Petit Four Candies

Yield: 84

It's always nice to serve a variety of candies.

Ingredients:

Almond Crunchies

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar
• dash fine salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup corn flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• Icing sugar for coating

Peanut Crispy Squares

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup golden corn syrup
• 1 cup chopped peanuts
• 4 cups crisped rice cereal
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Chocolate Banana Slices

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 5 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 cup dried banana chips, lightly crushed
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tbsp coconut
• 1 cup salted pretzels, lightly crushed
• 1 1/2 cups banana crunch cereal (or honey crunch cereal)
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp vegetable shortening

Directions:

Almond Crunchies

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Whip egg white with electric beaters until foamy, then slowly add sugar and whip until white holds a stiff peak. Fold in salt, vanilla and almond extracts, and then fold in corn flakes, dates and almonds. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared tray and bake for 30 minutes. Once cooled, roll in icing sugar and store in an airtight container. Yield: makes about 18 almond crunchies.

Peanut Crispy Squares

1. Grease a 13-x-9-inch pan and set aside.
2. Stir peanut butter, brown sugar and corn syrup over medium heat in a saucepot until smooth and just begins to bubble. Stir in peanuts and cereal and press into prepared pan (dip your spatula or hand in cool water for easier spreading). Allow to cool.
3. Melt chocolate chips and spread over squares. Allow to set completely before cutting. Cut into 48 squares. Yield: 48 squares.

Chocolate Banana Slices

1. Grease an 8 inch or 9 inch square pan, line with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Melt butter, honey and vanilla together until it just begins to bubble. Stir in oats, banana chips, raisins and coconut to coat and soften for 1 minute. Stir in pretzels and cereal to coat and remove from heat. Alternatively, pulse ingredients to combine and lightly crush in food processor.
3. With lightly greased hands, press evenly into prepared pan. Let cool. Cut into 9 squares. Cut each square in half to make 2 triangles.
4. Stir white chocolate chips with vegetable shortening in a bowl over a pot of gently simmering water until melted. Dip the candies partway in chocolate, gently shake off excess and place on baking tray to set. Drizzle tops of candies with remaining chocolate. Store in an airtight container. Yield: makes 18.

Almond Nougat

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

Almond Nougat

• 1 cup blanched hazelnuts
• 2 x 4 1/2 oz packages blanched whole almonds
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions:

Almond Nougat

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Add hazelnuts and whole almonds to cookie sheet. Toast until golden, about 10 minutes.
3. Add sugar, corn syrup, honey, salt and water in a heavy bottomed saucepot (3 quart). Over medium heat, stir mixture until sugar dissolves. Continue cooking, without stirring until syrup reaches the hard ball stage, reading 252 degrees F. on a candy thermometer.
4. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form.
5. While mixer is on, in a thin steady stream, pour ¼ cup of hot syrup over egg whites, beating at high speed until mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape, about 5 minutes.
6. Continue to cook the remaining syrup to brittle threads, reading 315 to 318 degrees F. on a candy thermometer.
7. While mixer is on, in a thin steady stream, pour remaining hot syrup over egg whites, beating at high speed until mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape. Add vanilla extract, almond extract and butter, beating again for about 5 minutes. Stir in toasted nuts and ground almonds with a wooden spoon. Transfer mixture to a buttered 11 x 7 x 1 ¼-inch pan. Smooth the mixture evenly with a spatula. If it is a particularly humid day, refrigerate until firm.
8. Loosen edges of candy with a knife. Invert nougat on cutting board. Cut into pieces. Store in airtight container.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS COOKIES

Ingredients

1/2	pound	butter
1	cup	brown sugar	light, packed
1	cup	sugar
3	large	eggs
3	cups	biscuit baking mix (bisquick)
1	cup	cornstarch
1/2	cup	milk, skim, (non fat) powder	non-fat
2	tablespoons	coffee	powdered
1	tablespoon	cocoa powder	unsweetened
1	tablespoon	vanilla extract
12	ounces	chocolate pieces	semi-sweet
4	ounces	pecans	chopped

Directions

With electric mixer, high speed, cream butter until light and fluffy.

Beat in sugars, beating until very creamy.

Beat in eggs, then each remaining ingredient, except chips and pecan.

When dough is smooth, work in chips and pecans with spoon.

Make grape-sized pieces of dough for each cookie, placing 1 inch apart on ungreased sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes or until golden brown.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS COOKIES 3

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
2. Grind oats in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy. With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls, at least 1 inch apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until firm around the edges and golden on top, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

TIP: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Cheese Stick


Ingredients:

120 gm. Butter
80 gm. Sugar
3 gm. Salt
50 gm. lightly beaten egg
40 gm. ground almonds
180 gm. plain flour
80 gm. Kraft Cheddar cheese - grated
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Method:

(1) Cream butter, salt and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs gradually till finished. Mix well.
(2) Add in vanilla essence, grated cheddar cheese, ground almonds and plain flour. Mix till a dough is formed . It will be a soft dough. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour so that it will be easy to handle.
(3) Roll out dough between two pastic sheets and cut into strips of 2 1/2" x 3/4". If dough is too soft to lift, place into the freezer and let is harden a little so that you can lift it up easily. Brush with egg glaze, grate some cheddar cheese on top of cookies. Lay onto baking tray and bake at 170C for about 15 mins. then lower then temperature to 160C and continue baking till golden brown and crispy.
(4) Cool before storing in containers.

Cupcakes

CUPCAKES - cute, little creation that everyone loves it..

Vanilla Cupcakes
20 regular cupcakes

3/4 cup (1-1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-2/3 cups vanilla sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2-2/3 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

1. Beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined.
3. Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Measure out the milk and vanilla and stir to combine.
5. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar and beat to combine. Add about a half of the milk/vanilla and beat to combine. Continue adding, alternating between dry and wet and finishing with the dry.
6. Scoop batter into cupcake cups about 2/3’s full. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake cupcakes for about 22-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Vanilla Bean Frosting

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 package (8 ounces) philly cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
-4-5 cups powdered sugar

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy.
2. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
3. Add the vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, and 3 cups of powdered sugar and beat at low speed, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar to arrive at the consistency and sweetness you like.

Assemble
1. Frost each cooled cupcake with a healthy mound of frosting.
2. Top with vanilla seat salt or whatever you so desire.

For the cupcakes:

• 3 cups of all purpose flour
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 225g butter, softened and at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup full fat milk, at room temperature
• 2 cups caster sugar

For the icing:

• 5 tbsp butter, softened and at room temperature
• 6 cups of icing sugar
• 7 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3 tbsp Cointreau
• tiny pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp very finely grated orange zest

How to make Vanilla Cupcakes with Orange Frosting

I think what everyone loves most about cupcakes is the frosting, and I'm no exception. However, because frostings are usually sooo sweet, I prefer to have a very mild tasting cake base. The base I've used here is a very simple vanilla-infused sponge, and I think it goes really well with the slightly tangy orange frosting, which was a nice change from the usual lemony icings. (Makes about 36 medium cupcakes, and there should be enough frosting to generously frost all of them.)

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a cupcake tray with cups.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in the large bowl of your standing mixer on medium speed - about 5-8 minutes - until pale and fluffy. Add in the egg yolks, and mix for another 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla essence, and mix well.
3. Combine the salt, baking powder and flour in a bowl, and add it in 4 batches, alternating with a quarter of the milk each time. Mix until fully incorporated.
4. In a clean mixing bowl, and with a clean and dry whisk, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Carefully, but quickly, fold the egg whites into the batter, taking care not to lose all the air.
5. Spoon the batter into the cupcake cups, so that it comes about halfway up the side of the cups. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted to the middle comes out clean.
6. Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack completely before frosting.

Frosting & Decoration:

1. While the cupcakes are cooking, place the butter into a medium bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, and combine the orange juice and orange essence/ paste.
   

COOKIES

Cornflakes Cookies

125g butter
1 large egg
170g self rising flour
1 orange peel
90g caster sugar
cornflakes for coating - crunch slightly
sliced cherry for decoration

Method:

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix well. mix in orange peel and lastly sifted flour. Mix until incorporate. Spoon one teaspooon of batter and coat it with cornflakes and put cherry on top of it.

Bake for 10-12 mins at 170 deg celc. Cool on wire rack.


Almond Cookies

3 egg white
100 gm. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla essence
200 gm. whole almonds
120 gm. plain flour

Method:

(1) Whisk egg white with sugar and salt till thick.
(2) Fold in flour and almoinds.
(3) Pour into a 7" sq. tray.
(4) Bake at 170C for about 25 mins. until light brown.
(5) Remove and place onto a cooling rack to cool.
(6) Wrap cake with aluminium foil and keep in the fridge for a couple of hours.
(7) Slice the cake into thin slices and lay onto a baking tray.
(8) Bake in oven at 160C for about 15 mins. or until it's crispy.
(9) Cool and store in cookie containers.