Food Gift

UGH! Several of my friends in the neighborhood are putting together little goody bags / bowls / treats and dropping them off at neighbors homes. I don't know if they're doing it for everyone, or just the folks they really like, but now I feel as though it's something I need to do too. (Peer pressure never ends).

As you all know I've just baked up a storm w/Davita for our cookie exchange AND I'm hosting a cookie exchange party here next friday, for which I still have to bake. I also have to decorate the cut-outs I made tonight for Jacob's "Winter Party", and I'd planned to do chocolate covered pretzels for teacher gifts. I've got 3 teachers if I'm stingy, 8 if I'm not. I've got about 6 neighbors I'd make goody bags for, and I'm RUNNING OUT OF IDEAS!

Add to it that dh's birthday is monday, and I feel like I really need to bake him a cake since I stiffed him last year (and I, uh , kinda bake/decorate cakes as a hobby).

Suggestions or extra prescriptions of valium, please.

[planet]

Re: Food Gift



Between this and sneaky cheffing how do you get out of the kitchen??!!

[Sheherezade]

Re: Food Gift

I'm doing banana bread or panetonne for the neighbors. At least it is something you can do in a large batch, leave undecorated and the breads are easy to wrap. I just buy the colored Saran Wrap and throw on a ribbon and a Christmas card.

It does sound like you have a lot on your plate!!

Re: Food Gift

oh Angie! would you save your panetone recipe? that is fancy / delicious & unusual!! I would LOVE to do that.

Janet - I'll be the first to say the sneaky chefing has taken a HUGE hit. I intend to resume in the new year.

Annie - It would have been smart to buy the pretzels, wouldn't it?? But I've already bought 4 bags of rods and 5 packs of white and dark chocolate to melt.

thanks for not just telling me I'm a nut.

[rainbabies]

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jenn, i want to be your neighbor.

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I'd love that!

[ellie]

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Whew Jenn, your kitchen is seriously working on overtime! Are you still planning to make something for your neighbors now? I've used these fab bundt cake recipes from the holiday baking issue of Fine Cooking (espresso gingerbread, almond cranberry, chocolate stout)...mixed the dough, thrown it into mini bundt pans, bake and wrap in cellophane. Easy and quick. I'll post the recipes if you'd like. That's my easy neighborhood gift (I've been party to feeling like it's something I've needed to do too).

Happy birthday to your DH today!

Re: Food Gift

I'd love it. I'm looking for a panettone recipe, but I need to figure out where I can buy those bags.

[DCJenn]

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Jenn-

Just go to whole foods or whereever, buy some pre-wrapped gifties and call it a day.

Take the path of least resistance.

Jenn

[Sheherezade]

Re: Food Gift

Here's my panettone recipe, Jenn. I bake them in lunch bags. I'm actually wondering if I can do something cutsie with raffia bows and Christmas picks and just leave them in the bags. I don't remember how worse for the wear they look after baking.

Panettone:

1 egg
2 egg yolks
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp each anise seeds and anise extract
1/4 c each pine nuts, raisins and/or coarsely chooped candied fruit
3 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c milk


Fold down top of paper bag (lunch bag style) to form a cuff so bag stands about 4 inches high. Butter inside generously and place bag on baking sheet.

In a large bowl, beat egg, egg yolks, and sugar together until thick and pale yellow. Beat in melted butter, then add lemon peel, anise seeds and extract, pine nuts, raisins and candied fruit. In another bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients. Blend in half the flour mixture with batter. Add half the milk, then remaining flour mixture and mix well. Add remaining milk and blend thoroughly. Pour in to prepared bag.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 3/4 to 2 hours or until bread is well browned and a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes one loaf.


_______________

You can change the recipe around if you don't like the candied fruits or raisins or what have you. My kids hate raisins....but I may just make them suck it up this year. :>

I've had no trouble tripling the recipe. I hope you like it!

[planet]

Re: Food Gift

Wow. Thanks for posting that.

[ellie]

Re: Food Gift

Here are the recipes Jenn. There are glazes for the espresso gingerbread and chocolate stout, but I've never bothered with them. The article also notes that when the cakes are wrapped tightly in plastic, they'll hold up for as long as a week.


Cranberry & Almond Bundt Cake
Yields 1 large bundt cake or 12 miniature ones

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
7 oz (about 2/3 cup) almond paste (not marzipan)
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, picked through, rinsed and coarsely chopped
confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

Position rack in center of oven and heat oven to 350. Butter and flour pans. Sift together dry ingredients. Beat butter and almond paste in large on medium speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping bowl after each addition. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low, alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Stop mixer at least one last time to scrape bowl and then beat at medium speed until batter is smooth, about 20 seconds. Fold in cranberries with spatula.

Spoon batter into prepared pans, spreading evenly. Run knife through batter to eliminate any air pockets. Bake until wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes (about 20 minutes for mini cakes). Set pan on rack to cool or 20 minutes. Invert cake onto rack, remove pan, and let cake cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar.


Espresso Gingerbread Cake

1/2 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap)
1/2 cup very strong brewed coffee or espresso, cooled to just warm
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp instant espresso powder
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

Position rack in center of oven and heat to 350. Butter and flour pan. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk the molasses with the brewed coffee. Sift lour with baking powder, salt, baking soda, espresso powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Cream butter in large bowl on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and yolks one at a time, stopping to scrape bowl after each addition. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding flour and coffee mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Stop mixer at least one last time to scrape bowl and then beat at medium speed until batter is smooth, about 20 seconds.

Spoon batter into prepared pans, spreading evenly. Run knife through batter to eliminate any air pockets. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes (about 20 minutes for mini cakes). Set pan on rack to cool for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto rack, remove pan, and let cool. Drizzle with glaze if using.




Chocolate Stout Cake
Yields 1 large bundt cake or 12 miniature bundt cakes

1 1/4 cups stout, such as Guinness (don't include foam when measuring)
1/3 cup dark molassses (not blackstrap)
1 2/3 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch processed); more for the pan
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 oz semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped

Position rack in center of oven and heat to 350. Butter pans and then lightly coat with sifted cocoa powder. Tap out any excess cocoa.

In small saucepan over high heat, bring stout and molasses to a simmer. Remove pan from heat and let stand while preparing batter.

sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cream butter in large bowl on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping bowl after each addition. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding flour and stout mixtures, beginning and ending with flour. Stop mixer at least one last time to scrape
bowl and then beat at medium speed until batter is smooth, about 20 seconds. Stir in chopped chocolate.

Spoon batter into prepared pans, spreading evenly. Run knife through batter. Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 45-50 minutes (about 35 minutes for mini cakes). Set pan on rack to cool for 20 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and remove pan.

Re: Food Gift

thanks Ellie!

I'm off to try to find the stuff to make the panettone, but if I can't find it easily I'm going to go for the espresso / gingerbread cake.

Re: Food Gift

update - I made the panettone tonight (a slightly different recipe b/c I don't care for anise). I baked it in brown lunch bags and didn't burn the house down. Although when dh realized that's what I did he gave me a hard time.

It smells great (if I do say so myself). Thanks for the idea Angie!

Re: Food Gift

WOW, that's all I can say, WOW! You guys are amazing.