Chinese Sesame Cracker 中式芝麻脆餅

More sesame snacks! This is one of my childhood favorite snacks. It brings back a lot of childhood memories. I tried a few recipes and this one comes closer to what I had as a child.

What is your childhood favorite snack?

Chinese Walnut Cookies 中式合桃酥

When I took a bite of this walnut cookie, I couldn't believe it was made without lard or hydrogenated shortening. It is so crumbly it just melts in your mouth. It is just the taste of the cookies I had in my childhood, yet this recipe is much healthier.

傳統中式合桃酥或其他酥餅，與豬油是分不開的，但這食譜的作法只有菜油及牛油，也沒有人造(氫化)油脂，完全符合健康標準，食多幾件也無防。

入口酥鬆、即溶，做法簡單，你一定要試!

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.

Hand Made Egg Roll 香脆手工蛋卷

Making egg rolls has been on my to-do list for quite some time. It is a very straightforward recipe, using only butter, egg, sugar, and flour. They just need to be blended together with a handheld mixer for a few minutes and the batter is ready to be cooked. But it does need a special pan that can be flipped to cook both sides. I tried different recipes and this one is the best, full of egg flavor and with a pleasantly crunchy texture.

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies 雙重朱古力曲奇

two versions of cocoa powder

What is your criteria for the perfect cookie? I like cookies that are crisp around the edges and chewy in the middle. If you also like this texture, then make sure you use brown sugar in the recipe. Your choice of sugar will affect the end result.

In making this double chocolate chunk cookies, I like to spice up the chocolate flavor by adding cocoa powder in addition to chocolate chunks. Instead of using the common natural cocoa powder (like Hershey's), I used the alkalized version which is milder, less bitter, darker and more intense in flavor. Cocoa powder is made by removing much of the cocoa butter from the chocolate liquor after the bean is fermented and roasted. The resulting powder is acidic in nature. The Dutch invented a method using alkalies to raise the pH, making it more soluble, less harsh and darker in color. Most European cookbooks and chefs prefer this type of cocoa powder. But here in America, the natural version is more common.

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!



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!

Baking for a Good Cause 義賣籌款

I have never done any fundraising with my baking in the past. This time I am doing it to raise funds for various short term mission teams at my church. Although I am not physically going to a mission field, by doing what God makes me do best is another great way to participate.
Baking 100 macarons and 100 cups of tiramisu is a big project. I have been planning for days. The most challenging part is to determine how many ingredients to prepare.

我從未用烘焙成品來作籌款,今次是為了幫助教會短宣隊作籌募經費之用,雖然我本身未能親身成行去到宣教工場,但能夠用神給我在烘焙上的恩賜去服事也都是美事啊。
要做一百個馬卡龍及一百杯提拉米蘇須要調詳的計劃及準備,其中最具挑戰性的是決定要買多少材料。

Walnut and Cranberry Biscotti with Cornmeal 義大利脆餅

After making a few "R" rated desserts (Ginger Ice Cream and Lemon Chiffon Cake with Ginger Mousse) for adult consumption, how about "R" rated cookies for grown ups--I mean biscotti. These twice baked cookies have a lot of variations and are good keepers, but they usually are gone in a short time at my home.

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!

Christmas Gingerbread Cookies 聖誕姜餅曲奇

I wonder when this tradition began: baking cookies for Christmas. Cookie recipes are all over the place especially over the web. I am not a big fan of cookies but my daughter wants to make some for her friends. So I let her do every thing...except for writing up this post, of course.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (close to DoubleTree Hotel Recipe) 朱古力曲奇

Nothing is more simple to enjoy and make as cookies. Mix together flour, eggs, sugar and butter and after a short time in the oven, you have homemade cookies. If you like add-ons such as raisins, chocolate and nuts, feel free to add them. For a more healthy touch, put oatmeals, flaxseed or even whole wheat flour. Bake for a short time for chewy ones and longer if you like crunchy cookies. It's as simple as that.

But there is some thing that makes the cookies from Doubletree Hotel special.

Rugelach

These Jewish cookies remind me of the time I had them in Boston, where a large community of Jews resided (more precisely in Brookline, Massachusetts). I still remember on my way to the subway station, there were a few Jewish bakeries that had these little cookies on display. Many times I would wander into one of the shops and buy a few to nibble on my walk and on the train. They are flaky, tender and filled with walnuts and cinnamon sugar.

Biscotti with walnuts and cranberries

Biscotti means "cooked twice" in Italian. A few weeks ago I made the lean version crisp chocolate biscotti, now it's time for the real thing :). For me, it's twice baked as well ! This time it has all the butter in it to make it all crispy and buttery.

Crisp Chocolate Biscotti

I rarely make cookies. They are last on my list of favorite baking items (except macarons :) ). If I make them, I always make sure that they have many goodies in them such as oats, flaxseed or raisins. Otherwise, they are just fat and sugar. (My son begged me not to put oatmeal and flaxseed in them when I make them next time! He said they are not "real" cookies.)

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."