Ong Lai Rabbit/Rabbit Pineapple Tarts

Would like to share some of my Pineapple Tarts which i made this year.  Since this is the year of the Rabbit, i tried making some in the shape of the Rabbit and it was quite fun to make especially i had Renee helping me.  She was a great help and i should say, we were a great team.  When i had the Rabbit's body ready, which was a round piece of dough wrapped with pineapple jam, she had the Rabbit's tail, ears and nose ready for me.  Alexander, helped too, he did the egg white wash so that i could adhere the tail, ears and nose.  The Rabbits looked great and cute, before they were baked but when they came out of the oven, they had attitute.  Some lost their tails and noses and Renee blamed Alexander for doing a shoddy job in glazing.  Well, these tarts are handmade and can we expect factory-machine made tarts?


I tried making some other shapes like gold ingots, which i gave up after making a few, cos it took up too much time and it was laborious.  Besides it did not turn out so pretty.  The pineapple shape was good, easy and fast.  The next time around i would use more dough rather than more jam, then they would be better looking.


GONG XI FA CAI

Continue HERE

Jade Cookies

When your mom told you to eat your peas, she knew what she was talking about. With green peas, it's true that good things come in a small package and the good things are that they are  packed with fantastic health benefits. High in protein, but low in calories, green peas keep your energy levels up, immune system strong and heart healthy. Overall, green peas are an economical, easy, healthy vegetable to add to almost any meal and an excellent vegetable to eat on a regular basis.

Continue for recipe HERE

Fragrant Hup Toh SouI/Walnut Cookie

I have made Hup Tou Sou several times and i hope you all are not fed-up of seeing another walnut cookie. Luckily nuts are beneficial to our health as i am going nut looking at nuts everyday.  The first recipe i made last year was of a crunchy texture and these Walnut Cookies were delicious but they were flat.  Then  this recipe had the crunch and melted in the mouth but lack the nuttiness.


So, the fourth recipe came into being and it is HERE

Almond Tuiles

It was the year 2000 that i was in Paris and it was there and then that i was introduced to authentic french cuisine. Thien, our dear family friend was home in Paris and we decided to join him. His Papa and Maman graciously took us in and not only did we get boarded, we had most of our meals catered for by Papa and Maman.

Papa would get up early every morning and go to the best bakery to get the freshest baguette available. Manan would get up earlier and she would start baking. We did not need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning.  Her bakings smelled so good and the fragrance of her baking was our morning call. I had wanted so much to learn baking from her but unfortunately she could not wait for me to wake up and every morning, perfect pastries were laid out all ready for breakfast.



Almond Tuiles recipe is HERE

Almond London Cookies

What's behind that name of this cookie? For the Almond, it is self explanatory but London????? Could this be a signature dessert for the Londoners? Whatever, these cookies are very popular in Malaysia, more so for the Hari Raya Celebration than the Chinese New Year.


Continue for recipe HERE

Hup Toh Sou II/Chinese Walnut Cookie

I am always concern about nutrition and want to find easy ways to be healthier, one of the best things you could do is eat nuts because they're loaded with vitamins and minerals. Nuts are super healthy! My favorite of all the nuts is walnuts and not only do they taste great, they are a rich source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and an excellent source of those hard to find omega-3 fatty acids. Like most nuts, you can snack or add to your favorite salad, vegetable dish, fruit, dessert or bakings. You can never go wrong when you pair Walnuts with your baking and Walnut cookies is one of them.



The recipe is HERE

Walnut Cookies

When a friend wrote on my wall on Facebook and asked if i have Hup Toh Sou, this reminded me that this Hup Tou Sou recipe is very crunchy and crispy. I like it to be more "SOU". "SOU" in chinese means and if i am not wrong, a kind of cookie which has a bite and yet melts in the mouth. So, i went looking for new recipes and in my search among my cookbooks, i found this by Martin Yan.


Continue for recipe HERE

Palmiers Again And Again

The name Palmier means “palm leaves” in French. These cookies are also known as “Elephant Ear.” In Germany they’re called “Schweineohren”.


These French Palmiers are fantastic, traditionally, the recipe is time consuming and labor intensive, but it can be so easy-to-make, especially if you follow Quickest Puff Pastry Nick Malgieri

The Palmiers Again And Again recipe is HERE

Gong Xi Fa Cai Cookie

The Chinese New Year 2011, The year of the Rabbit, is not far away, only 27 days more to 3rd February, 2011.  Join me in The Cooking and Baking Bandwagon to bake cookies/biscuits and cook auspicious dishes to usher in the New Year.  The first to jump into the Bandwagon is this Gong Xi Fa Cai Cookie which is actually Linzer Cookie.  I found a rabbit design among my grandchildren's play dough set and i used it to cut the design for the top cookie.

The recipe is HERE

Biscotti

This recipe is from Jacques Torres's book - Dessert Circus.  According to Jacques Torres, biscotti is traditionally an italian cookie which is baked two times to produce a hard cookie that they like to dip in sweet wine.  He has adapted the recipe so these cookies are not quite so hard and also cut the baking time in half.  He used cold butter so he can roll and bake them right away.  These fragrant, flavorful cookes are great by themselves or dunked in coffee and since Jacques Torres is from Provence, he prefers to dip his in 'pastis'.  Me, having lived in Malaysia,  will have mine with 'Kopi-O'.



Ingredients:

3/4 cup/4 ozs/100 gm whole unblanched almonds
1/3 cup/1.6 ozs/50 gm whole pistachios
7 tbsp/3.5 ozs/100 gm Cold unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup/5.25 ozs/150 gm granulated sugar
2 cups/8.8 ozs/250 gm all purpose flour
1 tbsp/0.3 oz/8 gm Anise seeds
1 tsp/0.2 oz/6 gm baking powder
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs

For the egg wash

1 large egg white, beaten

Method:

Preheat the oven to 300 f(150 c). 

Spread the almonds and postachios evenly on a bking sheet and place in the oven,

Toast for about 30 minutes, until they are golden brown.

You will be able to smell the n uts when they are ready.

A good test is to break a nut in half and check to see if it is light brown on the inside.

Toasting the nuts brings out their natural flavor.

Remove them from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet on wire rack.
Place the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixere on medium speed until well combined, abvout 5 minutes, the mixture will hold together in a soft dough.

Add the colled toasted nuts and mix until they are evenly incorporated, about 1 minute.  If you are using hand-held mixer, you may want to knead in the nuts by hand to avoid buring out the motor of the mixeer.

Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and place on a very lightly floured work surface.  If the dough is stickly and hard to work with, it is too soft.  To fix this. flatten it into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for  a minumum of 1 hour.(When the butter in the dough gets cold, the dough will stiffin).  Remove from the regrigerator and proceed.

Preheat the oven to 350 f(175c).

Divide the dough into three equal pieces.  Use the palms of your hands to roll each piece on the lightly floured work surface into a rope 1 - 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Each rope should be even and fit on your bking sheet lengthwise.  If the dough sticks to your hands or to the work surface as you are rolling it, dust it lightly with flour.

Roll firmly to remove any trapped air bubbles (At this stage, you can wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and freeze for up to two weeks.  Bring it back to room temperature before baking.)

Place two of the piscotti ropes on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet.  You will only have room for two because they spread as they bake.  With a pastry brush, lightly brush each rope with the egg white; this will add shine to the4 baked biscotti.

Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet.

Use a serrated knife to slice the biscotti on a diagonal into 1/2 inch thick cookies.  If you do this while the biscotti are still warm, they not crumble.  The biscotti will harden as they cool.  If they are still soft when you slice them, place the slices on a bking sheet and bake at 300f(150c) for another 10 - 15 minutes.  Repeat the baking and cooling procedure with the remaining biscotti rope.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for two or three weeks.

Variation: 

Dip the biscotti halfway on a diagonal into tempered bittersweet chocolate.  Wipe the excess chocolate from the tip and place the bniscotti on a sheet or parchment paper to allow the chocolate to set.

Serves

Yee Chai Paeng/Ear Biscuit

This is not the cow's or pig's ear, this is like the human's ear, or it is supposed to look like but somehow, these biscuits have their own idea of ears.  Not one will be similar when fried, some looked like tiny cups which we used to called them 'bras' when i was a little kid.  I have to get alexander to help in describing this biscuit, he looked at them and said that they looked like hats - cowboy hats. I told him to tell me more and he was not very co-operative, he said "they are hats and thats it!".  This biscuit must have been served way back before ovens were introduced to the Asians as they are deep fried - who can resist deep-fried ????? - they are so addictive!!!

Ingredients:

1/1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp 5-spice powder
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp fine granulated sugar
3 tbsp or more water
1 - 2 pieces shallots.

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Pound/grate peeled shallots and mix with 3 tbsp of water.  Pass through a sieve and squeeze as much juice from the shallots.  Discard the pulp.

Mix all other ingredients together and add in the water with the shallot's juice.  Keep adding water, 1 tbsp at a time until a soft and pliable dough is formed.  Knead dough until it is smooth.

Cut dough into 2 portions and roll one portion out into 4 inch x 7 inch rectangle.  Even and straighten edges the best you can.

Roll the dough up tightly, like you would a carpet, making a 4 inch log.  Wrap log loosely with plastic wrap and place it inside the cardboard roll(roll is from the center of toilet rolls).  Using a chinese rolling pin, pound biscuit to fit the cardboard roll and leave in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Repeat with the other portion of the dough.

After 30 minutes, remove dough and slice dough into even  thickness slices - i cut them very thin.

Heat oil for deep frying and when oil is 350f, lower the biscuits and deep fry until golden brown.

Remove and drain well.

Cool before serving or pack into airtight containers.
Serves

Kong So Paeng

This paeng must be very popular cos there were 2 requests for the recipe.  I can recall the name but somehow cannot remember how it should be.  When i was in San Fransisco, i asked for it in the bakeries, the ppl at the bakery replied that they have not heard of anyone asking for Kong So Paeng for the longest ever and looked at me  as though i was Rip Van Winkle, who slept for 100 years.  Now that i have made it, i know why this paeng did not stay in my memory,  it has no significant smell or taste..  I would like to thank Seadragon of Corner's Cafe who found this recipe for me.

Ingredients:

Dough Starter:

135g cake/superfine flour, sifted
45g pau flour, sifted
1 tsp instant yeast
A pinch of salt
100g water

The Main Ingredients:

300 gm self rising flour
100gm yeast dough starter
150gm white sugar
1 large egg
30 gm lard
3 tbsp evaporated milk

Preparation for dough starter::

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix and knead (by hand or by mixer) until dough is smooth and elastic.


Place dough in an oiled bowl and covered with cling film. Prove for 11/2-2 hour until dough is double in volume.

Reserve the required portion for this recipe and store the rest in an air tight container and freeze. Thaw to room temperature the next time you want to use the dough starter.

To make Kong So Paeng:

Mix the starter dough with sugar, lard, egg until well combined..  Add in the flour and mix until a dough forms.

Lightly knead dough and let dough rest for 30 minutes and longer if the room temperature is colder.

Preheat oven to 325f.

Divide dough into balls (size of your choice).  Flatten balls and put into lined baking tray which has been sprinkled with flour..

Let dough rest for another 15 minutes, sprinkle with flour and put into preheated oven to bake.

Bake for 10 - 12 minites, do not let paeng brown, the aim is to get white milky paeng.

Cool paeng and store in air-tight container.

Pandan Bangkit

This Kuih Bangkit Recipe is so versatile that by just changing the fragrance or shape, it transforms into a delectable cookie.  Pandan is always the most acceptable and well known fragrance amongst us asians and the green color is auspicious for the Chinese New Year.  In cantonese, moss is called 'chang choy'  - 'chang' is 'green'  and 'choy' is 'wealth'.  Yes, wealth and prosperity are the most welcome wishes for the Chinese New Year.

Ingredients:

and

Method:

The recipe is here
Change the essence to Pandan Paste

Serves

Hup Toh Sou/Walnut Crisp

These Hup Toh Soh is a cookie but this recipe results a very crisp and crunchy cookie, sort of like a Biscotti.  If you like crisp and crunchy, then give this recipe a try.  Strangely, this cookie is called Walnut Crisp/Cookie (hup Toh is cantonese for walnut) but there is no walnuts in the dough.  I top the crisp with a piece of walnut just to justify the name.  Could it be that the appearance of the baked crisp/cookie, with all the cracks, looked like a walnut????  

 In traditional Chinese medicine, walnuts are associated with the Lung, Large Intestine and Kidney meridians, and have sweet and warm properties. Its functions are to tonify the kidneys, nourish the blood, warm the lungs and moisten the intestines. Typically, walnuts are used to treat pain and weakness in the knees and back, aid in digestion, and relieve asthma. Recent evidence suggests walnuts may play a role in lowering blood cholesterol levels, thus reducing the incidence of some forms of heart disease. Science provides a slightly less mysterious explanation: walnuts have been found to be rich in omega-3 fatty acids, an essential nutrient for the human brain. Incidentally, dont you think that the walnut flesh looks like the brain ?

I believe that a sweet sticky chewy walnut/dates confection was eaten during ancient times in China , in the hope that family bonds will remain as strong as these sweet, sticky candies. How on earth did the ancient Chinese know that????  This recipe i will try to locate, in the meantime, enjoy eating these cookies..


Ingredients:

2 cups bleached all-purpose
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ammonia powder
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup lard/shortening
1 large egg (beaten)
Walnut pieces
Egg yolk for glazing


Method:

Put the flour, baking soda, ammonia powder, sugar and salt in the food processor and pulse a couple of times to mix ingredints well.

Add in the lard/shortening and pulse until flour mixture becomes breadcrumb like.

Add in the beaten egg and pulse until a tiny piece of dough can be pressed together to form a dough.(mixture will look crumbly but can be pressed tiogether).

Using a 1 oz ice-cream scoop, scoop dough out and roll dough into balls.

Sprinkle some flour on to baking sheet and place balls on it. Flatten the ball slightly, press a hole in the middle with your thumb, glaze with egg yolk and top with a piece of walnut in the hole.

Bake in preheated oven 250 f for 10 minutes and then increase the oven temperature to 300 f and further bake for another 10 minutes.

Cool cookies on cake rack and when it is cooled, serve or pack into air-tight containers.

Serves

Tuiles Aux Amandes Effilees

In French, “tuile” means “tile,” and it is a reference to the shape of the classic tuile. A tuile is a type of very lightweight, dry, crisp cookie. These cookies come in a dizzying array of shapes, sizes, and flavors, but every style tends to be delectable. Tuiles are also incredibly versatile, and they can be used for everything from ice cream garnishes to crusts for tiny, delicate tarts. Learning to make tuiles happens to be very easy and fun, and because these cookies are so versatile, you can play around with a tuile recipe a great deal.

Recipe is adapted from Pastry & Sweet Doughs - Pierre Herme - The Cook's Book

Ingredients:

Makes 40 small or 25 large

1 1/3 cups (125 g) sliced almonds
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp(125 g) sugar
2 drops of vanilla extract or 2 pinches of vanilla powder
Drop of almond extract(preferably bitter almond extract)
2 egg whites
2 tbsp(25 g) butter
2 1/2 tbsp(20 g) cake or pastry flour
Method:

Using a rubber spatula, mix the almonds, sugar, vanilla extract or powder, almond extract, and egg whites together in a bowl.

Melt the butter gently, and while it is still warm, pour it into the bowl.  Mix thoroughly.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, sift the flour into the bowl and mix in thoroughly. 

Place teaspoonfuls of the dough on a nonstick baking sheet, spaced well apart.

Preheat the oven to 300f(150c). 

Flatten each cookie with the back of a large spoon dipped in cold water, then bake for 15 - 18 minutes.  The cookies should be an even golden color with no white in the center.

Remove the cookies from the baking sheet using a metal spatula (i used a mason scraper) and slide into a sheet of parchment paper.  Let cool.

Serves