Pineapply Pastry Workshop 新款鳳梨酥工作坊

This is love by first sight. Traditional pastry put in a new mold with the same fresh and tasty ingredients. Welcome to join my second workshop in Chinese Evangelical Free Church in Monterey Park, CA.

Details and RSVP: visit www.cefcla.org or https://www.facebook.com/events/1097744560979881/?ref=newsfeed

or https://www.facebook.com/morethanbread.net

 

Cooking Class is BACK 又有烹飪班啦

 After a long 15 months, I am glad to announce that my first come-back cooking class will be in Aug 14. Just in time for the Mid Autumn Festival.

Click here for registration. Address: Chinese Evangelical Free Church, 1111 S. Atlantic Blvd, Monterey Park, 626-570-8971

Chinese Almond Cookie 澳門杏仁餅

This cookie has been on my to-do list for a very long time. I have been experimenting with different recipes on and off for a few years. This recipe gives me the best results with nice almond aroma even without using any almond oil or extract. A hundred percent natural, gluten-free and a hundred percent tasty!!

Ingredients to make about a dozen cookies (depends on the size of your mold):

100g mung bean flour 綠豆粉
40g powdered sugar 糖粉
52g vegetable shortening 固體菜油
62g whole almond kernels 美國杏仁
45g sweet apricot kernels 南杏
2 tsp water 水

1)  Preheat oven to 215F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat and roast the almonds and apricot kernels for 10 minutes. Coarsely chop with a food processor after they cool down. Set aside.

2)  Adjust oven temperature to 250F.

3)  Dissolve sugar in water. Mix with shortening until it becomes a paste.
4)  Add almond and mung bean flour. Mix well with your fingers. It should look like wet sand.

5)  Put the mixture into a mooncake mold. Press the mold to shape the cookie. Then, release the cookie onto a lined cookie sheet.

6) Bake in the preheated 250F oven for 40-60 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely on a rack before serving. It can be stored in an airtight container for about 2 weeks at room temperature.

Notes:
1) The right amount of pressure is required to shape the cookie in the cake mold. Not enough pressure and the cookie may not come together properly. Too much pressure and the resulting cookie may not be as soft or will be too dense. A little practice is needed.
2) The baking time is for your reference only. Bigger cookies need more time while smaller ones do not need as much time.
3) Don't get confused between the sweet and bitter apricot kernels. They look the same. Only use the sweet ones.

1) 預熱焗爐至華氏215度。將兩種杏仁焗十分鐘，待涼後用食品器打碎備用。
2) 調教爐溫至華氏250度。
3) 水與糖攪至溶解，加入固體菜油。
4) 加入杏仁碎及綠豆粉，用手搓勻成濕沙狀。
5) 分十二份，將一份放入模具內用手指壓實，再壓出放焗盤上。
6) 放入焗爐焗約四十至六十分鐘。
7) 焗好後放架上完全涼後便可食用，可放存氣盒內於室溫約兩星期。

注意事項：
1) 餅料放入餅模後用手指壓實的力度要適中，力度過大餅會太實，口感過硬；不夠力壓實，餅可能會散。
2) 焗的時間長短要視付餅的大小，自行調教。
3) 南、北杏外表一樣，要認明標籤，不要用錯有苦味的北杏。

食譜參考：肥丁手工坊

Medjool Date Whole Wheat Bread with Cracked Wheat

This bread has an interesting combination: medjool date provides a hint of natural  sweetness, whole wheat flour and cracked wheat add more nutritional values and anise seeds give the bread an unique aroma.

                 

Ingredients to make one 13x4x4 loaf:

Day one:

Preferment:
132g all purpose flour
43g whole wheat flour
111g water

½ tsp instant yeast

Mix all the above ingredients. Cover and let it sit in room temp overnight.

Soaker:
83g water
83g cracked wheat, toasted in a skillet until slightly browned

Mix water and cracked wheat. Cover and let it sit overnight.

Day two:

Main Dough:
207g whole wheat flour
119g all purpose flour
1 tsp instant yeast
223g water
25g sugar
25g unsalted room temp butter
2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
10g salt
100g dried date, pitted
1½ tsp anise seed, toasted in a skillet until lightly browned
All of the preferment and soaker

1) Mix and knead all the ingredients together for the final dough, by hand or stand mixer. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
2) Let it rise in a warm spot until it is at least one and a half times of its size.

3) Shape and put in an oiled loaf pan and let it rise again at least one and a half times of its size. Or almost to the rim of the pan.

4) Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 45 mins.

Chicken Pot Pie 美味雞批

If you ask a person what their favorite comfort food is, I guess chicken pot pie might be very high on the list. Not only is it popular in America, it was also one of my favorite foods when I was growing up in Hong Kong, where it is usually served in a personalized size. No matter if it is big or small, it is still very yummy.

 

Ingredients to make 10 small pies (7cm in diameter)

Pie Dough:

150g salted butter, RT

55g milk, RT

55g powdered sugar

280g All purpose flour, sifted

Chicken Filling:

one chicken leg & thigh, boneless, about 350g

200g frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, onion, beans, corns, etc)

20g butter

50g milk

15g AP flour

Egg Yolk Wash: one yolk diluted with a teaspoon of milk or water

Prepare the pie dough:

1) Beat the softened butter with a handheld mixer until creamy. 

2) Add powdered sugar and mix until blended. 

3) Add milk and continue to mix.

4) Add sifted flour and gently mix until no dry flour remains.

5) Divide the dough into two portions: 300g for the crust and 250g for the pie top. Wrap them in plastic and rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Chicken Filling:

1) Dice the chicken meat. Marinate with your choice of seasonings. I used salt, sugar, cornstarch, white pepper powder and oil.

2) Heat up a pan and cook the chicken completely through, then add the defrosted vegetables. Remove and set aside.

3) Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the flour, cooking until the butter hydrates all the flour. Turn the heat to medium low and slowly add the milk to make a thick, creamy roux. 

4) Turn the heat back up and add the meat and vegetables. Mix well. Let it cool to RT and refrigerate until ready to assemble the pie.

Assembly:

1) Preheat oven to 400F.

2) Roll out the crust dough to about a quarter millimeter thick. Cut out with a round cutter about 1-2 mm larger than your pie tin. Gently lay the dough inside the mold with about half a millimeter higher than the rim. Do not stretch the dough: lift the edges and let it fall into the tin so that it makes complete contact with the bottom and corners of the pie tin.

3) Spoon a generous amount of chicken filling in.

4) Cover with the top crust and seal the edges.

5) Brush with egg yolk wash. Use a toothpick to slightly score lines.

6) Bake in the preheated 400F oven for 25-30 mins or until the crust is golden.

Recipe Reference: 飲食男女 Eat and Travel Weekly

Egg Noodles with Shrimp Roe 手工全蛋蝦籽生麵

This is a continuation of my last post on making homemade noodles. This recipe is a bit different: replace water with whole eggs, and the addition of shrimp roe makes it more flavorable. It can be served fresh or dried for long term storage. Another option or variation is to use whole wheat instead or bread flour for a wholesome goodness.

Ingredients:
300g unbleached bread flour/whole wheat
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp shrimp roe
3 eggs, large
3 tsp oil
cornstarch for dusting

1) In a stand mixer bowl, add the ingredients and use the dough hook to knead for 5 minutes. If making by hand, put all the ingredients in a large bowl and hand knead. The dough should be on the dry side.

2) Cover and let the dough rest at RT for 20 minutes.

3) Divide the dough into three or four portions. Use a pasta/noodle machine to roll, from the largest setting to thinner. Dust with cornstarch to prevent sticking.
4) Cut to the desired shape or thickness.

5) Boil a pot of water and put the noodles in. Once it floats to the top, it is done. Remove to a bowl and serve with sesame oil and soy sauce.

Serving suggestion: add scallion and ginger shreds and more shrimp roe on top.

Note:
1) If you prefer a softer noodle, use all purpose flour.
2) Try not to add too much liquid. The wetter the dough, the more difficult it is for the pasta machine to cut and they will stick together.