Gong xi gong xi.

Chinese New year is approaching and I have come to realise the excitement level decreases with passing age. Well, as a child, red packets are aplenty and things are just...well... more exciting. With sweets and goodies filling each household, its a kid's food feast and not to mention the catalyst of cavities. Then as you get older, the goodies somehow do not appeal as much to our weight and health conscious selves. To top it off, with the onset of marriage, the influx of cash from hong baos comes to a halt as you place hong baos in the hands of pesky children.

To make things more exciting this year, I have steered away from the tradition take on Chinese new year cookies such as peanut and almond cookies. Instead, I made Parmesan cheesy cookies and chocolate centered butter cookies.

Oh and I also tried out a recipe for Honeycomb cake that was stored away for a long time. The "honeycomb" wasn't as high as a wanted to be, but at least its still there. haha.

Happy Lunar new year to all!

Chocolate hazelnut sables.

There are usually a few reasons why i bake,

firstly when there is a special occasion or someone requests for dessert

or i have a major urge to bake or craving due to boredom or being hyperactive in the kitchen in general,

or when there is an ingredient buried in my cupboard somewhere begging to be used in something glorious.

This time the reason was the latter.

I took pity on whats left of the bag of hazelnuts and searched through recipe indexes for "hazelnut".

Finally i found something requiring the exact amount of hazelnuts i had left which was the recipe foe chocolate hazelnut sables in "Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme".

This is my second Pierre Herme recipe that i will be attempted to make.

To be honest, I was quite put off by the tedious processes and long chilling times just for cookies but my boredom got the better of me and won laziness hands down.

The cookies turned out great after much precision, measuring dough thickness with a ruler down to the millimetre. They were really short and crumbly. Oh and the recipe yielded tons of dough so i froze some to bake on a rainy day.

Frankie treats.

I love frankie magazine.

it has everything a girl needs.

fashion, photography, recipes, knick knacks in all shapes and sizes.

in addition to buying their magazines, i have also purchased 2 of their recipe books titled "sweet treats" and "afternoon tea".

they are delightfully filled with classic recipes that our grandmas used to make.

the other day,

the house was icy cold and i was thinking, what better way to warm it up by baking

so i made apricot pistachio rose nougats and citrus yo-yos.

all lovely sweet treats that can be stored away in jars for days, until my tummy calls out for something sweet.

They didnt last long of course.

Citrus yo-yo biscuits

Adapted from Frankie magazine's "afternoon tea"

Biscuits:

6oz (180g) butter

2oz (60g) icing sugar, sifted

6oz (180g) plain flour

2oz (60g) custard powder

1 teaspoon orange blossom water

Filling:

2oz (60g) butter

1/2 cup icing sugar

2 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

zest of one lemon

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees

2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.

3. Sift flour and custard powder into the creamed butter and mix.

4. Stir in orange blossom water.

5. Line a baking tray with baking paper and roll large teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on tray.

6. Press each ball down lightly with a fork.

7. Bake in the middle shelf for 15 minutes.

To make filling:

1. Cream butter and sifted icing sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add lemon juice and zest and beat well.

3. When the cookies are cooled completely, pipe a small amount onto each and sandwich together.

sticky date earl grey madeleines with salted caramel dip.

I treated myself the other day by purchasing some Madeleine moulds =)
the scallop shapes just looked too pretty to resist!

As soon as i got home,
i was eager to utilise them immediately.
Digging through my trusty pantry wondering what flavors i could possibly use,
i found some dried dates and earl grey from T2.
so sticky date earl grey madeleines it was!
I always liked earl grey in cakes as it adds a mysterious floral note.
oh and im also a fan of dunking and dipping,
so adding a salted caramel dip was a natural way to consume these lovely cakes. =)



Sticky date earl grey madeleines with salted caramel dip.
adapted from Edible society and British Larder.

makes 12 large or 24 mini madeleines.

Madeleines:
5oz (150g) chopped dates
Pinch of kosher salt
250ml very hot water
1 Earl Grey tea bag, or 1 tbs loose leaf
1 tsp baking soda
60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 oz light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
5oz (150g) flour (1 ¼ cups)
1 tsp baking powder
Icing sugar for dusting
Butter and flour for greasing moulds



1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees, and place a rack in the centre of the oven.

2. Prepare a madeleine moulds by smearing each mold generously with butter, then flouring thoroughly to prevent sticking. I do this even though i bought non-stick moulds, just in case!

3. In a small bowl, pour 200 ml of the the hot water over the tea bag or tea leaves and leave for 4 minutes to infuse.

4. In a blender, place the chopped dates, salt and baking soda. Add in the rest of the hot water (50ml) and blend the mixture. Mix the 2 liquid mixtures together in the bowl.

5. In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the date mixture and mix well.

6. Sieve the flour and baking powder together, then fold it all into the main batter in one go, using light strokes. Do not overmix.

7. Let the batter rest at room temperature for about 5 minutes, then carefully spoon the batter into the prepared madeleine pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full. The mixture will be fairly liquid, but do not spread the mixture out or overfill the cups, as you want them to puff up nicely in the middle!

8. Bake the madeleines for about 8-10 minutes for small moulds and 12-15 minutes for large moulds, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Dust both sides with icing sugar when cooled.

Salted caramel dip:
125g unsalted butter (cubed)
1 cup packed dark brown or muscovado sugar
Seeds of 1 vanilla pod or 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1tsp vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp kosher salt

To make the salted caramel dip, combine all ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Over a medium heat, stir until sugar is entirely dissolved, then boil gently for 5 -10 minutes or until sauce has thickened and darkened slightly. Stir occasionally and watch carefully to ensure the sauce doesn't burn.

Serve warm or room temperature with a side of the salted caramel sauce. Sprinkle some Kocher salt on the top of the sauce for an extra kick.

Best consumed the day itself.
Not to worry if they go stale, they are marvelous dunked in hot tea as well =)

Crisp hazelnut and fig cookies.

the other day, i had an excellent cheese platter at a bar.
it came with really nice crackers and swelling muscat raisins.
today as i was having my daily baking craving, i thought making biscuits would be nice to accompany some lovely cheese i bought from the market.

i searched in my pantry and found......
some semi dried turkish figs tucked away in the corner!

so i came up with this recipe
crispy hazelnut cookies with dried fig pieces on top.
perfect with some port, cheese and some fresh grapes.


Crisp hazelnut and fig cookies.

Ingredients:
225g butter, chopped, at room temperature
2/3 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup hazelnut meal
1½ cups plain flour
½ cup cornflour
6-7 semi-dried figs

1. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add hazelnut meal and beat until combined.
2. Fold in sifted flours to form a soft dough. Knead mixture into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
3. Halve dough and roll each half between 2 sheets baking paper until about 5mm thick. Using a knife, cut rough squares from dough.
4. Place on trays leaving about 1 1/2 inch gap between each cookie.
5. Cut figs into slices and gently press down 2-3 pieces on each cookie.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes in a 180 degree preheated oven. Cool on trays.

lime drop cookies with strawberry buttercream filling.

the easter break is here and this marks the first out of many baking adventures to come in the week to fill eager tummies.
these here are lime drop-shaped cookies sandwiched together with strawberry buttercream in between.

theres so much buttercream leftover that im thinking of making a strawberry shortcake next!

Lime drop cookies with strawberry buttercream filling

Lime cookies:
110g butter, room temp
1/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
Zest of 1 large lime
1 1/2 cups plain flour
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp green food colouring

Strawberry buttercream:
3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
225g butter
1/3 cup strawberry puree

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees
2. Cream the butter, sugar, zest, colouring and vanilla together until pale. Add the yolks and mix until combined.
3. Add flour and salt and mix.
4. Roll mixture into a ball and shape into drop shapes.
5. Place on baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 12 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make buttercream by placing eggwhites and sugar in a bowl over a double boiler.
7. Use a hand mixer to whisk until the mixture turns white and becomes hot to the touch.
8. Remove from heat and whisk further until cooled.
9. Add butter in 8 additions and mix until incorporated.
10. Add strawberry puree and mix further. It might look like its splitting in the beginning but just whisk further until it comes together.
11. Fill cooled cookies by piping butter cream into one side and sandwiching them together.
12. Store in a cool place or in the fridge.

cny peanut cookies.

Every year i would bake a batch of chinese new year cookies to add on the the numerous goodies my mom would purchase or receive from friends.
last year it was orange almond cookies.
this year its peanuts! (just cause i had tons left over from my mac classes)

these melt-in-your-mouth morsels taste just like a spoonful of peanut butter.
and surprisingly the recipe calls for no butter but oil instead.

and yess. they kinda look like boobies.
i gave the tiniest giggle when implanting the "nipples" on them.

Chinese new year peanut cookies.

300g ground roasted peanuts.

180g castor sugar

250g plain flour

About 200 ml of peanut or vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoon salt (seems like a lot i know)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

1. Mix the sugar, salt, nuts and flour in a big mixing bowl with finger tips until they are well-mixed and crumbly.

2. Add oil bit by bit and knead the mixture. Once you can roll up the mixture into a small ball without the surface crumbling, STOP ADDING OIL. If you happen too add to much oil, just add a bit more flour until the desirable consistency.

3. Knead the mixture for a while to melt the sugar crystals.

4. Roll the dough into small balls and place them onto 2 lined making trays. Use a circular tube (like the cover of a ball pen or a straw like i did) and press gently on the top of the balls to make round indents.

5. Glaze the cookies by brushing over 1 beaten egg.

6. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

chocolate pistachio cranberry biscotti.

chocolate pistachio cranberry biscotti.

1 cup whole pistachio nuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Using the paddle attachment on a mixer, mix the baking powder, salt, flour, cocoa powder and sugar.
2. Add in the eggs on at a time mixing well after each addition.
3. Knead the dough until it incorporates to form a ball.
4. Add the nuts and cranberries and knead somemore.
5. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface into a flat log, about 2 inches wide.
6. Bake in a 150 degree preheated oven for 35 minutes.
7. Slice thinly using a serrated knife after it has cooled completely.
8. Lay them out on a tray and bake further for 10-15 mins.

enjoy with a good dose of hot tea. =)

www dot cookies.

these are my www dot cookies. (dont ask me where the dot disappeared to)
invented when i was overwhelmed with stress due to the coming exams.
i figured they fit the occasion as i was on the computer the entire day.
this arrangement clearly depicts my repetitive and boring revision schedule.


lemon and pistachio cookies with dark chocolate coating
(aka www dot cookies)

makes 28.

1/2 cup icing sugar
125g butter (softened)
pinch of salt
zest of one lemon
juice of half a lemon
1 egg white
60g ground pistachios
1 1/4 cup plain flour
80g dark chocolate

preheat oven to 180 degrees.
cream the butter and icing sugar in together in bowl.
add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
fill a star tipped piping bag with the mixture and pipe "w" shapes 4cm wide.
bake in oven for 10-12 mins or until lightly brown.

break up dark chocolate into pieces and place in bowl or cup.
melt dark chocolate in the microwave.
be careful not to burn it.

dip cooled cookies in the chocolate and leave to set.

enjoy.

dont be shy. take a bite.

these are my pink blushing fortune cookies.
with a hint of rose flavor.
they are shy, for the message within them could be a tad bit mushy.

the batter was a breeze to make.
BUT the process of making these parcels one by one was....
PAINFUL.
no pain no gain i guess.
i ended up scalding my arm with the baking tray (result of my clumsy nature)
and just in case you're wondering... yes...i did wear cotton gloves when moulding them.
but my wardrobe doesnt seem to accommodate nice ones with finger tips intact,
only the fingerless ones.
so yes...u can imagine how "effective" they were.

the fact that you only have about a 10 second window to fold them is a tad bit stressful.
putting 2 into the oven every 3 minutes,
i think i must have said... "owwww owww." so many times that my brother gave up asking if i was okay.

but i guess it all pays off.
for they were light and delicate.

oh
and i like how for homemade fortune cookies you can write your own personalised fortune notes.
instead of getting dull meaningless messages.
and of course i made full advantage of this. =)

almost there biscotti.

okay i have got a confession.
im becoming a baking FREAK.

so this is item number 2 for the month.
almond biscotti.

i was a bit hesitant to make these nutty fragile things.
as when i was growing up
i have had the most amazingly thinly sliced ones made by aunt (my mom's best friend).

they were just so crisp and delicate.
nicely packed in a jar with a hand-written note along side dangling from a ribbon.
but after her passing,
no one was left with the original recipe.
its GONE.

and as a 8 year old child then
i had not yet developed appreciation for the amount of skill involved.

so i searched high and low for the PERFECT recipe.
and this is the best i got.

its from book by Allyson Gofton titled "bake".

after taking out the log and slicing it as thinly as i possibly could.
it knew it was no where near the ones aunty grace made.
and somehow i think that as the lost recipe can never be retrieved,
it will never be the same.