Great Baking Gift Ideas

 

Do you have a budding baker in your life??

Last minute gifts for the foodie you know??

Here is a timely list of some of my favorite baking equipment… things I actually use!!

These are some of my favorites... and because I'm sharing these affiliate links, Blue Ribbon Favorites may make a small commission from purchases of these items and visits to links. 

There's still time to add a stocking-stuffer or finish a baker's holiday wish list with a unique surprise!

For the cake pans...I suggest purchasing 3, yes THREE... because sometimes you need to make a 3-layer cake-recipes are very unpredictable and there is nothing worse than having to wait on the first two cakes to get finished in the oven... it's a little splurge...but--it IS totally worth it. Get the matching parchment rounds too... a great addition to the cake pans!!  Happy Shopping!!

Click Here For: My Favorite Spatulas EVER

Holiday Pie Crust Cutters

 

Holiday Wreath Appetizer

 

Holiday Wreath Appetizer

Rosemary sprigs 

Olives-red, green, black

Sandwich pepperoni slices

Salami slices

Prosciutto slices

Mozzarella balls

Pepper Jack cheese cubes

Cherry tomatoes

Peppadew peppers 

Cornichon pickles

Skewers or long toothpicks

Skewer meats, cheeses, olives, peppers and pickles onto picks, using 3-5 ingredients per wood pick. Arrange on a round plate-creating a wreath shape-add rosemary sprigs just before serving to create the wreath-look. 

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Can be made ahead.) 

For extra holiday cheer, add a bow to the bottom of the platter… and the wreath appetizer couldn’t be cuter!! 

Skillet Cinnamon Spiced Candy Pecans

 Skillet

Skillet Cinnamon Spiced Candy Pecans

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground 

cinnamon 

1/2 tsp flake sea salt

1 1/2 cups toasted pecans

In a nonstick skillet, add sugar. Heat over medium heat stirring until sugar melts. Add the cinnamon and pecans. Stir to coat.

Pour the cinnamon-sugar coated nuts onto a parchment lined tray.  Sprinkle with salt while still warm and sticky -allow to cool.

Once cool, break nuts apart and serve.

Holiday Wreath Appetizer

Rosemary sprigs 

Olives-red, green, black

Sandwich pepperoni slices

Salami slices

Prosciutto slices

Mozzarella balls

Pepper Jack cheese cubes

Cherry tomatoes

Peppadew peppers 

Cornichon pickles

Skewers or long toothpicks

Skewer meats, cheeses, olives, peppers and pickles onto picks, using 3-5 ingredients per wool pick. Arrange on a plate-creating a wreath shape-add rosemary sprigs just before serving to create the wreath-look. 

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Can be made ahead.

Cherry Christmas Tree Hand Pies

 

Cherry Christmas Tree Hand Pies

Karri Perry | Blue Ribbon Favorites 

Ingredients:

Dough-store bought or homemade (recipe follows)

Cherry Pie Filling (store bought or homemade. Both are great options)

1/8 tsp Almond extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Egg-beaten for egg wash

1 Tbs Lemon juice

2 tsp milk

1 cup Confectioner’s sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla 

Sanding sugar or cinnamon-sugar mix 

Seasonal sprinkles for glaze finish

Homemade Pie Dough

2 cups all purpose flour

1-2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 tsp. salt

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 Tbs Crisco-plain or butter flavored 

¼ cup cold water

Cherry Filling:

1 12-ounce can Cherry Pie Filling-Store bought… and add 1/8 tsp almond extract and 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Homemade Cherry Pie Filling: mix together 2 cups of pitted cherries (sour and sweet) reserve 1/2 cup of the juices. 

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp almond extract

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 generous Tablespoons arrowroot

In a saucepan, stir the cherries, reserved cherry juice, salt, lemon juice, and arrowroot together on low heat, bringing the mixture just to a boil-the juices will have thickened. For a brighter red-add 1 drop of red food coloring, stir.  Allow cherry mixture to cool to room temperature before using as filling in hand-pies. 

Citrus Vanilla Glaze:

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1-3 teaspoons milk

1/4 tsp vanilla extract 

Pinch salt

Step 1: Dough: Mix together flour, sugar and salt, cornstarch, cinnamon and baking powder. set aside.  Make pie dough by cutting in (using a pastry blender, a fork or food processor) butter, and into the flour, sugar, salt, cornstarch, cinnamon and baking powder mixture.  The butter should break down into small bits, and dough will look shaggy. Add liquid, sprinkling over the dough, mix together gently until dough comes together.  ** The key to great dough is adding the least amount of liquid, while still creating a dough.  When the water is added and stirred, wait one minute and gently stir again.  Sometimes the flour needs a few seconds to drink in the liquid.  Press the dough together to see if it comes together.  If dough is still dry--add one additional Tablespoon of water if necessary.

Step 2: Using a rolling pin roll the dough 1/4 inch thickness on a floured work surface. I like to use floured parchment paper or floured wax paper.

Step 3: Cut 8 four-inch trees using a cookie cutter or stencil.

Using a rolling pin, thin each tree just slightly more (spreading them 1/2 inch more) with an additional roll of the rolling pin. Re-roll any scraps to make additional trees.

Step 4: In the middle of the dough tree, place 1 Tablespoon of the cherry pie filling.  Place a second tree cut-out to cover the filling.  Crimp edges of the dough together by pressing together. Using a fork, use the fork tines to finish and secure the edges by pressing dough edges, trim excess.

Place prepared hand-pies on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Step 5: Repeat, using all the dough to make more trees.  Using a knife, slit each hand pie gently to allow steam to escape while baking.

Bush with egg wash. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or sanding sugar.  Place hand pies on baking sheet in freezer for 5-10 minutes before baking.

Step 6: Bake in a preheated oven on the middle rack for 20 minutes-or until golden brown.  Allow to cool completely before glazing.

Step 7: Make glaze-combining glaze ingredients until smooth. Using a fork, drizzle the glaze on the cooled hand-pies ( similar to a garland). Sprinkle the wet glaze with seasonal sprinkles. Serve and enjoy… or store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. (For a thicker glaze-use less milk or lemon juice and create a thicker paste-like consistency)

Glaze:

In a small bowl add 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and 1 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice and milk.  Mix well.  *If glaze is too thick, add an additional teaspoon of lemon juice or water to reach desired glaze consistency. Place in a piping bag to drizzle-snip a small hole.

Cinnamon Spiced Cranberry Biscuits w Orange-Honey Butter

 

Spiced Cranberry Biscuits w Orange-Honey Butter-Karri Perry Blue Ribbon Favorites 

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups self rising flour, plus extra to roll (White Lily brand is my favorite)

1-2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

8 Tbs cold butter- grated

3 Tbs cold cream cheese

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/8 tsp ground cardamom 

1/2 cup dried cranberries

 1 cup cold buttermilk (or whole milk) 

Orange-Honey Butter

6 Tbs soft Butter

2 Tbs honey

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon orange juice 

Pinch of salt

(mix to combine) 

Refrigerate-can be made ahead.

***

Preheat Oven: 450 degrees. Use center oven racks

Grate butter with the food processor or box grater 

Keep butter chilled or frozen until ready to mix into flour. Cut cream cheese up into 1/2 inch bits.

Whisk together self-rising flour, sugar and salt, cinnamon and cardamom.

Add the grated butter and cream cheese.

Using a pastry blender or fork,

lightly incorporate the butter into the flour mixture. Add the dried cranberries. Gently combine.

Make a well in the center of flour mixture.

Pour in cold buttermilk (or milk).

Mix, just until just combined using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. If mixture is sticky add  1/4 cup more flour until the dough comes together absorbing the liquid, the dough should be moist but not too sticky or wet.

Chill the dough for five-seven minutes.

On a lightly floured work surface (I like parchment)

Roll the dough out, and then fold the dough in half and roll again.

If dough is sticky add a little extra flour until dough is not sticky.

Fold and roll about 4 times...until the dough is silky and smooth.

(Rolling and folding, helps to create layers)

Always be gentle...

Roll out dough using a rolling pin to 1/2 inch thickness.

Using a lightly floured cutter, cut out biscuits 

and lay them touching one another on a greased and 

parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet.

Re-roll any leftover dough, 

cut out and add remaining biscuits to tray.  

Be sure to get cold biscuits right into the oven... if necessary,

chill tray of biscuits for five minutes before placing into the hot oven.

Bake on middle rack, in a hot-preheated 450 oven for about 12 minutes or until the tops are golden.

Brush tops with melted butter.  Serve with Orange Honey Butter

Thanksgiving TV Dinner Imposter Cupcakes

 

For upcoming kids 11/13/23 Thanksgiving Treats class info please go here:

Class and Event Sign Up

Turkey TV Dinner 

6 Cupcakes

Frosting-green, orange, white, tan

Green and Red Skittles

Orange and yellow Starbursts

White Chocolate Chips

Graham Cracker Crumbs

Frosted Flakes Cereal

Yellow Jellybeans

1 aluminum 6-count cupcake tin

For detailed turkey candy and cookie instructions visit: Turkey Candy and Cookies

Turkey Face:

Sandwich Cookies-Oreo Thins

Candy Eyes-Wilton

Red Licorice Wattle-Twizzler

Butterscotch Beak-Nestle Baking Chips

Candy Corn-Brach’s Minis

Melted Chocolate-Wilton melts

Peanut Butter Cup Turkey:

Peanut Butter Cup-Hershey Miniatures 

Malted Milk Ball Head-Whoppers

Candy Eyes-Wilton

Red Licorice Wattle-Twizzler

Butterscotch Beak-Nestle Baking Chips

Candy Corn-Brach’s Minis

Melted Chocolate-Wilton Candy Melts

Puff Pastry Apple Strudel

Easy Puff Pastry Apple Strudel

Karri Perry| 2023 Blue Ribbon Favorites 

Thaw frozen puff pastry  sheet on counter while making apples. Most packs contain two pastry sheets. Keep the pastry cool… if needed, return the puff pastry to refrigerator or freezer if it starts to get warm or is too thawed. Puff pastry simply will not puff if it’s baked when the dough is too warm.  For a great puff-rest the baking sheet with the prepared strudel in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before baking in a hot oven.

Ingredients:

4 medium apples-peeled and sliced, about 3.5 cups (Fuji, Honeycrisp, or any good smelling apple)

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp salt

2 TBS butter

1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch  

1/4 cup Chopped nuts-optional 

Egg wash-1 egg, 1 tsp water

Sanding sugar 

1 sheet frozen Puff Pastry-found in frozen dessert aisle usually.

Crumb Topping

1/4 tsp apple pie spice

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 Tbs bread crumbs (Use unseasoned regular bread crumbs-not Panko)

4 Tbs softened unsalted butter

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter, add apples, raisins, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and arrowroot. Mix together and stir as apples soften. Lower heat and cook for 10-15 minutes until mixture is softened and only very small amount of  liquid remains. Turn off heat and let cool.  —VERY important to let the mixture cool. Hot filling will make a soggy and not pretty puff of the puff pastry.  And yes-you can make the apple filling a few days in advance and refrigerate the mixture.

TIP: The apples only bake in the oven for 17-20 minutes while inside the puff pastry as it bakes… so it’s important to get the apples soft—as if they baked in a pie.  If you need the apples to cook a little longer-I sometimes will add 1/4 cup of apple cider and let them simmer in that liquid until much of the liquid has evaporated.  All apples are different and your cooking time will greatly depend on how big your apple slices are cut are the variety of apple you are using… bottom line… cook those apples until they are soft and tender. It’s ok to add cider and simmer on low until you reach a great apple consistency.

Stir together the crumb topping-in a small bowl using a fork—add flour, sugar, butter, spice, and bread crumbs (Why bread crumbs?? That ingredient helps to make the strudel not get too soggy-the crumbs soak up some excess juices.)

Using a puff pastry sheet-thawed but still very cool.

Open pastry onto a piece of parchment paper, lightly roll out with a light dusting of flour. 

Place the parchment paper with the dough onto a large rimmed baking sheet.

Slice 8-10, 1/2-inch sized strips of dough on each side-leaving the center section intact. See the photo below.

Place half of the crumb topping on center section. Top with the softened cooled apple mixture. Finally add the remaining crumb mixture.

Using the dough strips on the sides, brush with egg wash, criss cross the dough, covering the apples and crumb topping. Brush the finished pastry with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar.

(pro tip-pastry puffs-up best if kept cool before going into a hot oven… if time allows, place unbaked prepared strudel in the freezer for 5-10 minutes-before baking)

Bake in the preheated 400 degree oven- middle rack-  for 17-20 minutes-the dough will be puffed and golden.

Allow the strudel to cool for 15 minutes before cutting.  

It’s delicious served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dusting of powdered sugar. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.