Jelly Belly Cookie Boxes

Jelly Belly Cookie Boxes

original source and credits:  http://www.glorioustreats.com/2015/03/jelly-belly-cookie-boxes.html

Flowers and jelly beans… two sure signs that spring is here!
Of course these aren’t just any flowers, or just any jelly beans… I created these “sweet” flowers with Jelly Belly jelly beans!
And what’s better than a cookie topped with Jelly Belly beans?  How about cookies topped AND filled with Jelly Belly jelly beans!
These Jelly Belly Cookie Boxes are so colorful and fun, they’d be perfect for Easter, a ladies tea, or any spring celebration!
If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you already know I love making cookie boxes!  I’ve created different designs for most every holiday, and these are my new favorite!  The colorful Spring Jewel mix from Jelly Belly created the perfect inspiration for these spring cookie boxes!

Ready to make some pretty cookies?
Let’s get started!
You’ll need…
1.)  A batch of cookies made with my Sugar Cookie Recipe.
2.)  Two circle cookie cutters, one about 3/4″ smaller in diameter than the other.  I used cutters that were 2.5″ and 1.75″ in diameter.   For each finished cookie box you’ll need 4 cookies.  One batch of dough will make about 5 finished cookie boxes using the same dimensions I’ve used.
3.)  A batch of Royal Icing.
4.)  Jelly Belly jelly beans to decorate the tops of the cookie boxes, and fill them.  For the flowers shown, I used Jewel Sour Lemon, Jewel Sour Apple and Jewel Orange Jelly Belly jelly beans.

Directions –
Bake the cookies – Prepare cookie dough (as directed in the recipe linked above), then cut out circles using your larger circle cutter.  For each finished cookie box you’ll need 4 circle cookies. I used a 2.5″ cookie cutter, but feel free to adjust the size as you wish.  Bake the cookies WHOLE (do not cut out the centers until after the cookies are baked).  As soon as the cookies are baked and you have removed them from the oven (but they are still hot) use the smaller circle to cut into the center of HALF of your cookies.  Cut through the dough with the smaller cutter, but do not touch the cookies (leave the cutout center in place).  Allow the cookies to cool a minute or two on the baking sheet, then use a spatula to carefully move the cookies, with the cutout intact, onto the cooling rack.  Once the cookies have cooled fully, THEN remove the inner circle.  You may need to use the smaller cutter to make sure the inner circle is cut cleanly through.
Once you have each of the piece you need, set them together in sets with one whole cookies as the bottom of the “cookie box”, then add two rings and then you’ll need one whole cookie as the top (pictured below)

Decorate the cookies – Decorate the cookie tops with royal icing as desired.  I colored my icing light blue.  Outline and then fill in with the blue icing (or a color of your choice), then allow to fully dry, at least 4-8 hours.
While you wait on the icing to dry, prepare the Jelly Belly “flowers”.  I created these same kind of flowers for my Jelly Belly Flower Cake, so hop on over to that post for step by step photos on how to make the flowers and leaves.
Cut the Jelly Belly beans (as show in the Jelly Belly Flower Cake post) and set the candies together on your work surface in the same way you plan to assemble then on the cookies.  For the Jelly Belly flowers I made in the cake post I “glued” the candies together with royal icing so I could quickly assemble the finished cake.  For these cookies, there is no need to glue the flowers together ahead of time.  Simply cut the candies as needed, and set aside.  Once the base icing on the cookies is fully dry, use royal icing to attach each “flower petal” (Jelly Belly halves) directly to the iced cookie.
If desired, after you’ve added the flower and leaves to the cookies, add a simple dotted border (I used white icing) to finish off the look.
I chose a simple and elegant look by creating the same daisy-like flower on each cookie.  Feel free to create flowers in a mixture of colors.





Wouldn’t these Jelly Belly Cookie Boxes look amazing as place settings on your Easter table?   They’d be perfect for a garden party, tea party, or any spring celebration!
Be sure to visit Jelly Belly to stock up on these pretty spring jelly beans!
Love Jelly Belly jelly beans?  Here are a couple more beautiful and creative ideas from friends…
Jelly Bean Fudge – from Shugary Sweets
Feather Her Nest Baby Shower, with adorable birds nest cupcakes – from Creative Juice

Disclosure – I was provided product and/or payment in exchange for my work creating this post.  All images, text and opinions are my own.  I only work with brands I use and love.

Christmas Traditional English Trifle - Christmas Cake

 Recipe by Rosa Mayland, November 2011.

Ingredients For The "Cakes":
85g (3oz) Unsalted butter, at room temperature
85g (3oz) Castor sugar
2 Eggs (~ 63g)

1 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
125g (4.5oz) All-purpose flour
1 Tsp Baking powder
1/4 Fine sea salt
3 Tbs Whole milk 

Ingredients For The "Pastry Cream":
2 1/4 Cups (540ml) Whole milk
1/3 Tsp Fine sea salt
4 Tbs Cornstarch
1/2 Cup (110g) Castor sugar
2 Big eggs (~ 70g)
1 1/2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract

4 Tbs Unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
Ingredients For "Assembling The Trifle":
2 1/4 - 1/2 Cups (810 - 900g) Fruit compote (see comments)
2 Lemond (organic)
1 Tbs Light brown sugar
Red Port, to taste
1 Cup (250ml) Double cream (35%), whipped

1/2 Cup (90g) Matchstick almonds, toasted

 

 

Method For The "Cakes":
1. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F), then grease two 3x6 inches rectangular cake tins and
line the bases with baking paper.
2. Mix together the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale, light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each addition and a tablespoon of the flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture from curdling and separating. Then, mix in the vanilla extract.
5. Incorporate the flour mixture by gently folding it in the egg mixture and add enough milk to obtain a batter that falls reluctantly from the spoon.
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins, level the top and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre of each cake comes out clean.
7. Let cool in the pan for ten minutes before turning out on to a wire rack and leaving to cool completely.
Method For The "Pastry Cream":
1. Put the milk and salt in a pan, bring to a light boil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth, fluffy and light in color.
3. While constantly whisking, slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture.
4. Return the whole to the saucepan.
5. Over medium heat and while whisking non-stop, cook until you get a thick consistency (just bring to a slight boil).
6. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes and then incorporate the butter, a little at a time, until the pastry cream is smooth and shiny .
7. Cover the surface with clingplastic, directly touching the cream. Let cool completely before placing in the refrigerator.

source:
Rosa's Yummy Yums: DELUXE TRADITIONAL ENGLISH TRIFLE - TRIFLE ANGLAIS TRADITIONNEL

Italian Cream Puffs with Custard Filling - from Joanne

Italian Cream Puffs with Custard Filling (St. Joseph’s Day Pastries)

 

These Italian cream puffs with a rich custard filling are a classic Italian dessert. They are traditionally eaten on St. Joseph's Day, but I say indulge in them year-round!

Yield: 12 large or 24 small pastries

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 2¾ cups unbleached AP flour
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 cups water
• 9½ tbsp butter
• 6 large eggs

For the custard

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp rum

Instructions

For the pastry

1. Preheat oven to 425. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together and set aside.
2. In a heavy saucepan, heat the water. Add the butter. When melted, remove the pan from the stove and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat with a wooden spoon, then return the pan to medium-high heat, beating the mixture until it comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and add the eggs one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon or hand mixer in-between additions to mix well.
3. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch tip with the cream puff batter. Squeeze out 3-inch puffs, about ½ inch apart on a cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. When done, carefully slit the side of each cream puff with a knife to allow steam to escape and to prevent the puffs from becoming soggy inside. Transfer to cooling racks and let cool.

For the custard

1. In saucepan over moderate heat, combine sugar, flour and salt. Add milk gradually, cooking and stirring until mixture is thick and bubbly.
2. Lower heat, stirring for 2 minutes and remove from heat. In a small bowl, add cream mixture to eggs slowly. Return mixture back to pan. Bring to gently boil for 2 more minutes, adding butter, rum, and vanilla. Tranfer to a shallow bowl to cool, placing plastic wrap on the top of the custard to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate.
3. Once custard has cooled completely, pipe into opened pastry shells until they are so full they might pop, top with a cherry, and dust with powdered sugar.

 

Rulada cu capsuni

Rulada cu capsuni

         o reteta de pe www.prajituria.ro
1/5 dintr-un cub de margarina Rama Maestro (50g)
4 oua
1/2 pahar cu zahar (125g)
3/4 pahar faina (130g)
1 lingurita rasa praf de copt (4g)
Umplutura:
600 g de capsuni
2 jeleuri de capsuni
Zahar pudra pentru ornare

1 Pregatiti aluatul. Separati galbenusurile de albus. Bateti albusurile cu zahar pana la omogenizare. In continuare, amestecati incet, apoi adaugati treptat ouale si faina amestecata cu praful de copt. In cele din urma, turnati margarina Rama Maestro topita si racita si amestecati usor cu o lingura.
2 Turnati aluatul in tava de 22x27 cm acoperita in prealabil cu hartie de copt. Intindeti-l uniform si coaceti-l timp de aproximativ 10 minute la 180°C.
3 Scoateti blatul copt si puneti-l impreuna cu hartia de copt intr-o forma de prajituri cu dimensiunea de 8x27 cm.
4 Pregatiti spuma de capsuni. Dizolvati jeleurile intr-un pahar cu apa fierbinte si lasati-le sa se raceasca. Amestecati jumatate din capsuni cu jeleul dizolvat.
5 Asezati capsunile ramase pe blatul din tava si turnati spuma de capsuni. Puneti prajitura in frigider pentru o ora pentru a se intari.
6 Acoperiti prajitura cu un blat de lemn si intoarceti-o invers. Intai scoateti tava si apoi hartia de copt. Presarati zahar pudra sau adaugati un topping de ciocolata inainte sa o serviti.