pates or smoked salmon for my gift baskets, I have to call in a group of friends to help me because I don’t trust my own palate on such items. I am not a 99-percent-vegetarian because of health concerns, religious beliefs or a love of animals (although I do love animals), but simply because I like the flavors of fruits, nuts and vegetables more than the flavors of meat, chicken or fish. I am not a virtuous 99-percent-vegetarian. Among my other favorite flavors are butter, cheese, chocolate and wine. And bread. Any kind of bread. I was happiest back in the olden days when any vegetable, no matter how much butter, cream and cheese it was swimming in, was considered “health food.”
Faced with a big steak dinner, I inevitably go for the salad, baked potato and creamed spinach first and if I am still hungry, I will have a few bites of steak. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the country where my Uncle raised beef cattle and was always telling me (and everyone else he met) to “Eat More Beef.” My instinct, of course, was to do exactly the opposite of what any elder told me to do. Or maybe it’s because as a child I often witnessed the slaughter of cattle and pigs on my grandfather’s farm… cattle and pigs that later turned up on our dinner table. Although at the time I remember finding the entire process fascinating and not scary or disgusting at all.
For whatever reason, I don’t eat a lot of meat and almost never crave it. That is, until the leaves begin to turn and I pull out my all-time favorite recipe for pulled pork… which I actually make with beef instead of pork because Uncle John is up there in heaven still whispering in my ear to “Eat More Beef.”
Sweet & Spicy Pulled Pork is the centerpiece of the menu below. It’s really simple to prepare and absolutely delicious made with either pork or beef. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, which makes it a great dish for entertaining. It’s good warm, or at room temperature on buns, flour tortillas, or sliced baguette. Best of all, you can make it a day or two ahead, refrigerate, (or freeze up to 3 months) and reheat it when you are ready to serve. Prepare this menu for your next leaf-peeping weekend and your guests will still be raving about it when spring rolls around.
Beer is generally the beverage of choice with spicy dishes like pulled pork, but I am not a big beer lover, so I’ve included a couple of wine suggestions as well. Enjoy!
FALL FIESTA MENU
Crudites with Lemon-Pesto Goat Cheese Dip
Sweet & Spicy Pulled Pork (Recipe follows)
Warm Flour Tortillas
Black Beans
Creamy Polenta
Salad of Romaine, Diced Avocado & Orange Segments with Citrus Dressing
Mexican Beer, such as Pacifico or Dos Equis, with Lime Wedges
Italian Barbera wine, such as Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti,
or a crisp, dry sauvignon blanc.
Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies
Coconut Sorbet
Coffee
SWEET & SPICY PULLED PORK
This recipe serves 4, but can easily be doubled
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark molasses
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon each paprika, ground coriander and salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or “stew beef,” cut into 2-inch cubes
2 bay leaves
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together the molasses, vinegar, tomato paste and spices. Place the meat cubes in a large, shallow, non-aluminum baking dish. Add the molasses mixture and stir well to coat. Cover with foil and bake until the meat is very tender, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
2. Remove the meat from the sauce and shred it with a knife or two forks. Return the shredded meat to the baking dish and mix with the sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature in crusty buns or rolled into flour tortillas.
(I adapted this recipe from one developed by Marcia Keisel, test kitchen supervisor of Food & Wine magazine.)
Pomegranate Martini
September 13, 2008
For some, cleaning out the attic is an annual fall ritual. For me, it’s an every-ten-year-or-so event. Yesterday afternoon, I felt strong enough to tackle the beast. I marched bravely up the stairs armed only with a dust buster and some heavy duty trash bags for hauling out all the tons of stuff I would be throwing away. Alas, I didn’t get very far. I stumbled across these crazy martini glasses and got way, way off track.
Many years ago, as the newly appointed creative director of Food & Wine magazine, I was determined to shake up the world of food magazines. At one of my early cover photo shoots the prop stylist showed up with these glasses. The photographer, a wild man named Peter Johansky, instantly fell in love with the glasses and shot a brilliant cover showcasing them alongside a plate of lobster. It was considered very cutting edge at the time. I guess I fell in love with them too, because somehow they wound up in my bag after the shoot, instead of going back to the store that had loaned them.
Let’s see. Clean the attic, or whip up a drink recipe worthy of these vintage glasses? Duh.
Here’s the recipe. Nothing really special about it. Just an updated classic for a pair of historic glasses. I’ve also included a list of storebought antipasto items that you can arrange on platters in a matter of moments to create instant cocktail party noshes. Because when you taste this drink, you’re gonna want to throw a party.
Need a gift? Visit Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets and buy lots and lots of gifts so I can afford to hire a professional to clean my attic!
Pomegranate Martini
(Makes 1 drink)
Often a tablespoon or two of simple syrup is added to a drink like this, but I prefer it without the sweetness. Either way, it is a winner.
2 ounces top shelf vodka
4 ounces pomegranate juice
1/2 lime
Fill martini shaker three quarters full of ice. Add vodka, pomegranate juice, and a generous squeeze of lime juice. Shake for about 30 seconds and pour into glass. Garnish with a twist of lime peel.
Antipasto Platters
All the antipasto items listed here can be purchased from the grocery, deli, gourmet food store or bakery.
Choose antipasto items that appeal to you and arrange them on platters. You can do this up to two hours ahead and cover them with plastic wrap until serving time. (No need to refrigerate.) Be sure to set out plenty of little plates, forks and napkins so that people can serve themselves.
Storebought antipasto choices:
Thinly sliced soppressata, salami, or pepperoni
Bocconcini or sliced fresh mozzarella
Assorted olives
Grilled mixed vegetables
Stuffed grape leaves
Hummus
Jarred artichoke hearts, drained and patted dry
Jarred roasted red or yellow peppers, drained and patted dry
Jarred pepperoncini or pickled hot peppers, drained and patted dry
Jarred marinated mushrooms
Jarred Caponata
Canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
Fresh cherry or grape tomatoes
Assorted tapenades
Baguette slices, breadsticks, focaccia and assorted crackers
