Brownie Macaroon Pie
February 22, 2012
Take already scrumptious brownies to the next level with this decadent recipe from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!
Three little words. Ooey. Gooey. Delicious.
INGREDIENTS
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup sugar
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2-2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick spray.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla and add to chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared pie plate.
3. Combine sweetened condensed milk and coconut. Spoon over chocolate mixture, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until center is firm but still a little moist. Cool completely on wire rack.
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Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage, Walnuts & Balsamic Drizzle
February 16, 2012
Turn wonton wrappers into fancy ravioli with this easy recipe
from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!
Simple, affordable ingredients combine to make a sophisticated dish that’s perfect for entertaining.
INGREDIENTS
For the Ravioli:
½ cup canned pumpkin puree
¼ cup grated Parmesan
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
18 wonton wrappers
For the Drizzle:
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 bay leaf
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fresh sage leaves
DIRECTIONS
1. With a fork, mash together the pumpkin puree, Parmesan, lemon zest, sugar, and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Working in small batches, arrange wonton wrappers on a work surface. Brush edges lightly with water. Place 1 teaspoon filling on half; fold other half over, gently pressing edges to seal.
2. Combine the vinegar, honey and bay leaf in a small sauce pan and boil over medium heat until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Cover to keep warm
3. Boil ravioli in salted water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sage leaves and walnuts and cook until nuts are toasted, about 3 minutes. Add the ravioli, along with a splash of the cooking water to the skillet and toss to coat.
4. Divide ravioli among plates and drizzle with the balsamic syrup. Add more grated Parmesan, if desired.
Our new “Light Refreshments” gift basket is designed to satisfy.
Click here for details.
Cheesecake Squares
February 8, 2012
Make a Valentine’s Day gift for the man in your life with this easy recipe
from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!
This recipe is adapted from a recipe I found in an old issue of Everyday Food magazine. I like to pack these hearty squares into a pretty box or tin to make a lovely gift for guys… that is, if the lady baking them doesn’t eat them all first!
INGREDIENTS
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1 (8-ounce) bar cream cheese, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with two criss-crossed rectangles of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar. Add flour and mix until just combined; set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining dough into bottom and ¼ inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth. Add egg, milk, lime juice, and vanilla; mix to combine.
4. Spread filling in crust; crumble reserved dough on top. Bake until filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.
A little bird told us to design more baskets for folks who are under the weather or just need cheering up. Click here for details on “A Wing and a Prayer” shown below.
Valentine’s Day Peppermint Popcorn Gift Bags
January 27, 2012
Make yummy take-home favors for your Valentine’s Day party guests with this fun recipe from
This is a great way to use up all those leftover candy canes from Christmas. Fill cellophane bags with this addictive mix, tie at the neck with pretty ribbons, add a Valentine, and hand out to party guests as they leave.
INGREDIENTS
24 cups popped popcorn
2/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candy
1 pound white candy coating, coarsely chopped
DIRECTIONS
1. Pick over popcorn, making sure to discard any unpopped kernels. In a large bowl, combine the popcorn and crushed peppermint candy. In a microwave, zap candy coating in 20-second intervals until just melted; stir until completely smooth.
2. Working quickly, pour the melted candy coating over the popcorn mixture, tossing to coat. Turn mixture out on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Let cool completely. Break apart into bite sized pieces.
Minnie Mouse called. She wants her gift basket back. We love this latest super-affordable Valentine’s Day gift. Because of the wild red polka dots, we couldn’t help but call it, Minnie’s Delight. Click here for details.
Beet Salad with Pistachios and Blue Cheese
January 25, 2012
Make a beet red Valentine’s Day salad with this simply elegant recipe
from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!
If everyone feels like my sister does about beets, this post will have the lowest rating on record. But give these beets a try. How bad can they be? They’re covered with nuts and cheese!
Cut the leaves off of fresh beets, but do not peel. Toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap each beet in foil and roast at 400 degrees until fork tender, about 55 minutes. Let cool slightly, unwrap, rub off skins, and slice into wedges. Toss with crumbled blue cheese, roasted pistachios, fresh thyme leaves and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Click here for details on the kosher Valentine’s Day gift shown below. Click here to see all our Valentine’s Day gifts!
Spiced Cocktail Nuts
January 18, 2012
Make your cheese platter even more irresistible with this easy recipe from
I love to serve these sugared pecans with cheeses. The sweet-salty trend is in full swing as is evidenced by all the sea salt-topped chocolates offered by upscale chocolatiers. However this classic combo has always been the norm here in the south, where something sweet (hot pepper jelly comes to mind) almost always shows up on the hors d’œuvre tray.
INGREDIENTS
1 egg white
3 cups whole pecans
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white and 1 tablespoon water until frothy. Whisk in the sugar, cinnamon and cayenne pepper (if using). Stir in the pecans and mix until nuts are coated. Spread nuts in a single layer on a large baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees, stirring occasionally, until dry and fragrant, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
This Valentine’s Day party in a basket is just one of our many new Valentine’s Day gifts. Click here to see them all!
Spinach Salad with Bacon, Lima Beans & Lemon-Soy Vinaigrette
January 11, 2012
Make a pretty first course for your dinner party with this easy recipe from
Everything’s better with bacon, right? Even lima beans. Actually, I happen to love lima beans, but I’ve met folks (mostly Northerners) who are totally skeeved out by them. If you are one of those, substitute any bean you like.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 4 large servings)
8 cups torn spinach leaves, washed and dry
1 ½ cups frozen lima beans, cooked, and cooled
8 slices crisp, cooked bacon, crumbled
2 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup Lemon-Soy Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
DIRECTIONS
Combine the spinach leaves, lima beans, bacon and scallions in a large bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette and serve immediately.
LEMON-SOY VINAIGRETTE
In a small bowl, use a fork to mash 3 cloves of roasted garlic. Add 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil and 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
The salad above would make the perfect first course for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner. Need the perfect gift to go with that? Click here for details!
Chocolate Pound Cake with Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting
January 4, 2012
End your diet resolutions in style with this classic pound cake recipe
from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!
Sorry I haven’t posted in a while. We were absolutely swamped during the holidays. Hopefully this is a sign that the economy is on the upswing! To thank all of our wonderful customers, we are offering a 20% discount now through January 9. Just enter code THX01 at checkout!
Hope everyone is over the whole New Year’s resolution thing and ready to hunker down and eat some gooooooooood pound cake.
INGREDIENTS
For the frosting:
1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips
¾ cup sour cream
For the cake:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 (4-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/8 cups flour
6 tablespoons good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
Melt chocolate chips over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the sour cream. Refrigerate, stirring about every 30 minutes, until thick enough to spread. (May take up to 3 hours.)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar. Add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla.
Add half of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat well. Add the other half and beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Spread top and sides of cooled cake with the prepared frosting.
Too early to start thinking about Valentine’s Day? Of course not! Here’s what we’re working on. Click here for details.
Cheesy Spinach Pie
December 6, 2011
Create a hearty, cheesy pie for winter entertaining with this easy recipe
from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!
I have this thing about quiches. I love the idea, but they always taste too egg-y to me. And for good reason. Most have 4 to 6 eggs. Here’s my compromise. It’s a rich, cheesy, not-too-egg-y-tasting savory pie.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 8
Pastry for 1 (9-inch) deep-dish piecrust
½ stick butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 eggs, plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 lb. cottage cheese
1 cup each shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fit the pastry into a deep dish pie plate, lightly prick the bottom and refrigerate until needed.
- In a large pan, melt the butter and sauté chopped onion until translucent, adding finely minced garlic during the last minute, about 6 minutes total. Mix in the thawed spinach and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients. Stir in the cooled spinach mixture and mix well.
- Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake for 1 hour. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
We’ve got lots of guy gifts for the holidays. Click here to check out the “Party Boy” gift boxes shown below.
Tart Lime Tart
November 30, 2011
End your holiday dinner party on a high note with this easy dessert recipe
from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!
I generally serve several desserts at large holiday gatherings and this classic is always among them. Its simple elegance and refreshing tartness makes a nice contrast to some of the fancier, more traditional desserts.
INGREDIENTS
9 (2 ½ by 5-inch) graham crackers
2 tablespoons plus ½ cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 5 limes)
4 large egg yolks
Pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Process graham crackers and 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor until fine crumbs form; add butter. Process until combined. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Pat into bottom and up sides of pan. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake until crust is slightly colored, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, lime juice, egg yolks, remaining ½ cup sugar and salt; whisk until smooth. Pour mixture into warm crust; return to oven. Bake until filling is set around edge, but still slightly loose in center, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cool completely at room temperature; then refrigerate (up to 2 days) until serving time.
We’re adding kosher holiday gifts to our website every day. Click here for details on the “Kosher Star Stack” shown below.
