Fab Favors for a memorable Holiday Party

You simply must check out these amazing favors. Most from only $2.00 each, isn't that crazy! They make unique stocking stuffers also.

http://bellisimo.theaspenshops.com/category/winter-favors.html

Chocolate Covered Pretzel MANIA

Need we say more..........


There's something extra wonderful about the sweet-n-salty taste of chocolate covered pretzels. We've been experimenting with different toppings and these were today's creations; milk choclate with butterscotch, cookies & cream crunch, dark chocolate coconut, double dipped milk & white and candy sprinkles.

I can't wait to create a holiday basket filled with these delights! Stay tuned!

Bellisimo + Mrs Fields Cookies = The Perfect Gift!

Bellisimo is one of the chosen few to have been elected as an E-Commerce Partner with the fabulous Mrs Fields!




Compliments of Mrs Fields we are delighted to share one of their secret recipes!!!

Peanut Butter Candy Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 heaping tablespoons peanut butter
2 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons milk or cream
1 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 pounds peanut butter candies (such as Reese’s Pieces)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt butter on low heat. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. Combine sugars and melted butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until a thick paste forms. Add peanut butter and mix well. In a small bowl, beat eggs and then stir in vanilla and milk. Add egg mixture to sugar mixture and mix for about 60 seconds, or until well combined. Slowly add in flour mixture, followed by the chocolate chips.

Pour peanut butter candy in a separate bowl. Scoop and form generous balls of dough with your hands (the dough will be soft), and then roll each one in the candy. Place candy-coated dough balls on a prepared cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies to a baking rack and allow to cool before serving.

Enjoy!

Support Breast Cancer Awareness and 15% of your purchase will be donated to The National Breast Cancer Foundation






Raise awareness with a Giant Pink Ribbon Fortune Cookie- it's almost the size of a football and contains a 1-ft-long fortune with your personalized message inside. Each cookie is hand-dipped in Belgian White Chocolate and adorned with edible Pink Ribbon designs adn finished with Pink & White Non-Pariels. Beautifully wrapped in a gussetted cellophane bag and tied with a Pink Satin Ribbon, your cookie arrives Gift Boxed and topped with Pink Tissue Paper. Send one to a Breast Cancer Patient or Survivor as a unique & sweet way to show your support! $35

Call us at 908-879-4483 to place your order

Seriously, wait until you see this................

It's our newest addition and we are so excited about it!
It's The Perfect Gift And Greeting All In One!

Our Giant Gourmet Vanilla Fortune Cookie is expertly hand-dipped in rich golden Caramel and smothered with Heath® English Toffee. A rich Belgian Chocolate detail is applied by hand for a perfect combination of crunchy and smooth!

Your personalized message goes on the 1-ft-long Fortune inside making this a perfect way to send Good Fortune for any occasion!

This masterpiece cookie is hand wrapped in a clear cello bag and tied with a lovely ribbon. We hand-pack each cookie in our 7" x 7" x 7" Glossy White Gift Boxes and top with matching Tissue Paper.

Call us now & place your order complete with your very own personalized message!
1800-3-GIVING

Friendship Bread

I had an artist paint a wall at Bellisimo that reads "Entrare il bellisimo come uno straniero, un congedo come un amico" translation "Enter Bellisimo as a stranger, leave as a friend" It is part of the magic of the shopping experience at Bellisimo! Our atmosphere is warm & inviting, and truly a space for friends to gather.

I have had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people who have come into my boutique, and have since become my friends. My friend Margaret is one of those special people and she is the most kind-hearted woman I have had the pleasure of meeting.

She recently brought me Amish Friendship Bread as well as the starter for the bread to make my own which is a 10 day process. The idea is to bake 2, keep 1 & give the other to a friend along with the recipe & the cycle continues. It is a sweet cinnamon flavored delight! If you are not familiar withh this tradition, anthropologists say people like to share things they have invested their time in. It is the notion of giving something of yourself. The bread as well as the gifts from Bellisimo have much in common, we love to create & share beautiful things.

Thanks to the magic of Bellisimo & compliments of my dear friend you will find the recipe below.

P.S. It's in the oven as I write!

Starter Ingredients
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3 cups white sugar, divided
3 cups milk

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.
On days 2 thru 4; stir starter with a spoon. Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Days 6 thru 9; stir only.
Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe. Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).

Once you have made the starter, you will consider it Day One, and thus ignore step 1 in this recipe and proceed with step 2.

Friendship Bread
1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Grease 2 (9x5 inch) loaf pans.
In a large bowl, combine the Amish bread starter with oil, eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

Bellisimo Smells Pink

My goal for Bellisimo was to create a shopping experience-not just a place to shop. It has become an ever evolving project & I am enjoying every second.
A little girl came into my store this weekend, she was probably about 8 & was grinning ear to ear upon entering. She looked at her mom & declared that my store "smelled pink." I haven't been able to get that observation out of my head-she was right-Bellisimo does indeed "smell pink!" Pink is Pretty, Pink is Girly, Pink is Happy! Pink is exactly how Bellisimo smells :)