Bonnie Scott - Holiday Recipes

Holiday Recipes 150 Easy Recipes and Gifts from Your Kitchen Bonnie Scott
Holiday Recipes Copyright: Bonnie Scott Published: 1 st November 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format. Graphics by Cheryl Seslar Designs
Give a gift of love this holiday season with homemade favorites from your kitchen. Everyone leads such busy lives, and gifts from your kitchen are thoughtful and much appreciated tokens of affection for family, friends and co-workers. Maybe youre the Cookie Queen, Baroness o f Bars or the Candy Countess.

Whatever style cooking is your passion, youre sure to find something new and exciting in this extensive collection of home crafted recipes. There are snacks, savories, drinks, hors d'oeuvres and desserts of all kinds to tempt your familys taste buds and add pizzazz to any hosts buffet table. This collection includes strategies to make your preparations easier, as well as tips to make your finished products tastier and more attractive. We also include loads of unique ideas to package your creations for gifts that are memorable and maybe even photo worthy. Combine your handcrafted culinary creations with a thoughtful kitchen accessory or decorative item to create a one-of-a-kind gift that will be enjoyed now and appreciated for years to come. When youre giving gifts of food, make it extra special by including the original recipe.

Hand write the recipe on colorful recipe cards or print the recipe in an attractive font on a specialty paper or card stock. Make sure you include any hints or tips you use to create your culinary confections. Dont forget to include your name so the recipient will always remember who gave them that delicious recipe. Keep reading to find all kinds of ideas for gifts from your kitchen, including an internet address for free printables Christmas cookie pouches, bag toppers and hang tags for your baked goods.

Quick breads are fast and delicious. Theyre a real treat for everyone and a welcome change from the usual holiday cookie and candy routine.

Dessert breads arent usually as sugar-laden as cookies or cake. This makes them a perfect gift for those whose sweet tooth isnt as extreme, since quick breads satisfy that craving for a little bit of dessert. Baking Tips Most quick breads store well, so plan a day to get a head start on your holiday baking. Properly wrapped, quick breads can be refrigerated for one week or frozen for two to three months. If youve got a favorite bread recipe, you can easily adapt it for mini loaves. You dont need to change the ingredients, but you must reduce the baking time.

Set your oven to the temperature your recipe recommends. Fill your mini loaf pans one-half to two-thirds full and bake for one-half the recommended time. Check for doneness, and if the center is still too moist, bake in five-minute increments until done. Wrap Your Mini Loaves with Maximum Style Make your breads special by baking them in mini loaves and presenting them in festive, holiday wrappings. Added to a gift basket or an assortment of treats, they make any gift extra special. Once youve completed your baking, its time to dress up your mini loaves.

After wrapping your tasty treats in plastic film, its time to get creative. There are lots of fun, festive wrappers to download and print out. Cut the paper into strips, wrap the loaf and secure with tape on the bottom. Then you can add a premade bow, ribbon tie or even a tie made of twine or raffia for a country look. Use gift tags with a hole punched at the top to hang from your ribbon, and your mini loaf is ready. Craft stores have bakery-style gift boxes in many sizes.

Place your loaf in a box, wrap a strip of festive paper around it and tie with white string. Use premade paper, or let the kids in on the fun and have them create artwork for your gift boxes. Brown paper, from either a roll of butcher paper or paper bags, makes an eco-friendly and sophisticated wrapper when tied up with an elegant, wide ribbon. Add a special gift tag to hang from the ribbon and your gift is ready. For a gift theyll remember long after the last crumb is gone, place your bread on a handsome cutting board and tie with a colorful ribbon. You can wrap the bread in holiday paper or even wrap it in a cloth napkin or useful kitchen towel.

If youve made a variety of breads, cut into generous slices, wrap individually in parchment paper and secure with a tag that indicates the variety. Fill a bakery-style box with a selection of slices, and tie it up with a jaunty ribbon for a fresh from the bakery look. Heres a trick so you arent gifting a dirty pan after baking in it. Purchase colorful ceramic mini loaf baking pans and prepare your loaves in these pans. Line the ceramic pan with parchment paper before baking and spray the paper with Pa m . When the loaf is finished baking, you can lift the loaf out of the pan by the parchment paper and wash the pan.

Clean the pans to sparkling perfection, wrap the loaves in plastic wrap and replace in the pans. Use a coordinated kitchen towel to wrap your gift and tie the package up with raffia or a silk ribbon.

1 cup sugar 1 egg 3 ripe bananas 1/2 cup margarine 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup nuts, chopped Optional - 1/2 cup dates, chopped Optional - 1/2 cup maraschino cherries In a large bowl, beat egg, margarine, sugar, bananas and vanilla until smooth. Mix flour and baking soda together and blend into banana mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients. Grease 2 5x9 inch loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until done. Yield: 2 loaves Minis : This recipe will make 4 mini-loaves (fill pans 3/4 full with batter) baked for 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Banana Nut Bread Mini Loaves To achieve this look, purchase some inexpensive ceramic mini bread pans. (These pans are from Bed, Bath and Beyond.) Use cute ribbon about 2 1/2 inches wide. Just wrap the ribbon around the ceramic pans and secure underneath with double stick tape.

1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter 2 1/8 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 3/4 cup raisins 3/4 cup candied fruit 1/2 cup maraschino cherries 1/2 cup dates, chopped 1/2 cup almonds , chopped Cream sugar and butter together. 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter 2 1/8 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 3/4 cup raisins 3/4 cup candied fruit 1/2 cup maraschino cherries 1/2 cup dates, chopped 1/2 cup almonds , chopped Cream sugar and butter together.

Add eggs and beat until smooth. Mix in vanilla, milk and almond extract. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder. Mix in raisins, fruit and almonds. Mix the contents of the two bowls together. Bake in a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan at 350 degrees F for one hour or until passes toothpick test.

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