Today's feature: Cookie Baskets, Homemade gifts from the
heart
Welcome to the third issue of the season for the Christmas-Cookies.com
newsletter. Read on for new recipes, gift-giving tips, and more!
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see the bottom of this message.
View
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In This Issue:
- Tip: Making Cookie Baskets for Giving
- Recipe: Letterblanket
- Take advantage of FREE SHIPPING before it's too late!
- This week's Top 10 Recipes
- Recipe: Mini Fruitcake Tarts
One way to spruce up your home-made cookie gift is to create an entire cookie basket with your freshly baked cookies as the pièce de résistance. With your cookies in a sturdy, decorative container, add the recipe handwritten on some pretty paper and place some of the equipment necessary to baking the cookies in the basket, such as:
- a set of copper cookie cutters
- a rolling pin
- a wooden mixing spoon
- a large mixing bowl
- a new baking pan
- a set of quality stainless steel measuring cups
You could also add some things that go well with your cookies:
- sachets of hot chocolate or instant cappuccino
- a set of pretty coffee mugs or teacups
- a pretty coffee or tea pot
Place all this
in a big basket and tie it up with some cellophane and a pretty bow. It
will be sure to impress!
Save
$70 & get Free Shipping, on the KitchenAid Stand Mixer 
$239.99 $169.87 Buy
For
all the cookies, cakes and pastries you'll be making, this 250-watt, 4
1/2-qt. Stand Mixer will certainly come in handy this Christmas.
----------------------------
Exopat
Baking Mat on Sale
$21.00 $14.95 Buy
This nonstick
mat, often referred to as "Silpat," browns your cookies without
burning and cleans up perfectly. Good for up to 3,000 uses!
----------------------------
More Cookie-Baking Items on Sale!
Roshco
Baker's Delight Cookie Sheets, Set of 2
Only $7.99 Buy
Cuisinart
Hand Mixer with Bonus Bowl
$105.00 $69.95 Buy
Stackable
Cooling Racks, Set of 3
$11.95 Buy
Oxo Good
Grips 2-cup angled measuring cup
$9.99 $6.99 Buy
----------------------------
This week's Top 10
Recipe: Letterblanket
This is a traditional Dutch Christmas cookie that is shaped into logs and letters to make a message. Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Homemade Cookies Cook Book
1 (8-ounce) can almond paste,
or 1 cup
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups butter
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
Combine almond paste, egg, and sugar; mix well. Chill. Stir together flour
and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add water,
a tablespoon at a time, until dough is moistened and just sticks together.
You may not need to use all the water. Shape into a ball and wrap in plastic
wrap. Let stand 30 minutes. Divide dough into thirds. On a lightly floured
surface, roll one third of the dough into a 12 x 6-inch rectangle. Cut
in half lengthwise, forming two 12 x 3-inch strips. Place on an ungreased
cookie sheet, about 4 inches apart. Moisten edges of dough with a small
amount of water. For each strip, roll 3 tablespoons of the almond filling
into an 11-inch log on a very lightly floured surface. Place log in the
center of a strip of dough. Carefully wrap dough over log; seal the side
and ends. Roll each of the remaining two thirds of the dough into an 8-inch
square. Cut each square into four 8 x 2-inch strips. For each strip, roll
about 1 tablespoon of the filling to an 8-inch log. Place a log on each
strip; moisten and seal just like the longer rolls. Shape into desired
letters. (Suggestion: make the letters NOEL or JESUS) Place on ungreased
cookie sheets - not the same sheets as the long rolls. Combine yolk with
1 tablespoon water; brush on letters and long rolls. Bake the letters
for 30 to 35 minutes and the long rolls for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool. Cut
long rolls into 1-inch slices. Makes 2 long rolls and 8 individual letters.
Free
Shipping: Get it before it's gone!
'Tis the season for buying presents. But don't rush to the mall
and deal with the frustration of parking and long check-out lines. Save
yourself time, effort, and money buy buying online and taking advantage
of the good prices and free shipping offers that many popular online merchants
are offering right now. But don't wait! You only have a few days
left to take advantage of free shipping offers in time for Christmas.
Merchants currently offering free shipping are:
| Merchant | Minimum order | Free shipping offer ends | Last
day to order in time for X-mas using standard shipping |
| Baking supplies: | |||
| Cooking.com | $99 | Dec. 16 | Dec. 16 |
| Chef's Catalog | $99 | ? | Dec. 13 |
| Amazon.com | $25 | Dec. 12 | Dec. 16 |
| Food gifts: | |||
| Hickory Farms | $25 | Dec. 12 | Dec. 18 |
| Amazon.com | $25 | Dec. 12 | Dec. 16 |
| Kids' gifts: | |||
| Toys R Us | $99 | Dec. 13 | Dec. 16 |
| Imaginarium | $99 | Dec. 13 | Dec. 16 |
| Amazon.com | $25 | Dec. 12 | Dec. 16 |
| Guy's gifts: | |||
| Sharper
Image |
n/a | Dec. 23 | Dec. 14* |
| Buy.com | n/a | n/a | Dec. 13 |
| Amazon.com | $25 | Dec. 12 | Dec. 16 |
* offers free upgrade to 2-day shipping until Dec. 22
Note: if you miss these deadlines, most of these merchants offer express shipping up until as late as December 22.
Recipe: Mini
Fruitcake Tarts
contributed by Lily
1 (20-ounce) package
refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup dark corn syrup
3/4 cup chopped mixed dried fruit
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pre-heat oven to 350
degrees. Press 1 tablespoon cookie dough into each cup of mini muffin
pans. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from
oven. Combine sugar, butter and corn syrup in 2-quart saucepan. Cook over
medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full boil
(4 to 5 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in chopped fruit, pecans, orange
peel, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spoon filling into baked shells. Bake for 5
minutes. Cool 20 minutes; remove from pans.
Christmas-cookies.com
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