Fall Favorites

G.H. Cretors Popped Corn: Addictively Delicious, and No Gluten!

Kettle Corn and Chicago Mix Review

by Joi

G.H. Cretors Popped CornG.H. Cretors Popped Corn: Absolutely Amazing

The wonderful people at G.H. Cretors Popped Corn sent me bags of what can only be described as Popped Corn Heaven.  Although they, in the process, created a couple of brand new addictions in my family, I am forever indebted to them for their kindness, generosity, and stoopidly delicious popped corn.

I guess you can tell that this G.H. Cretors Popped Corn review is going to be a ridiculously positive one.

G.H. Cretors Kettle CornI’m a bit of a Kettle Corn addict, to begin with, so the first bag I tore into was the G.H. Cretors Kettle Corn.  If you aren’t familiar with Kettle Corn, let me lay it on the line for you: Kettle Corn is what all popcorn would be if it had a choice.  Kettle Corn is so additively delicious that you’ll find yourself going at it with both hands. G.H. Cretors has the best Kettle Corn I’ve ever tasted – and, believe me, I’ve been around the Kettle Corn block a million times. Okay, a billion times, but who’s counting?  At times, while deliriously throwing in G.H. Cretors Kettle Corn in, I forget to breath – let alone chew.

I keep reminding myself, “Pace yourself. No one’s taking it away from you.”

At one point, my husband (a new Kettle Corn addict – unaccustomed to its power) handed me the bag and told me, “Put it away before I kill myself.”   Oh I put it away all right.

From G.H. Cretors:

Today we make our Kettle Corn just like Great Grandpa did – with four simple, natural ingredients: popcorn, sunflower oil, cane sugar, and sea salt. That’s all it takes to bring you the perfect combination of sweet and salty – the tastiest fluffiest popcorn – with a little surprise in every kernel. From our kitchen to yours, enjoy!

All Natural…Naturally!

  • No artificial flavors or colors
  • No gluten ingredients
  • We use natural sweeteners
  • We use locally grown Non-GMO popcorn
  • Just four simple ingredients

G.H. Cretors Chicago Mix: Popped Cheddar and Caramel CornG.H. Cretors Chicago Mix

Equally delicious is G.H. Cretors Chicago Mix Popped Corn. Hold onto your seat for this one.  This is a delicious mixture of Cheddar Cheese popped corn and Caramel popped corn. My youngest daughter Stephany loves this particular variety so much I seldom see her without a bag in hand.  I can’t blame her, whatsoever, because this mix is out of this world.

Although I’m obsessed with cheese popped corn, oddly enough I’ve never been much of a caramel popped corn fan. For some reason it’s just too sticky for my taste.  I realize that some people live for that sticky caramel texture, but I’m not into it.  I was THRILLED that G.H. Cretors caramel popped corn doesn’t have that traditional stickiness. Somehow it keeps all the caramel flavor without making your teeth feel sticky and weird.

I love it for that.

From the Website:

Today we make our Caramel Corn just like Great Grandpa did- in old-fashioned copper kettles, one batch at a time. Then we mix it up the Chicago way, with our rich, creamy, Aged Cheddar Cheese Corn to create the perfect combination of Sweet and Salty. You don’t even have to come to Chicago to try this special treat. From our kitchen to yours, enjoy!

All Natural…Naturally!

  • We use Brown Rice Syrup
  • No artificial flavors or colors
  • No gluten ingredients
  • Made with fresh creamery butter
  • We use natural sweeteners
  • We use locally grown Non-GMO popcorn

 G.H. Cretors has the following varieties of Popped Corn:

  • Kettle Corn
  • Chicago Mix (Cheddar and Caramel)
  • Cheddar
  • Caramel
  • Caramel Nut Crunch

Each of these varieties should come with warning labels – these people know their popped corn like no one else.

G. H. Cretors Popped Corn is available on Amazon:

In addition to Amazon, G.H. Cretors is available in many stores across the U.S.  We don’t have any such stores in my area, so Amazon will be my source of deliciousness. Click HERE for the store locator.

G.H. Cretors Chicago Mix Popped Corn

G.H. Cretors Chicago Mix: Cheddar Cheese Popped Corn and Caramel Popped Corn: Unbelievably delicious!

 

Pull Apart Football Cupcakes

Just In TIme for your Superbowl Party

by Joi

Did your team make it all the way to the Superbowl? Mine (Broncos) didn’t, but there’s always next year, right?!

In the cooking tutorial video above, you’ll see how you can easily make a Superbowl Dessert everyone will rave about – whether their team’s playing or not.

If you’ll notice, I did indeed mark this post as a “Holiday” recipe. You see, with the football fanatics in our family, any day NFL is on tv, it’s a holiday. Same with baseball and college basketball. We pretty much have holidays every day in this house. :)

Hearty White Bean Chili

Chicken, Garlic, Green Chiles, Spices, and a Most Unexpected Ingredient

by Joi

White Bean Chili Recipe

I’m always in the mood for great chicken recipe and I’m always on the hunt for chili recipes. So, when chicken meets chili, I’m not only on board, I’m on board with spoon in hand.  The following recipe for white chili calls for some of the ingredients that make white chili (or chicken chili as some call it) so spectacular – but it also calls for one of the most unexpected… yet tempting… ingredients you’ll ever find in a chili recipe. Nielsen-Massey Pure Chocolate Extract!  I’m entirely intrigued because one of the things I”m even more in love with than chicken or chili is chocolate.

Enjoy!

 

Hearty White Bean Chili Recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, medium dice
1 cup finely diced onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup organic chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried organic parsley
1 tablespoon dried organic oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Pure Chocolate Extract
1 (15-ounce) can white kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until brown. Remove the chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onion to the sauté pan and cook until caramelized, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wood spoon to deglaze.

Pour the stock mixture into a large saucepot and add the cooked chicken, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chiles, cumin, parsley, oregano, cayenne pepper and salt. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chocolate extract and white kidney beans. Cook for 10 minutes.

Ladle the chili into soup bowls and garnish with the Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6.

Note: Caramelization cooks the naturally occurring sugars in food and improves their flavor and appearance.

Deglaze means to stir a liquid, usually wine, in a sauté pan to loosen the cooked food particles from the pan.

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas on Amazon:

About Nielsen-Massey Vanillas
Throughout its more than 100 year history, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has earned its reputation as a manufacturer of the finest extracts in the world. The full line of Nielsen-Massey’s Pure Vanilla products include: Vanilla Beans and Extracts from Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico; sugar and alcohol-free Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar and Certified Organic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and Beans.

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas also has a line of Pure Flavors: Pure Chocolate Extract, Pure Almond Extract, Pure Orange Extract, Pure Lemon Extract, Pure Coffee Extract, Pure Peppermint Extract, Orange Blossom Water and Rose Water. All Nielsen-Massey products are Allergen-Free and certified Kosher and Gluten-Free. The company is headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, with production facilities in Waukegan and Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.

Caramel Corn Recipe

Starring Pecans from Oh Nuts!

by Joi

Southern Living 1988 Annual Recipes Cookbook

As I said in a recent post, I’ve fallen head over heels in love with Oh Nuts.  Their delicious pecans are the star in the recipe below.  Caramel Corn is outstanding for snacking on during ball games or as you run in and out of the house finishing up your Christmas shopping!

This recipe is from a favorite old cookbook in my collection, Southern Living 1988 Annual Recipes (Southern Living Annual Recipes). Try it, you’ll absolutely love it and your family will sing your praises through their sticky teeth.

Caramel Corn

Vegetable Cooking Spray
6 Quarts popped corn
1-1/2 cups pecan halves
1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1-1/2 cups raw peanuts
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coat 2 large roasting pans with cooking spray. Combine popcorn and pecans in pans; set aside.

Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, and peanuts in a large saucepan; bring to a boil, and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in soda and vanilla.

Pour mixture evenly over popcorn mixture. Stir with a lightly greased long-handled spoon until popcorn is well coated. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and immediately pour onto waxed paper, breaking it apart as it cools. Store in airtight containers.

Yield: 6-1/2 Quarts

*** Be sure to check out Oh Nuts! for nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and gift sets. Keep them in mind year-round as well (Valentine’s Day, Easter, birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, Hanukkah, Halloween, Thanksgiving…)  Buy nuts in bulk for the best bargain.

Ninny’s Cranberry Salad Recipe

Beside the Backward Check Mark

by Joi

Ocean Spray Whole Cranberry Sauce

 

Sigh.  Thanksgiving gets me every year. If you’ve lost a loved one, you know what I’m talking about. It’s a wonderful, beautiful, and even magical time of year – but it’s also a time that’s ripe with emotions, isn’t it? Thanksgiving was my dad’s favorite holiday, by a landslide.  Sometimes I thought the man lived for Thanksgiving Day.

So each Thanksgiving season finds me missing him A LOT.

I’m one of those unlucky people who lost both of their parents too soon, so I actually have both a mom and dad to miss during the Holiday Season.  Thank God I have lots of beautiful, much beloved faces surrounding me (some with whiskers, some without!) or I’d just hole up and wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas to pass.

This morning I was thinking a lot about my mom and how she embraced the holidays. A few weeks before hand, the recipes and cookbooks would cover the table and counter as she jotted down ingredients and made her plan of attack.  I’m now in THAT role, myself.  Funny, we never suspect that we actually will be… until we are.

Anyway, I decided I wanted to make a particular Cranberry Salad that momma would make each Thanksgiving, but none of the recipes were like the one she made. I’d read one after one thinking, “No,” “Nope,” and “Not even close.”  I got into the bottom of an antique hutch, looking for some of momma’s old cookbooks. One was lying right on top, with it’s cover torn off (why not, it’s probably 576 years old… okay, not quite). Written on the opening page, in her handwriting were the words, “Cranberry Salad” Pg 15.

Thanks, mom.

I turned to the page she told me to turn to and, sure enough, the recipe was exactly the one I was looking for.  I couldn’t make up my mind if I wanted to cry or smile, so I sort of ended up doing both. I did kind of chuckle though because right beside the recipe was one of her nutty backward check marks.  She was left handed, so I guess that explains it, but the woman’s check marks were as backward as backward can be.  I remember teasing her about it and she’d laugh and say that her check marks were “beautiful” and that everyone else’s were backward.

I don’t know. Maybe she was right.

Here’s my mom’s favorite  recipe for Cranberry Salad.  The recipe calls for Cherry Jell-o but I recall she always favored Strawberry, so I made the exchange.

Cranberry Salad

2 (3 oz) pkgs strawberry-flavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped nuts (she used pecans, as I will)

Mix and chill.

Don’t let the celery throw you – it’s excellent in this salad and you’ll love the crunch!

About Nuts: Have you ever bought Oh Nuts? I’m addicted to them beyond belief. There are certain brands that I’m ridiculously loyal to and, when it comes to nuts, none compare.  In fact, I’m launching an entire week of NUTTY recipes on the food blog.  I am a nut for nuts and use them in my cooking just about every day.  With Oh Nuts, everything’s even more delicious…. when I can stay out of them, that is!  They come in these big, beautiful bags that open and close so effortlessly – which is a good thing, of course, but it’s almost impossible to quit snacking on them.. Good thing they’re so wonderfully healthy!

Family Recipes:
If you haven’t already, it’s a great idea to write down (and safely protect) favorite family recipes. If a parent, aunt, grandparent, or uncle makes alterations to a recipe, be sure to write down their exchanges or alterations. Better yet, let them write it down in their own handwriting. It’s pretty special to have handwritten notes and notations from loved ones. Sometimes they even come with backward check marks. :)

Quick and Easy Sweet Potato Casserole

A Favorite Thanksgiving Recipe

by Joi

Sweet Potatos (Ipomoea Batalas)
Sweet Potatos (Ipomoea Batalas)
Buy This Allposters.com

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

3 cups grated sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs
4 tsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix sweet potatoes, sugars, milk, butter, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch greased baking dish or pan. Bake for 1 hour in a pre-heated 325 degree oven.

Heavenly!

Sweet Potatos (Ipomoea Batalas)
Sweet Potatos (Ipomoea Batalas)
Buy This Allposters.com

Honey, You’re Gonna Love These Recipes

Add Honey Flavor to Your Holiday Meals

by Joi

Holiday Recipe: Honey Roasted Butternut Squash Soup!

If you read my ramblings on my food blog or my daughter’s tea review blog, you know I’ve got it BAD for honey.  Seriously bad.  I put honey in my oatmeal, on biscuits, cornbread, in hot tea, in cold tea, in grits, on peanut butter sandwiches, on apple slices, on pears, on peaches, in yogurt… And, yes, I’ve been known to walk right up to my little bear of honey (spoon in hand) and just have honey on honey.

Not only is honey delicious, it’s good for you. It’s an amazing alternative to sugar and if you suffer from allergies, it’s somewhat of a miracle worker.  If you get local honey (that’s the kicker, it must be LOCAL), it makes your allergies better.  I have horrific seasonal allergies – I even used to be on allergy shots.  I’m thrilled to say those days are over.

Below are a few great holiday recipes starring honey. Honeydrop Beverages (which I’ve never actually tried, but would love to), the all natural line of teas and juices sweetened with a tablespoon of pure honey, has partnered with Dan Lorig, former Executive Chef of Gulf Stream – Hillstone in Los Angeles and founding team member of Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak in New York City to offer a few honey-centric recipes perfect for the holidays.

Since there is honey involved, I’m all in.  The first recipe is for Honey Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (pictured above).   This soup would be amazing for Thanksgiving, wouldn’t it?!  It’d also be great to have after spending Black Friday shopping and fighting crowds.  It’d warm you up and make the world a wonderful place to live again.

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

12 Fl. Oz. White Wine
1 fl. Oz Vegetable Oil, as needed
2 Oz Shallot, Chopped
6 Oz Celery, Medium Dice
3 Oz Carrot, Medium Dice
1 Tbsp Garlic Clove, Chopped
2 Lbs Butternut Squash, Cooked
2 Fl Oz Olive Oil, as needed
4 Fl Oz Honey
3 Qt Vegetable Stock
8 Fl Oz Heavy Cream
Salt, to taste
White Pepper, Ground, to taste

Squash

1. Peel and seed Squash

2. Cut Squash into 1”-2” cubes

3. Place Squash in a medium bowl, mix with olive oil and honey to lightly coat

4. Spread Squash over a sheet tray and lightly season with salt and white pepper

5. Roast at 300 F for approximately 1 hr or until fork tender

Soup

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepot to low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, celery, onion and carrot. Cook slowly until soft/translucent.

2. Add White Wine and simmer 2 minutes

3. Add cooked squash and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour

4. Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth then strain. Repeat if necessary to achieve desired consistency

5. Add Heavy Cream and return to heat; simmer 20 minutes

6. Adjust seasoning with Honey, salt and white pepper to taste

7. Serve immediately

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette recipe

 

Honey Mustard and Herb Vinaigrette

Makes Approx. 1qt

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Champagne Vinegar
2/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 Shallot, Chopped
1 tbsp Thyme, Fresh, chopped
1 tbsp Parsley, Fresh, chopped
2 Tsp Honey
20 Fl Oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

1. Combine all of the ingredients except the oil.

2. Gradually incorporate the oil in a steady stream.

3. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and black pepper.

4. Serve immediately over mixed greens or store in refrigerator for up to one week

Honeydrop Beverages

About Honeydrop Beverages:
Honeydrop Beverages is a healthy line of teas and juices powered by honey. Each bottle of Honeydrop is made with a spoonful of pure honey, is void of all refined or artificial sweeteners and contains only 70 to 90 calories. In 2011, Honeydrop announced its “Buy a Bottle – Save a Bee” initiative where a percentage of the profits from each bottle sold are donated to local beekeepers throughout the country to help battle Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), an epidemic threatening the global bee population.

Thanksgiving and Christmas Recipes

A Collection That'll Make the Holidays Even Better

by Joi

Holiday Recipes and Decorating Ideas

I was recently sent a copy of the beautiful issue of Holiday magazine (Good Housekeeping) 301 Recipes & Decorating Ideas 2011 from Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and Country Living. How could it be anything less than magnificent?

Answer: It couldn’t be.

Not only do I want you to grab a copy before Christmas, I want you to grab a copy before Thanksgiving. Not only will you want to make sure they don’t sell out, there are some great recipes you can start enjoying now AND with your Thanksgiving meal. Plus, it’ll give you plenty of time to plan your Christmas menu. Confession: I’ve already begun planning my Thanksgiving and Christmas menus – and A LOT of the things I’ve written down have come from Holiday magazine (Good Housekeeping) 301 Recipes & Decorating Ideas 2011.

Then, you have the fact that there are countless decorating tips, ideas, crafts, and projects in addition to the great recipes. There’s a gorgeous Poinsettia display that I’m going to use year round with “cat safe” flowers. Unfortunately, Poinsettia’s don’t fit the bill, so I’m buying the best looking artificial Poinsettias I can find. Solved!

There are also different wreaths, swags, uses for Christmas ornament balls, table setting ideas, and so on. When I first looked through the magazine, I found myself saying, “I’m going to do that.. I’m doing that… I can do that…” Seriously, this magazine is packed with great ideas.

Then there are the recipes. Wow! Below are just a few of the recipes (with beautiful color photographs) you’ll find in this great bookazine.

  • PB & J Snowflakes (cookies)
  • Chocolate Glaciers (cookies)
  • Six recipes for brownie lovers (of whom I am chief)
  • Elegant Beef (Pepper-Crusted Prime Rib – the picture will make your mouth water)
  • Crispy Potato-Parmesan Galette
  • Mixed Winter Greens
  • Green Beans with Caramelized Red Onions
  • Broccoli with Garlic & Lemon
  • Low Fat Eggnog
  • Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes (yay!!!)
  • Ginger & Honey Mustard-Glazed Ham
  • Plus many, many, many more recipes.

 

Recipes that lead me to encourage you to buy this bookazine before Thanksgiving:

  • Cranberry Apple Chutney
  • Turkey with Giblet-Mushroom Gravy
  • Easy Turkey Stock
  • Savory Bread Stuffing with Pears
  • Maple-Ginger Glazed Carrots
  • Sour Cream Smashed Potatoes
  • Chocolate Walnut Pie
  • Maple Sweet Potatoes with Pecans
  • Roasted Squash with Walnuts
  • Sweet Potato & Chive Biscuits

The great thing about this collection is that I’ll be using the recipes year round.  I almost always have cookies made up around our house, so I know I’ll be using these cookie recipes over and over again.  Also, there are a lot of recipes provided for entertaining and holiday parties that’ll make great appetizers and game day treats all year long (Tartlets, Puff Pastry Nibbles, Teriyaki Meatballs, Steak House Crostini, Mini Crab Cakes, Artichoke-Fontina Dip, Light Onion Dip, Warm Crab Dip, Goat Cheese Logs, Healthy Pimento Cheese Logs….)

Either click through the link (Holiday magazine (Good Housekeeping) 301 Recipes & Decorating Ideas 2011) and order your copy today or look for it in your favorite store right away. This one’s a must have.

Vegetarian Dressing Recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas

With Holland House White Wine Cooking Wine

by Joi

Artichoke-Mushroom Stuffing from Holland HouseDo you have a vegetarian to consider when making your Thanksgiving and Christmas meals?  Maybe you, yourself, are cutting back on meat and are looking for flavorful vegetarian holiday recipes. Stuffing (or dressing) is one of the most important dishes on the Thanksgiving table, and my vegetarian daughter Brittany absolutely LOVES dressing. Normally, I just use a vegetarian broth (made from boiling a variety of her favorite vegetables and seasoning it with bay leaves, sage, and thyme).  However, I plan to make the following recipe for her this year, Artichoke-Mushroom Stuffing. Toasted nuts add crunch, which she’ll love and extra nutritional value, which mom loves.

I was recently sent bottles of Holland House White Cooking Wine and Holland House White Cooking Wine with Lemon Flavor to review on the food blog and I’m now officially addicted.  You know how there are certain things you refuse to run out of in your kitchen? These delicious, aromatic, and VERY flavorful White Cooking Wines  have made the list.  They’re perfect for chicken – as well as everything else.  They’re absolutely outstanding.

I’ll post a recipe for the White Cooking Wine with Lemon Flavor in an upcoming post – but look for each of these kitchen must haves at the store, and save this recipe for Thanksgiving, it sounds so amazing I think I’m going to have a trial run.  SOON.  This Thursday works for me…

Artichoke-Mushroom Stuffing

Aromatic vegetables, cooked in wine with mushrooms and artichoke hearts, make a delicious flavor combination for this stuffing. Toasted nuts—hazelnuts, walnuts, or pecans—add a delightful crunch.

Although we find it easiest—and quite tasty—to bake the stuffing separately, this recipe will stuff two 3-pound chickens or a small turkey.
Approx 1 lb. sliced French or Italian sandwich bread
1 can (13-14 oz.) artichoke hearts (not marinated)
4 Tbsp. butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
8 oz. pre-sliced mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. dried rubbed sage
1 cup HOLLAND HOUSE White Cooking Wine
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth (plus more to taste)
Spread bread slices out on sheet trays for several hours to dry out a bit. Or place in a warm oven for 15 minutes. Tear bread into bite-size pieces. Measure 12 cups and place in a very large bowl.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 3-quart casserole dish (or a shallow 9×13-inch baking dish). Drain artichokes and cut into small pieces.

In a large skillet, combine butter, onion, celery and mushrooms. Cook over high heat 6-7 minutes. Stir in artichokes, poultry seasoning and sage; add cooking wine. Cook 5 minutes more; remove from heat.

Gradually spoon vegetable mixture, including liquid, over bread, tossing gently after each addition. Sprinkle in nuts. Drizzle with chicken broth and toss, using more broth if you prefer moister stuffing.

Spoon stuffing into buttered casserole dish. Cover and bake 45-50 minutes for a casserole dish (or 25-30 minutes for a shallow baking dish).

Makes 12 cups stuffing.

Holland House White Wine Vinegars

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Cookies!

Just In Time for the Holidays

by Joi

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Cookies

This human equivalent of Cookie Monster was recently sent the Biscuiteers Book of Iced Cookies to review for the food blog. Oh how it pays to live right!  I’d have been excited to get my hands on this any time of year – after all, we Cookie Monsters don’t have “off seasons,” but I’m extra excited to get it right before the holidays.  As you probably know, I go ALL OUT for special occasions.  My kitchen becomes like Iron Chef’s Kitchen Stadium as I launch into and out of cooking and baking battles.

It’s quite the sight, trust me.  The tales my cat could tell. Thankfully I’ve bought her silence, paid in full with tuna fish.

I flung myself onto the sofa and escaped into the pages as soon as Biscuiteers Book of Iced Cookies arrived in the mail.  I read “The Golden Rules of Cookie Making” (pages 13 -15), “Helpful Hints for Dough Making and Rolling” (pages 16 – 19), everything you’d ever need to know about icings, including a great Basic Royal Icing recipe (pages 21 -31), then lost myself in page after glorious page of cookie recipes and pictures.  I was reminded that iced cookies aren’t a delicacy that should be saved ONLY for Christmastime. Granted, I can’t imagine Christmas without iced cookies, but since they’re one of life’s sweetest treasures, why save them for one month a year?

  • There are cookies that celebrate gardening, summertime, London, New York, garden creatures (ladybugs, snails, dragonflies, frogs, etc), pirates, circuses, safaris, and more.
  • There are cookies for little girls, big girls, little boys, and big boys.
  • There are cookies for shoe lovers.
  • There are cookies for cat lovers (be still my heart) and cookies for handbag lovers (be still my heart, again).
  • There are even cookies shaped and decorated like cupcakes – possibly the cutest cookies ever made. They look as delicious as they are beautiful.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’d be here all day if I told you about each and every cookie in this very special cookbook.

A Little Background:

Ever since the company Biscuiteers started making their stylish and enchanting hand-decorated biscuits, they have become the must-have gift and have become a go-to website for cookie decorating.  Now, in their debut book, Biscuiteers Book of Iced Cookies, Harriet Hastings and Sarah Moore share their icing secrets so you can create your own little pieces of artwork, guaranteed to delight (and impress) friends and family.

Why send flowers when you can send delicious cookies?  These gorgeous creations add originality to your gifts and fun to your kitchen.  From heart-shaped cookies to baubles and tree decorations, cowboys and Indians to savvy stilettos,Biscuiteers Book of Iced Cookies has ideas for every occasion, including birthdays, weddings, children’s parties, Halloween, Christmas, and other festive celebrations. All Biscuiteers cookies are baked in the easy, old-fashioned way, with no preservatives or additives, and then lovingly iced and crafted to look amazing. Starting with recipes for basic cookie dough such as vanilla, lemon, chocolate, ginger, almond, and spice, Harriet and Sarah guide you through the different types of icing and coloring, before moving on to easy step-by-step piping instructions and 8 pages of do-it-yourself templates. With helpful ideas on packaging and basic equipment, you will be amazed how easy it is to create cookies that can rival any neighborhood bakery.

The best thing that could be said about these cookies is the best thing that can be said about anything…. They’re sure to make someone smile. Which, in turn, would bring a smile to the baker’s face!

Product Description

Harriet Hastings loves cookies. In fact she was a bit obsessed with sending tins of delicious home-baked cookies, lovingly iced for any occasion, and created Biscuiteers, an award-winning food website. This lovely book contains everything you need to create your own decorated cookies to wow your friends and delight your kid: utterly delicious treats that taste as fabulous as they look; ideas for every occasion from birthdays and weddings to children’s parties and holidays; recipes for basic cookie doughs such as vanilla, lemon, chocolate, and ginger; different types of icing and coloring, piping instructions, and templates.

Order your copy of Biscuiteers Book of Iced Cookies and get ready for Holiday baking.  You’re going to love this book!

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