A fancy pie 華麗派

The pie crust cutters are so cute that I just can't resist to get one and so I did XD I love this new toy!! So glad that I bought it even it's quite expensive ;p




I am a sucker of new recipes. I tried different American apple pie every year, but still I haven't find a perfect one. They always came out too flaky that I can't even get the entire slice hold into a piece (or maybe this is what they suppose to be? Hmmm..). This recipe was disappointing, it tasted like a tart then a pie, so I am not going to share it this time. Oh well, at least I had fun with the pie crust!

Try the recipe from last year, it was awesome!
Old Fashion Apple Pie

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Steamed goodies: swirly steamed rolls fever 旋風饅頭狂熱

Last weekend we went to two house warming parties, one in Seattle, one in Vancouver!

House warming gift? Hmm....how about some baked goodies!!? In a day, I made caramel walnut chocolate chip cookies, a bunch of steamed rolls and a fancy apple pie!

As a result my Saturday was like this: woke up, made the pie shell, went out for lunch, came home baked some cookies while waiting for the steamed rolls doughs to raise, made the apple pie filling and sent the pie to bake, steamed the rolls while waiting!

The steam rolls came out good! It's soft but still chewy! Plus, I finally figured it out how to make two different flavours at a time! Woohoo!



I had tried to roll as thin as possible and hope make more thin layers, but seems like it is impossible to do that by hands! My arms were sore afterward T_T I guess I need a pasta machine.....hmmmmm XD


House warming gift for our Vegan friend!

Swirly steamed roll

10 pieces

: starter dough :
All purpose flour // 200g
Dry active yeast // ½ tsp
Water // 100g
Salt // 1/8 tsp

1. Combine everything until the dough is smooth and not sticky. Let it rise in room temperature for 8 hours.

2. The starter dough can be chilled in the refrigerator for 1~2 days or freeze for 1 month.

:note:
1. I usually divide the start dough into 70g a piece (shape into a ball) and store in the freezer, pretty handy when you want to make a quick steam buns.

: Steam roll :
Starter dough // 70g
All purpose flour // 300g
Sugar // 30g
Water // 180g
Dry active yeast // 5g
Butter // 5g
Soymilk powder // 2 tbsp

:Flavouring:
Cocoa /Black sesame powder // 3 tbsp
Water // 1~1½ tsp

1. Combine everything(except starter dough & oil) in a mixing bowl, mix until a dough is formed. Add in starter dough, mix until combined. Add in oil, mix until fully absorbed by the dough.

2. Divide the dough into half. Add in the flavouring into one of the doughs. Shape the doughs into balls. Let rise for 20 minutes.

3. Roll and fold both of the doughs at least 6 times. Roll out one last time, around 0.3cm thickness, let rest for 3 minutes. Place the flavoured dough sheet on top of the plain dough sheet. Roll them up, slightly stretch the dough a little bit longer and sliced into equal pieces(roughly less than 2").

3. Let it rise for another 40 minutes or until doubled it size.

4. Steam the rolls for 10-13 minutes over low-medium heat. Turn off the heat and do not open the cover, let it sits for another 2 minutes before taking the rolls out.

旋風饅頭

10個饅頭

: 老麵 :
中筋麵粉 // 200g
乾酵母粉 // ½ tsp
水 // 100g
鹽 // 1/8 tsp

1. 攪拌均勻至光滑，室溫發酵8小時，取出備用。

2. 老麵可冷藏1~2天或雪藏保存，雪藏可放1個月!

: 饅頭 :
老麵 // 70g
中筋麵粉 // 300g
糖 // 30g
水 // 140g
鹽 // 少許
乾酵母粉 // 5g
牛油 // 2 tsp
豆粉 // 2 tbsp
黑芝麻粉或朱古力粉 // 3 tbsp

1. 將所有材料(除老麵和油外)放入麵包機攪拌至成糰，再加入老麵，混合好後加入油，攪拌至麵糰完全吸收油為止。

2. 將麵糰分割成兩半。一半滾圓覆蓋保鮮膜略為鬆弛一下。另一半麵糰加入匙黑芝麻粉及水，將芝麻粉充份揉入麵糰中，滾圓。覆蓋保鮮膜略微鬆弛一下，發酵20分鐘。

2. 取出麵糰，反覆桿平6次。最後一次，桿平，壓成0.3cm厚. 覆蓋保鮮膜略為鬆弛三分鐘。將黑芝麻麵皮放到白麵皮上，捲起成棍棒狀. 接縫捏緊. 輕輕滾長. 再分割成數份，約短過2"闊度。將分割好的麵糰放在蠟紙上。

3. 第二次發酵40分鐘，約兩倍大。

4. 用中小火蒸約10-13分鐘，熄火再悶2分鐘才取出。

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Steamed goodies: gluten-free & vegan pumpkin rice cake 南瓜鬆糕

小時候很不喜歡南瓜，覺得怪怪的，但近年反而愛上了呢！不過大多時候都是買日本的栗子南瓜，貪其小巧，一個人也吃得完。每次處理南瓜都不外乎是麵豉炒肉片南瓜，南瓜粥，南瓜麵包/饅頭。Super baking mode爆發完了，duper steaming mode啟動！


Hmmm...這個鬆糕很好吃呢！看上去好將有點乾，但吃下去一點都不乾喔！鬆軟香糯，中間夾著的一層南瓜泥有畫龍點睛的感覺呢！材料超簡單(還很有益，沒油沒蛋喔！)，做法也不難，冬天吃暖呼呼的糕點最幸福了！


這南瓜鬆糕意外地受我的同事歡迎，一下字就分完了！

南瓜鬆糕

6" 小圓模
Recipe revised from 南瓜鬆糕

糯米粉 // 80g
粘米粉 // 80g
南瓜泥 // 150g
糖粉 // 20g

1. 把粘米粉、糯米粉、糖粉拌勻，逐少倒入南瓜泥(多小看情況而定，因為蒸出來的水份每次都不一樣)，拌成半濕狀態，用雙手揉成潮濕但仍鬆散的粉粒，再過篩2次成細粉末狀。

2. 模具內部四周用油擦過，放入一層細粉，鋪平，放入窩蒸5分鐘，取出。中間小心鋪上一層南瓜泥中間。再倒入餘下的細紛，刮平表面(不要壓，保持鬆散狀)，放入鍋中，表面蓋布，大火蒸20分鐘。

:notes:
1/ 保存時表面蓋上保鮮紙以放乾硬。冷了或雪過的鬆糕必須翻蒸加熱。
2/ 那些啡色一點店是因為我加了點帶皮杏仁粉(因為快過期了！)

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chestnuts fever Part ll: Chestnut stewed chicken + roasted candied chestnuts + chestnuts matcha roll 栗子狂熱(中式篇): 栗子炆雞 + 糖炒栗子 + 抹茶栗子卷

Chinese edition of chestnuts fever!

roasted chestnuts with sugar 糖炒栗子


Roasted chestnuts is probably the most popular snack in winter. The chestnuts are roasted by heated black sand and sugar in a large wok. It used to be a very common street vendor during the cold season. It's usually roasted by machine nowadays.


I of course do not have black sand, I use sea salt instead, looks kinda real, huh?

chestnut stewed chicken 栗子炆雞

If you are talking about chestnut dish, chestnut stewed chicken will first pop in every Chinese' mind immediately. It's just like tomato and basil for Italians!

chestnut stewed chicken

2 servings
Chicken wings/drumstick// 1/2 lb
Chestnuts // 10
Chu hou paste // 2 tbsp
Oyster sauce // 1 tsp
Sugar // 1 tsp
Ginger // 1 slice
Garlic, mashed // 1 tsp

1. Wash chicken wings and tights, pat dry and cut into pieces(usually in halves). Put chestnuts in a saucepan with simmering water for 10 minutes, turn off heat and cover for another 10 minutes. Strain through sieve and soap the chestnuts in cold water. Remove the shell and inner skin one by one.

2. Place the wok over medium heat, add some oil, cook until very hot. Put in the ginger and garlic, then the other seasoning. Add chicken to the wok and stir fry until golden in color. Add in chestnuts, stir occasionally. Add water, just to the level that covers all the ingredients, turn to high heat until water simmer. Cover and turn to med-low heat, cook until chicken is done and water reduced to sauce-like consistency.

:notes:
1. For Chu hou paste, you should able to find it in Asian markets, or you can replace it with bean sauce, garlic, and ginger. Look for Lee Kam Kei brand, the can should look like this:


2. To chop the chicken wings and drumstick into pieces, you need a very sharp knife and cut it through in one harsh chop; or you can debone the big bone before cutting them into pieces. I deboned the drumsticks and chopped the chicken wings into halves.

Just like what Yujai's dad always say: Your knife is not sharp enough for cutting chicken, meat or anything, but your finger! Be careful!

栗子炆雞

2位用
雞翼/雞鎚 // 1/2 lb
栗子 // 10粒
柱候醬 // 2 tbsp
蠔油 // 1 tsp
糖 // 1tsp
薑 // 1片
蒜頭，拍扁 // 1 tsp

1. 雞翼/雞鎚洗凈斬件，栗子水滾煮10分鐘，熄火焗約10分鐘, 將栗子放進凍水中慢慢去殼去衣。

2. 鑊熟落油，滾油爆香薑和蒜蓉，再下其他醬料，放雞件炒至金黃色。下栗子炒勻，加水至蓋過所有材料，大火煮滾後，蓋鑊蓋慢火炆約20分鐘至雞熟及收汁即可。

:notes:
通常雞脾大骨不一刀斬斷，雞脾骨便會碎。斬雞需磨利把刀，用重力一刀過斬下，或可先將雞脾大骨起出才斬。我直接將所有雞鎚去骨，雞翼則斬件，就沒有碎骨的問題了 ;p

魚爸爸有云：”你把刀斬雞斬肉斬什麼都不夠鋒利，但斬手指就利得很！”
敬請各位小心！

Chestnuts matcha roll 抹茶栗子卷

香蕉糕變奏版 XD

Gluten-free chestnuts matcha roll: This is a variation of the classic Chinese banana red bean roll using glutinous rice flour. I mix the matcha powder to the glutinous rice flour and use chestnut paste instead of red bean paste :)

Chestnuts matcha roll

冰皮綠茶卷by小三看天下

Glutinous rice flour, cooked // 150g
Powdered sugar // 200g
Cool cooked water //300g(depends on the situation)
Oil or butter // 35g
Matcha powder // 1 tsp

1. Place the glutinous rice flour into a saucepan over low heat, stir fry (with no oil) until the color turned very light amber or when you can smell the rice scent.

2. Mix together glutinous rice flour, powdered sugar and matcha powder. Form a flour well and slowly pour in water (little bit at a time), until it form a workable but moist dough. Add in butter and work until completely incorporated. Chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

3. Place a plastic warp on the working surface, sprinkle some glutinous rice flour, place the matcha dough, place another piece of plastic wrap on the top and roll it out into rectangular shape. Same as the fillings, but a little smaller than the matcha dough.

4. Remove the top plastic warp, place filling sheet on top the matcha dough sheet. Roll them together and form a swirl roll. Cut and serve immediately.

抹茶栗子卷

冰皮綠茶卷by小三看天下

糕粉 // 150g
糖粉 // 200g
凍滾水 //300g(要看情況加減份量)
生油或牛油(室溫) // 35g
綠茶粉 // 1 tsp

1. 糕粉、糖粉與綠茶粉混合，中間開一穴，慢慢加入凍滾水搓勻，再加入牛油搓揉，放入雪櫃冷凍約15分鐘成冰皮。

2. 在桌面舖上保鮮紙，灑上糕粉，取出適量冰皮攤平，在冰皮面舖上另外一張保鮮紙，再用木棍輾薄，餡料做法一樣但不需灑上糕粉，大小比冰皮細些。

3. 取出向上的保鮮紙，將餡料舖在冰皮面，用舖低的保鮮紙輔助，慢慢由內向外捲成長條，分切小塊，大小隨意，放入雪櫃雪凍，即可。

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caramel chocolate chip walnut cookies 焦糖朱古力核桃曲奇

Ever since I had a very awesome chocolate chip caramel cookie from an office bake sale, I have been on the quest of searching for the perfect chocolate chip caramel cookies recipe.

I've tried the basic Chocolate Chunk Caramel Cookies, which tasted awesome, but the cookies are not spreading and texture was not what I am looking for. Then I tried the Mysterious caramel chocolate chips cookies, which was closer, but still not quite.

I like the cookies to be crisp on the outside but still soft inside with sandy texture. I also love the cookies with wavy patterns on top that created by spreading. Earlier this month, I tried two more recipes and I think I found what I looking for! Woohoo!

caramel chocolate chip walnut cookies

recipes revised from // Brown Butter, Bacon & Chocolate Chip Cookies
3 dozen

Flour // 1¾ cup
White sugar // ¼ cup
Brown sugar // ½ cup
Butter, at room temperature // 8 tbsp
Shortening // 4 tbsp
Baking soda // 1 tsp
Egg, large // 1
Egg yolk, large // 1
Salt // 1 tsp
Vanilla extract // 2 tsp
Bittersweet chocolate chips // ½ cup
Walnut // ¾ cup
Caramel candy, grated or finely chopped // 5 pieces

1. Put your oven rack in the middle and heat your oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour with baking soda. Set aside.

2. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat until melted. Continue cooking until it turns a dark, golden brown and smells divine. Swirl this pan constantly and stir the bottom frequently for good measure. Watch this carefully! As soon as it's done, take off the heat and pour immediately into a heatproof bowl. Stir in shortening so that they melt.

3. Put the butter in a large mixing bowl and add sugar, dark brown sugar, salt and vanilla. Add egg and egg yolk and mix until mixture is fully incorporated.

4. Let sugar/egg/butter mixture stand for a few minutes. Then whisk again for 30 seconds. Do this several times - you want to make sure that the sugar has "melted" into the liquid. When ready, mixture will be smooth, thick and shiny.

5. Using wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips, grated caramel and walnuts. Don't over mix but make sure no flour pockets remain.

6. Using a teaspoon, place a heaping teaspoon of cookie dough on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

7. Bake 375F for 10-14 minutes or until cookies are golden-brown and set along the edges but the middle is still soft. Remove from oven and set baking sheet on a wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes, keeping the cookies on the baking sheet.

焦糖朱古力核桃曲奇

recipes revised from // Brown Butter, Bacon & Chocolate Chip Cookies
3 dozen

中筋麵粉 // 1¾ cup
砂糖 // ¼ cup
黃糖 // ½ cup
牛油, 室溫軟化 // 8 tbsp
固體菜油/酥油 // 4 tbsp
蘇打粉 // 1 tsp
雞蛋, 大 // 1
蛋黃, 大// 1
鹽 // 1 tsp
云尼拿香精 // 2 tsp
苦甜朱古力粒 // ½ cup
核桃 // ¾ cup
焦糖/toffee糖, 刨絲或切碎 // 5 pieces

1. 預熱焗爐 375F。將麵粉和蘇打粉拌在一起，備用。

2. 小鍋內放牛油，以中火加熱，不時轉動木匙攪拌低部，直至煮成深金黃色及出香味。變色後立刻離火，到入另一耐熱碗內。加入酥油，拌勻。

3. 牛油溶液內加入黃糖，白糖，鹽和云尼拿香精。分次加入雞蛋，打發至順滑。

4. 讓牛油蛋漿靜置數分鐘，再攪拌30秒。重覆數次，如此能確保糖份完全溶入牛油蛋漿內。此時牛油蛋漿呈順滑，厚身及有光澤。

5. 加入麵粉，用木匙攪拌至剛好混合。再加入焦糖，苦甜朱古力粒和核桃，拌勻看不見粉粒就可以了，小心過度攪拌。.

6. 取1tbps的麵糊放在烘紙上，曲奇邊留些空位。


7. 375° F焗約10-14分鐘直至曲奇表面金啡色，邊緣呈酥脆但布中心鬆軟狀。留在焗盆上10分鐘，才移至網架上放涼。

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Mooncake leftovers: Tong yuen (Chinese sweet dumplings) 月餅餡消耗戰: 湯圓

Another quick and dirty way to use up the mooncake fillings....sweet dumplings!

Tong yuen (or Tāngyuán in Mandarin) is a Chinese dessert made from glutinous rice flour. Glutinous rice flour is mixed with water to form balls and then cooked and served in boiling water. Tangyuan can be either small or large, and filled or unfilled, sweet or savory. It is traditionally eaten during Yuanxiao, or the Lantern Festival.

Chinese sweet dumplings

芝麻湯圓 by Eupho Cafe

:dough:
Glutinous rice flour // 4 cup
Hot water // 220 ml
Cool water // 200 ml

1. Divide the fillings and form into balls. Chill in the refrigerator (or chill the dough first, then shape into balls and send it back to refrigerator again).

2. Divide the ingredients in equal halves to prevent the dough dry out. Mix glutinous rice flour into the 110 ml hot water, use chopsticks to mix until part of the flour becomes dough-like, pour in 100ml cool water to form the dough. Once the temperature decrease and becomes touchable, work the dough with hands. Divide dough into 20g small balls, press the top to create a bowl shape, add in the filling, cover and shape into balls.

3. Boil water in a saucepan, put in sugar (preferably rock sugar or raw sugar) and a small piece of ginger. Slowing add in tong yuen when the water is simmering. Cook for 10 minutes or until tong yuen is soften.

:notes:
1. I always have some tong yuen in the freezer, it's a quick and easy dessert for everyday cooking! My family likes cook together yam, ginger, raw sugar and tong yuen, it's a good way to get warm up :)

湯圓

芝麻湯圓 by Eupho Cafe

:皮料：
糯米粉 // 4 cup
滾水 // 220 ml
冷水 // 200 ml

1. 將餡料分成一個個小團，儘量調整成圓球狀，然後放進冰箱冰硬（也可以冰到略硬時，取出揉圓再冰到變硬）。

2. 為了避免皮變硬，可以將皮的材料分成兩半，先做一半，包好再做另一半。將糯米粉2杯調入滾水110 ml，用筷子攪拌，使部分糯米粉變成團狀，然後加入冷水100 ml攪拌成團，溫度降低後，用手揉成軟麵團。分割每個小團約重20g，輕壓出一個凹槽，填入餡料、收口、搓圓即可。

:notes:
1. 做多一點冰起來也沒關係，湯圓是快靚正的看門口甜品呢！我家喜歡用蕃薯，薑，片糖和湯圓一起煮，吃過後暖笠笠好滋味！(蕃薯下少許就夠了，否則會很滯的！)

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almost gluten-free mini pear/apple almond cake 香梨/蘋果杏仁蛋糕仔

I just realized there's a pack of almond meal sitting in the pantry forever and it's going to expire soon. Oh no!

After looking though few books, seems like making a cake would be the way to go. So here comes again the awesome fall snacks, mini pear/apple almond cakes!



I used the same recipe HERE, except replacing some of the pear with apples ;)

I brought some to work the other day, they disappeared so fast!!! First you smell the awesome almond fragrance and next you tasted the tender fruity cubes~

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Fall colors: part 2 *alert! SUPER image heavy*

Simply eye candies :)

Shot @ Stanley Park, Canada

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