The Great Food Bloggers Cookie Swap 2012 ... continued - My 3 Blogger's Cookies Received

As per my 12th December post on The Great Food Bloggers Cookie Swap 2012, I took part in the Cookie Swap again this year, and I received all 3 dozen of my cookies from 3 absolutely fabulous Bloggers.

They all tasted delicious, which I was thrilled to share with my partner and family over Chrissie, I want to take this opportunity to thank the bakers for their goodies, each one came in a uniquely gorgeous packaging from boxes to tins and made the whole experience really fantastic!

Here is a rundown on what I received this year and the links to the wonderful recipes you can try at home.

1st Cookie Swap Package :

From Manuela Zangara at http://www.manusmenu.com/

Baked me : Chocolate Cookies with an Orange and Mint Glaze

Find her recipe here : http://www.manusmenu.com/chocolate-cookies-with-orange-and-mint-glaze

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd Cookie Swap Package :

Muppy at http://muppyat.blogspot.com.au/

Baked me : Strawberry & Rhubarb Spiral Shortbread

Find her recipe here : http://muppyat.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/strawberry-and-rhubarb-spiral-shortbread.html



 

3rd Cookie Swap Package :

Catie at http://www.sweetlybakedperth.blogspot.com.au/

Baked me : Espresso Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Find her recipe here : http://www.sweetlybakedperth.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/the-great-food-blogger-cookie-swap.html

I also received a lovely letter telling me all about Catie, her adventures, ambitions and the cookies.  By the time I finished the letter I felt like we were old friends/penpals.

I hope I have done all your cookies justice in my photo skills, I have definately improved on the photography and editing skills this year.  And Ive been lucky enough to receive a new lens, filter and tripod from my brother for Chrissie so things are going onwards and upwards!  Looking forward to seeing you all in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap of 2013!!!

I sent my Gingerbread Nutcrackers out to the following Food Bloggers :

Julie from http://gourmetgetaways.com.au/2012-great-food-blogger-cookie-swap/

Sara from http://bellyrumbles.com/2012/12/great-food-blogger-cookie-swap-2012-slice-bake-cookie-recipe/

V Vien Lee from http://wedarefood.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/the-great-food-blogger-cookie-swap-2012.html#comment-form

Turkey Leftovers??

What do you do with your leftover Turkey after Christmas?

I love turkey, I don't know about you but I wait all year for Christmas just for the Turkey, I usually have a pre-christmas feast with my besties and their families just so I can Roast up a whole Turkey!

After Christmas I eat it none stop on sandwiches, and I'm very Australia, smothering it in tomato sauce to boot!

But the other thing I LUURRRRVE to do with leftover Turkey is to make this little number up for finger food.  I did just that last night for New Years Eve to have with cocktails....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What you Need:

• Leftover Turkey meat
• Lavosh or Water Crackers
• Cranberry Sauce (or jelly)
• Brie Cheese
• Alfalfa Sprouts

Using a large platter, layer it up!

Challenge No 8 - Tangled / Rapunzel Cake and Dessert Table

My 3year old's best friend, Miss Lucy turned 3 and after catching sight of one of Marley's birthday cakes we had with my family, she wanted nothing else than a Rapunzel themed birthday party. So I set out to fulfil that wish for her.

Unfortunately her licensed Table cloth, plates, napkins and banner didn't arrive and got lost in the mail, that have resent it but that arrived a month late.... so now I have spares for the next Tangled Party! Any takers?

CAKE

The cake was the most fun to create.  I made it in 3 coloured layers, flavouring each layer to match
Mauve - Grape
Yellow - Lemon
Pink - Raspberry

Put together with double lemon buttercream (in lilac).  And the tower was created using chocolate cupcakes, with 2 skewers holding them together on top of the cake. The piped the mauve buttercream all over to blend them together.  I printed off some edible icing sheets with images that i used such as Rapunzel in the window on the tower.  The roof of the tower was a miniature ice cream cone, and then coated in Candy Melts and covered it in purple Wilton jumbo sprinkles.  I then piped out all of the green with the grass tip. And the name was made from fondant with cutters.

COOKIES

I decided to go with a sun/star shape that resembled the symbol in the movie for the "lost princess", I kept them simple as I was making the entire dessert table contents, so I just covered them in mauve fondant. I printed off two different Tangled images onto edible icing discs and adhered them to the fondant and then sprinkled in gold edible glitter for effect and tied them in cello bags.

JELLY + MARSHMALLOW CUPS

I just made a simple creaming soda flavoured jelly in a 3 litre container/bowl, set it for 6 hours (preferably overnight) and then diced it up and filled some mauve crystal plastic dishes for added princess sparkle.  I topped each dish with a scoop of marshmallow topping and added matching sprinkles.

CUPCAKES

I adapted a recipe from a great blog, called Always With Butter.

RECIPE:
1 1/4 cups Plain (all purpose) Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp All Spice
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups Castor Sugar
6 Tbsp Butter - melted and cooled
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Pumpkin Puree
1/3 cup Water

Preheat oven to 180 (or 350) degrees. Line cupcake pan with wrappers.

Sift all the dry ingredients into a medium bowl and set aside.  Place butter and sugar in mixing bowl and cream using mixer on medium.  Add in an egg at a time to the mixer, then the vanilla and beat it well.

Add the pumpkin puree (I make my own from fresh pumpkin and boil it in saucepan of water until it is soft enough to put through a food processor and liquefy) and mix thoroughly.

Add the dry ingredients in three parts to wet mixture until just mixed through. Do not over beat.

Spoon mixture into cupcake papers, filling approx  two thirds full.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Makes 12-20 small cupcakes or 12 large (muffin size) cupcakes.

Christmas Cookie Order Time !

Its that time of year again and if you love cookie packs as gifts for someone special... Nanna, Mum, Kids or just to display on the table of delights, then I have the perfect thing just for you!

CHRISTMAS COOKIE PACKS!!

Sold in Multiples of 6!

To order please contact me at : cookiequeen@y7mail.com

Cookie Packs will be : Cookies individually wrapped in cello bags with satin ribbons and boxed.  They will be available for Pick Up from Stanmore Sydney on most days at a pre-arranged time or I post (boxed only) via Express Post and this will take place on only :
Friday 14th Dec
Monday 17th Dec
Thursday 20th Dec
Friday 21st Dec

PICK UP = Sat 22nd, Sun 23rd & Mon 24th.

You get to select your desired Cookie Dough :

• Traditional Gingerbread
• Dark Gingerbread
• Sugar Cinnamon
• Sugar Vanilla

Packs start from only $20

CQK SPECIAL:

Alternatively a GREAT Christmas idea is Image Cookies, put your child's Santa photo this year onto cookies, these can be done on circles or squares(usually $4.00 per cookie).
PRICE :
12 for $32
30 for $62
A great Christmas Card alternative!

Christmas Cookie Packs (names of packs on the actual photos below):