77. Mock Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

CAKE INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups diced dried cranberries
6 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks

LEMON FROSTING:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup diced dried cranberries

DRIZZLED ICING:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
   
   
2. Make the cake by beating the softened butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, powdered ginger, salt and beat well. Gradually mix in flour until smooth. Mix the 3/4 cup dried cranberries and white chocolate into the batter by hand. Pour batter into a well greased 9x13 inch baking pan and use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pan.
   
   
3. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cake is light brown on edges. Allow cake to cool.
   
   
4. Make the lemon frosting by combining the softened cream cheese, 3 cups of powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. When the cake has fully cooled, use a spatula to spread the frosting over the top of the cake. Then sprinkle the 1/4 cup of diced dried cranberries onto the frosting.
   
   
5. For the drizzled icing, whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and shortening. Drizzle the icing over the cranberries and lemon frosting in a sweeping motion or with a pastry bag.
   
   
6. Allow cake to sit for several hours and then cut into bars.

Resource: My Little Mochi

29. Fortune Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 egg white
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar

12 small strips of paper (approx. 1/2 in x 4 in), with hand written fortunes
A glass jar
a handmade or printed label

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a cookie sheet. Write fortunes on strips of paper about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Generously grease 2 cookie sheets.
   
2. Mix the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift the flour, salt, and sugar and blend into the egg white mixture.
   
3. Place teaspoonfuls of the batter at least 4 inches apart on one of the prepared cookie sheets. Tilt the sheet to move the batter into round shapes about 3 inches in diameter. Be careful to make batter as round and even as possible. Do not make too many, because the cookie have to be really hot to form them and once they cool it is too late. Start with 2 or 3 to a sheet and see how many you can do.
   
4. Bake for 5 minutes or until cookie has turned a golden color 1/2 inch wide around the outer edge of the circle. The center will remain pale. While one sheet is baking, prepare the other.
   
5. Remove from oven and quickly move cookie with a wide spatula and place upside down on a wooden board. Quickly place the fortune on the cookie, close to the middle and fold the cookie in half. Place the folded edge across the rim of a measuring cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into the cups of a muffin tin or egg carton to hold their shape until firm.
   
   Once you've made the cookies, place as many as you like into a glass jar, seal it, and affix your handmade label on the front.

Sources Allrecipes.com and HP.com

22. Clay Pot (or Tin Can) Quickbreads

MATERIALS

Clay pot or tin can
aluminum foil (if using clay pot)
Butter, margarine, or vegetable oil
Quickbread mix (such as cornbread or muffin mixes)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash clay pot (or can) with warm water only. towel dry. Cover drain hole w/ small piece of aluminum foil. Grease inside of pot & lip with butter, margarine, or oil.
   
2. Preheat oven 375 F. and bake according to the times below:
   
   • cornbread for 45 min,
     
   • all others 60 min. Use any quickbread recipe.
   
   
3. Spoon batter into Pot or Can, bake immediately.
   
4. bread is done when topcrust is lightly browned.
   
   If keeping for yourself: Cool bread IN pot for 10 min.Loosen w/ knife, remove to a rack, let stand 10 min Serve warm
   If giving as a gift, allow to cool, then wrap with cellophane or waxed paper.

From RecipeTips.com:

Other Baking Containers: almost any other type of oven-safe and food-safe container can be used to bake bread, such as a stoneware baking dish or terra-cotta pots or even coffee cans as is the case when making Boston brown bread.

When using a terra-cotta flowerpot, it must be thoroughly dry. It is best to place it in a warm, sunny location for several hours. After drying, the pot should be well greased with cooking oil, placed in a 375ºF oven for about an hour, and then cooled. This process can be repeated several times until oil has thoroughly soaked the terra-cotta. The seasoned flowerpot should not be washed after use because washing will have an adverse effect on the seasoned surfaces - simply wipe the pot clean.

Also an option: Create a quick bread gift basket:

• Clean Clay Pot
  
  you can pre-season as suggested above, or enclose seasoning instructions
  
  
• Quick Bread Mix
  
  provide in original packaging, or buy a cellophane bag & empty the contents into it - provide a label telling what kind of quick bread it is
  
  
• Dish Towel
  
• Wooden mixing spoon
  
• Baking Instructions

If you liked this...
Try The Best Quick Breads: 150 Recipes for Muffins, Scones, Shortcakes, Gingerbreads, Cornbreads, Coffeecakes, and More (Paperback) --from 7.20