Fall Leaves Tuiles Cookies
- 1 c all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 c confectioners’ sugar
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
Sift flour into a mixing bowl, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed, until well-combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg whites, one at a time, beating for 4 minutes after each addition. Add the reserved flour, and mix until just combined.
Divide the batter in two, color ½ with yellow food coloring and the other with orange food color.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut stencils shaped like maple and oak leaves from plastic takeout lids. Place the stencils on a baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat. Form the cookies by dropping a ½ spoon of yellow and orange batter a thin layer of dough inside the open part of the stencil and spreading thin layer over the stencil.
After removing the stencils form, bake for 4 mins.
Quickly remove the cookies from the pan and using spatula, drape leaves over the egg carton to cool in to twisted shapes.
For links to all The Golden Harvest recipes and tips, click here!
Mini Bird Pies
(Makes 24)
- 5 cups of finely chopped roasted turkey (from the deli or from a fresh roasted breast)
- 8 tablespoons turkey gravy from the can
- 4 cups prepared stuffing
- 4 sheets frozen prepared pastry dough, defrosted
- 4 cups of mashed potatoes
- 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 425˚F.
Unfold the pastry sheets out on a floured cutting board. With a sharp knife cut the dough into squares (1/3 larger than the diameter of your mini muffin tin pan). Press each square into a well-greased mini muffin tin pan. In each muffin cup, place 1 tbs. of stuffing topped with 1 tbs of minced turkey, 2 tsp. gravy and 1 tbs. of mashed potatoes. Wrap the dough up and over the turkey, pinch and seal the dough with egg wash and trim any excess (You can use the leftover dough bits to make decorative garnishes for the tops.) and brush all over with egg wash. Use egg wash as “glue” to affix dough garnishes.
Bake Bird Pies 20-25 minutes, until golden. Let stand 5 minutes, then serve.
For links to all The Golden Harvest recipes and tips, click here!
1970′s Theme
The 1970′s have been known as The Disco Decade, the decade of peace signs and flower power! The Vietnam War dragged on into the seventies and war protests continued. However, on April 30th, 1975, the longest war in American history ended. Inflation and unemployment soared the later part of this decade. This decade is remembered for the Watergate Scandal and Vietnam War. The nation was desperate to find a leader to give confidence back to the people. It was a decade of hope and dreams!
During this time, Billy Bush was born on October 13th, 1971. During this time Billy was living in New York. His mother cooked dinner every night, so I was inspired to do some of the classic homemade dishes, Chicken Pot Pie and Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes, his mother served with a fun twist of making everything miniature. During the 70′s, the Creamsicle was a huge fad, so I used that to inspire the 70′s cocktail.
Mini Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Meat Loaf
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup finely chopped onion
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1 carrot, chopped fine
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ cup Ketchup
1 ½ pounds of ground chuck
¾ pound of ground pork or veal
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, beaten slightly
¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Directions:
- Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- In a large heavy skillet cook the onion, garlic, celery rib, carrot in butter over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Cover the skillet and stir occasionally until the carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and ¼ cup Ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute.
- In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, vegetables, breadcrumbs, and parsley. Scoop the mix into mini loaf pans, top off with Ketchup and bake for 45-60 minutes.
Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
2 lb. baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain.
- In a small saucepan heat butter and milk over low heat until butter is melted. Using a potato masher or electric beater, slowly blend milk mixture into potatoes until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To Make the Meat Loaf and Mashed Potatoes:
- Slice the mini meat loaf into halves.
- Top with a dollop of mashed potatoes
- Sprinkle with chopped chives
Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Ingredients:
3 cans Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup
2 packages of Grand Biscuits
2 9 inch unbaked pie crusts
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
- Using a mini muffin pan, fill the pans with unbaked piecrusts for 10 minutes.
- After allowing the pie crusts to cool for a few minutes, scoop the cream of chicken soup onto the baked piecrusts.
- Top with biscuit dough sealing the edges.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Personal Crudities
Ingredients:
Ranch Dressing
Carrots
Blanched Asparagus
Red Peppers
Directions:
- Using small votive candle holders, fill 1/3 of the way.
- Cut the carrots, blanched asparagus and red peppers into bite sized sticks.
- Fill the votive with the veggie sticks and serve.
Creamsicle Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 oz. vanilla vodka
½ oz. triple sec
orange juice
half and half
Directions:
- Pour the vodka and triple sec into a mixing glass filled with ice.
- Fill with equal parts of orange juice and half and half.
- Shake well.
Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice.
1970′s Inspired Playlists
Here is a great playlist to get your party guests enthralled into the 1970′s.
- Disco Inferno – The Trammps
- The Hustle – Van McCoy
- Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
- Shake Your Booty – The Hit Crew
- Bad Girls – Donna Summer
- Ladies Night – Kool & The Gang
- Turn the Beat Around – Vicki Sue Robinson
- Le Freak – Chick
- Don’t Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
- Knock on Wood –Amii Stewart
- If I Can’t Have You – Yvonne Elliman
- Hustle It – The Hit Crew
- Burn Baby Burn –Disco Inferno
- Rock Freak – GQ
- Toot Toot Beep Beep – Donna Summer
- Do the Boogie – FatBack
- Shake, Shake, Shake – KC & The Sunshine Band
1980′s Theme
The 1980′s was a decade of excitement. It was a decade of speaking out and fighting for what you believe in.
It was also an age where people found interest in debates, and solving problems.
During the 1980′s, Billy Bush was going to St George’s Academy in Newport, RI where he played Lacrosse and Hockey for his school. I was inspired to take a few of America’s favorite foods found in the cafeteria of any school and turned them into miniature snack bites with a 80′s inspired signature cocktail from the icon candy, The Astro Pop.
Pac Man and Cheese
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup sour cream
4 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
peanut oil
flour
1 egg
plain bread crumbs
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 35o degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add the cheddar.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture.
- Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Top with additional cheese if desired.
- Chill macaroni and cheese in the refrigerator overnight.
- Cut into pieces using a round cookie cutter.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a large heavy duty Dutch over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Dredge each circle in flour then egg, and then coat with bread crumbs.
- Fry for about 1 minute on each side until golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels before serving.
Truffle Tater Tots
Ingredients:
1 large bag frozen tater tots
truffle salt
Directions:
- Follow the instructions on the back of the package to bake the tater tots.
- Sprinkle with truffle salt.
Mini Pizzas
Ingredients:
Frozen Pizzas
Directions:
- Heat the oven to the temperature as instructed on the frozen pizza.
- Using fun shaped cookie cutters, cut the frozen pizza into small pieces.
- Bake as instructed.
Astro Pop Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 oz. Absolut ® Raspberri vodka
1 oz. sweet and sour mix
½ oz. grenadine syrup
½ oz. Blue Curacao liqueur
Directions:
1. Add vodka and sour mix into a tumbler with ice to chill.
2. Shake ingredients and pour in a large shot glass.
3. Use Grenadine and allow to sink to the bottom of the glass (pour slowly
down the inside of the glass)
4. Allow Blue Curacao to sink to the middle of the glass (it will sit on top of the
grenadine if poured slowly down inside of the glass)
5. The finished product will be red, blue, then white from the bottom to top.
1980′s Inspired Playlist
Here is a great playlist to immerse your guests in the 80′s theme.
1. Rick Springfield – Jesse’s Girl
2. The Bangles Walk – Like an Egyptian
3. Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is a Place on Earth
4. UB40 – Red Red Wine
5. Starship – Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now
6. Daryl Hall – Kiss on My List
7. Steve Winwood – Higher Love
8. Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time
9. Kool & the Gang – Celebration
10. Boston – Amanda
11. Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
12. David Bowie – Let’s Dance
13. Simple Minds – Don’t You (Forget About Me)
14. Escape Club – Wild, Wild West
15. INXS – Need You Tonight
16. Olivia Newton-John – Physical
17. Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)
18. Lionel Richie – Truly
1990′s Theme
The 1990′s is the Decade of Disasters because lots of disasters happened. The Y2K bug, the earthquakes, the Gulf War, etc. This is the Decade of Discovery. Scientists discovered how to clone animals, and they released the Hubble Telescope.
During the 1990′s, Billy Bush was a student at Colby College in Maine. I was inspired to do some New England style foods and a “White Mule” cocktail which is the mascot of Colby College. In 1998, Billy Bush married his lovely wife, Sydney.
Mini Lobster Roll
Ingredients:
hot dog buns
chives
premade deli lobster salad
Directions:
- Cut hot dog buns into thirds.
- Fill hot dog buns with lobster salad.
- Garnish with chopped chives.
Dirty Fries
Ingredients:
1 package frozen crinkles fries
Old Bay Seasoning
Tarter sauce
Directions:
- Sprinkle the fries with Old Bay Seasoning.
- Follow the instructions on the back of the package to bake the fries.
- Serve in paper cones.
- Cut a circle out of paper.
- Fold the circle into quarters.
- Cut one triangle out of the circle.
- Fold the circle, overlapping the edges a bit.
- Tape to close together.
- Serve with a dollop of tarter sauce.
Gazpacho with Guacamole and Crème Fraiche
Gazpacho
Ingredients:
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. sugar
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 cups tomato juice
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients.
- Blend slightly to desired consistency.
- Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.
Guacamole
Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
½ red onion, minced (about ½ cup)
1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
2 tbsp. cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp. of fresh lime or lemon juice
½ tsp. coarse salt
a dash of freshly grated black pepper
½ ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
Directions:
- Cut avocados in half. Remove pit. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.
- Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more. Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness, add the amount of your choice.
- Keep tomatoes separate until ready to serve.
- Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidations from the air reaching it.
- Refrigerate until ready.
- Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix.
To make Gazpacho with Guacamole and Crème Fraiche:
- Fill a votive holder 1/3 of the way.
- Garnish with a dollop of crème fraiche and guacamole.
White Mule Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. crème de cacao
light cream
Directions:
- Pour vodka and crème de cacao over ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass.
- Fill with light cream and serve.
1990′s Inspired Playlist
Here is a great playlist to bring your guests to the 1990′s.
- Mr. Jones – Counting Crows
- Hey Jealous – Gin Blossoms
- Sex and Candy – Marcy Playground
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something
- Runaway Train – Soul Asylum
- All I want – A Day To Remember
- Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong - Spin Doctors
- Brick – Ben Folds Five
- Everything Falls Apart – Fee
- Lump – The Presidents of the United States of America
- Freshman – The Verve Pipe
- No Rain – Blind Melon
- Pets – Porno for Pyros
- Steal My Sunshine -Len
- Fade Into You – Mazzy Starr
- Mother Mother – Tracey Bonham
- Save Tonight – Eagle Eye Cherry
