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

Almond Biscotti 意大利杏仁脆餅

Traditional Italian biscotti, cantuccini or biscotti di Prato, are very hard in texture and are meant to be dipped into coffee or some other accompanying drink to soften before eating.

The American version of biscotti is big, buttery and softer in texture, more like sugar cookies.

This recipe is a hybrid: a cookie with a texture that is not so hard but imbued with great flavors that can be enjoyed with or without dunking into coffee.

Chocolate Almond Cake 香濃朱古力杏仁蛋糕

How can I describe this cake? It's moist and light. It melts in your mouth and is full of chocolate flavor. The addition of almond gives it a nutty flavor, and the cake isn't too sweet....in one word: delightful!

The original name of this cake is called Queen of Sheba. The recipe is one of the renowned chef Julia Child's. But unfortunately I forgot which cookbook it was published in. : (

I did make some adjustments, not to the ingredients, but as to how they are put together.

Buy the best chocolate you can get your hands on as it is the major ingredient and it does make a big difference to the quality of the cake.

Raspberry Tart with Almond Cream 紅桑子杏仁醬撻

Raspberry is often referred to as the king of berries. It is often used to make all kinds of yummy desserts. When it is paired with the other king of nuts--almond, it makes a superb tart.

紅桑子被稱為莓中之王，實至名歸，用來做各款甜點，都大受歡迎。另外，杏仁也有果仁之王的美譽，將兩者用來做這個撻，實在相得益彰。

2013 New Baking Classes 新年有新班



This is a short video shot from one of my classes last year. Thanks to my dear friend May who recorded and edited it for me :) Enjoy!



Chocolate Expresso Dacquoise 朱古力咖啡杏仁蛋白餅

I had a hard time finding the English or Chinese translations for "dacquoise" (pronounced da-kwaz). Basically, it is a meringue baked with ground nuts, such as almonds or hazelnuts, for an extended amount of time in a warm (250F)--not hot--oven. Usually it is left inside the oven to further dry out the meringue resulting a crisp texture. The aroma of almonds from the oven is irresistible! It is then layered with an expresso flavored buttercream and dark chocolate ganache. Both of them blend so well to make a delicious dacquoise!

Almond Tiles 杏仁瓦片

These crispy cookies are addictive. They are not just light and crunchy but relatively healthier than other cookies because they are loaded with almonds.  They are also called Lacy Curved Almond Wafers or Crisps. It all depends on how you shape them after they come out of the oven. If you lay them out flat, they become crisp and flat. If you put them on a rolling pin, they will curve like a roof tile. No matter how they are shaped, they are equally yummy.

這些杏仁薄脆真的會食上瘾,它香脆可口,用了很多杏仁,比起一般曲奇有益健康些少。它可以做成薄薄的一片,又或者焗完之後立刻放在擀麵杖上便可以做成彎彎的瓦片,無論是什麽的造形,都一樣好食!

Matcha Macarons 抹茶馬卡龍

It's been such a long time since I've made macarons that I almost forgot how to make them! I admit that I have a love/hate relationship with macarons. I love them because they are so attractive and delicious with all the different colors and yummy fillings. But at the same time they are such a pain to make. If the oven temperature is a bit high or they aren't dry enough, they may crack on top. If you bake them a minute less, you can't even remove them in a whole piece. If you didn't mix it right, the little "feet" may not come out. No wonder they fetch a premium price among bakery items and not too many bakeries have them on the menu. But at the same time, it is so rewarding and satisfying if they come out well!

Macaron--a life lesson learned (updated with recipe)

Chocolate Macarons



I have a love-hate relationship with macarons. I love it because it is so beautiful and yummy, but I also hate it because it is so finicky to make. It took me more than 10 times to get it right and give me consistent results. If you ask 10 bakers what is the most challenging or difficult thing to bake, I bet 9 of them would say: macaron. It is made up of 3 simple ingredients: almond flour, egg white and sugar. But it is hard to conquer. Cracked tops, no "feet", hollow shells...and there are so many factors affecting the outcome, like quality of egg white, almond flour, humidity of the kitchen, over beating or under beating, over folding or under folding, baking temperature...Long story short, just before declaring defeat, my son said, "Don't quit, mom! They are so good." I said, "Ok, one last try."