Recipes

NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 cups butter

24 oz. chocolate chips

4 cups flour

2 cups brown sugar

2 tsp. (Bicarb) soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups sugar

1 8 oz. chocolate bar (grated)

5 cups blended oatmeal

4 eggs

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

Method:

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder.

Cream the butter and both sugars.

Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking

powder, and Bicarb (soda).

Add chocolate chips, grated chocolate bar, and nuts.

Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes at (180C) 375F degrees.

The above quantities make 112 cookies.

Recipe should be halved for non commercial use

8oz = approx 225g 2 inches = 5cm

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (Copha)
1/2 cup butter or margarine*
1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla
4 cups sifted icing sugar
2 tablespoons milk**

Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

YIELD: 3 cups

*Substitute all-vegetable shortening and 1/2 teaspoon Wilton Butter Flavor for pure white icing and stiffer consistency.

**Add 3-4 tablespoons light corn syrup per recipe to thin for icing cake.

for other variations of buttercream icings visit Wilton's website page of icing recipes

http://www.wilton.com/recipes/browse.cfm?category_id=16

Frosted Choc-Orange Cake.

Ingredients:

Cake

125g butter or margarine                       ½ cup cocoa

1 tablespoon grated orange rind            3 eggs

1¾ cup self-raising flour                        1 1/3 cups castor sugar

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda           ½ cup orange juice

¼ cup water

Choc-Orange Frosting.

1 tablespoon grated orange rind.           1-½ cups icing sugar.

2 tablespoons milk.                               1 tablespoon cocoa.



Method.

Grease deep19am square cake pan, line base with paper, grease paper.

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, beat on low speed with electric mixer until ingredients are combined. Increase speed to medium, beat for three (3) minutes or until mixture is changed in colour and smooth.

Pour into prepared pan, bake in moderate oven for about 1 hour. Stand for five (5) minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool.

Top cold cake with frosting.

Frosting.

Beat butter and rind in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually beat in sifted icing sugar and milk. Divide frosting in half, stir sifted cocoa into one half, and mix well. Top cake with spoonfuls of orange and chocolate icing, swirl icing with a knife to give a marbled effect.

Keeping time two (2) days.

Alternative Ingredients.

Replace 1 tablespoon grated orange rind by using orange juice with pulp.

I have misplaced the recipe book this one came from and the recipe for the frosting appears to be missing the quantity of butter required. will fix this as soon as possible.

Enjoy our sumptuous Easter recipe to make for your family this Easter.

Chocolate Gingerbread People

125g butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup golden syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 3/4 cups plain flour
2 tablespoons Cadbury Bournville Cocoa
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger icing and lollies to decorate

1 Place butter, sugar and golden syrup in a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
2 Stir flour, cocoa, soda and ginger into a bowl.
3 Pour butter mixture and egg into flour, mix thoroughly.
4 Knead dough on a floured surface. Roll out to 5mm thick. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
5 Place on a greased or lined baking tray. Cook in a preheated oven to 180° C for 10 minutes.
6 Remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Decorate with melted chocolate, icing and lollies.

Liqueur Chocolates
For this recipe you need small candy or chocolate moulds.

Ingredients
16oz (455g) sugar
8 tbs water
Liqueurs of your choice, e.g. Cointreau, Kirsch, Grand Marnier

Method
1. Put the sugar and water into a pan and boil until it reaches a temperature of 225 deg F (107 deg C). Use a sugar thermometer to measure this.

2. Immediately pour the syrup into airtight jars, which should be sealed quickly to prevent the mixture crystallising.

3. Doing just one jar at a time and working quickly, open a jar, pour in the 2 tbs of the liqueur you are using. Seal immediately. Shake the jars gently to mix the liqueur with the syrup.

4. Coat the moulds with melted chocolate, creating a shell to be filled, allow to set.

5. Carefully fill the chocolate cases, while they are still in their moulds, with liqueur-flavoured syrup. Leave about an 1/8 inch clear at the top. Allow the syrup to set, about 24 hours.

6. Using melted chocolate, fill up the 1/8 inch above the liqueur filling with piped chocolate (use a piping bag and fine nozzle). Use a palette knife over the soft chocolate to flatten and seal.

Scented Play-Clay
(craft only --- not edible)

Ingredients:
3 cups white flour
1 1/2 cups salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cream of tartar
3 1/4 cups water
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon LorAnn flavoring
(more or less until desired scent is acheived)
Few drops food coloring, if desired

Directions:
Mix the flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a medium saucepan. In a separate bowl, mix the liquids, adding drops of food coloring until you reach your desired shade. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and stir (don't worry about lumps - they'll work themselves out). Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture holds together and gets too stiff to stir (it will stiffen even more as it cools), about 5 to 10 minutes. Let it cool.
Knead the clay briefly, then roll or pat it to a 3/4-inch thickness and cut with a cookie or shape as desired.

*Recommended flavors:

Apple
Bubble Gum
Cherry
Cotton Candy
Grape
Strawberry
Watermelon

We do not recommend using Cinnamon or the other natural oils for this recipe. They could be a skin irritant.
**Recipe from Family Fun Magazine February 2001

Featured Recipe

Chocolate Mint Parfait Bars

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 package chocolate cake mix
1 egg
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 - 4 drops LorAnn Gourmet Peppermint Oil

Filling:
1/4 cup boiling water
1 package unflavored gelatin
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup shortening (we used butter-flavored)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 - 4 drops (to taste) LorAnn Gourmet Peppermint Oil
4 - 5 drops LorAnn Green Liquid Food Color

Frosting:
4 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
For crust: In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients until crumbly. Press into 10" x 15" greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool.

For Filling: Mix gelatin and boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Allow to cool, but do not let it set-up. In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of the powdered sugar with the shortening, butter, peppermint, food color and dissolved gelatin and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over cooled crust. Refrigerate until filling is firm.

For Frosting: In a small saucepan, melt over low heat the 4 1/2 tablespoons of butter or margarine. Remove from heat and add 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips. Stir until melted and spread evenly over filling.

Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.

Makes about 24, 2" bars.

Ingredients for crumb-crust:
1 1/2 cups (5 oz.) finely ground graham crackers or cookies such as chocolate or vanilla wafers, or gingersnaps
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions for Crust:
Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter (10-inch) springform pan. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 hours.

Directions for Filling:
Make crumb crust as directed above. Preheat oven to 550 degrees F.
Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and flour with an electric mixer. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, then Orange and Lemon Oils and vanilla, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.

Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 6 - 10 minutes, or until puffed. Reduce temperature to 200 degrees F. and continue baking until cake is mostly firm (center will still be slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour more.

Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in springform pan on a rack. Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate. Bring to room temperature before serving. Serve with sliced strawberries if desired.

Makes 8 - 10 servings
Note: Cheesecake keeps, covered and chilled, 2 weeks.

Recipe Variations:

Lime Cheesecake: add several drops of Lime Oil to cheesecake batter. Top cheesecake with whipped cream sweetened with sugar and flavored with a few drops of Lime Oil.
Cappuccino Cheesecake: add several drops of Keoke Coffee Flavoring or Cappuccino Flavor for Chocolate to cheesecake batter. Use ground chocolate wafer cookies for crust.
Amaretto Cheesecake: Add several drops of Amaretto Flavoring to batter. Use ground vanilla wafers or graham crackers for crust. Top cooled cheesecake with 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted.
Holiday Eggnog Cheesecake: Add several drops of Eggnog Flavoring to cheesecake batter. Use ground gingersnap cookies for crust.
Almond Joy Cheesecake: Add several drops of Coconut Flavoring and 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted, to cheesecake batter. Top cheesecake with a glaze made from combining 1 cup chocolate chips, 3/4 cup whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla in small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until smooth. Cool until glaze begins to thicken but can still be poured, about 30 minutes. Pour glaze over cooled cake; spread evenly. Chill cake overnight.
Chocolate Mint Cheesecake: Add several drops of Mint Chocolate Chip Flavoring to cheesecake batter. Use chocolate wafers for the crust. For topping, cool cheesecake for 10 minutes. Combine 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup sugar in bowl. Spoon sour cream topping over cheesecake. Bake cheesecake in 350 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until sour cream is set. Chill until cold, at least 6 hours.