Flaky Pastry with Red Bean Paste 红豆酥

Simple ingredients:

• 1 cup flour (or cake flour)
• 1/4 cup dry milk powder (or dry coffee creamer)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. sugar (or powdered sugar)
• 6 Tbsp. butter, soften
• 1 egg
• pinch of salt
• 1 can Red Bean Paste for filling (it can be purchased from Asian Grocery stores and can be used 3-4 batches.)

Make it...

1. Mix all dry ingredients - flour, sugar, milk powder and Parmesan cheese - in a medium mixing bowl. Shift if you like smooth texture. Add soften butter and egg, and fold into the dry ingredients with a plastic spatula until become a soft dough. When you touch the dough, it should not sticky on your finger. If the dough is sticky, add about 1/8-1/4 cup more flour.
2. Transfer the dough to a cutting board and roll to a thick rope. Evenly divide into 16 pieces. Roll each piece with your hand to a ball and flatten with your palm. Fill about 1/2 Tbsp. Red Bean paste in the center and close the edge, roll to a ball.
3. Place in a mini muffin baking pan, flatten lightly to fit the mold. Bake at 350 degree F for 15 minutes. Then set oven to broil to back the top for 1 minutes or until turn golden brown.

Brown Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter, soften (about 1/2 lb. or 16 Tbsp.)
• 2 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup white white chocolate chips
• 1 cup Butterscotch chips or caramel chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixture. Then add eggs and beat until just blend.
3. Add baking soda, salt, and vanilla, mix well. Then add flour and mix well to become a thick dough. Fold in 3 cups of chips.
4. Lay a alumni foil on the cookies sheet, use a spoon to scoop ping-pong size batter and drop on the cookie sheet with 1-inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a cooking rack.
5. Service with milk, yogurt or tea.

Tips:

• It is easier to transfer the hot cookies from cookie sheets to cooking racks with the alumni foil.
• For crunchy cookies may apply more baking time.
• Place cookies in small plastic gift bags and tie with color ribbons - great for gift bags or goodies bags for special occasions.

Ono Oatmeal Cookies

Adopted from Mrs. Field's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. I got this great recipe from my friend Terry.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter, soften (about 1/2 lb. or 16 Tbsp.)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 bag (12 oz.) milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup white Raisins
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixture. Then add eggs and beat until just blend.
3. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla, mix well. Then add flour and oatmeal, mix well to become a thick dough. Fold in chocolate chips, pecans and raisins.
4. Lay a alumni foil on the cookies sheet, use a spoon to scoop ping-pong size batter and drop on the cookie sheet with 1-inch apart. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool on a cooking rack.
5. Service with milk, yogurt or tea.

Tips:

• It is easier to transfer the hot cookies from cookie sheets to cooking racks with the alumni foil.
• For bigger cookies may apply more baking time.
• Reduce the sugar for 1/4 cup less if you like less sweet cookies.
• Place cookies in small plastic gift bags and tie with color ribbons - great for gift bags or goodies bags for special occasions.

 

Steamed Corn Muffins 玉米发糕

You will need...

• 1 cup lukewarm milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. active yeast

In a medium mixing bowl, mix lukewarm milk and sugar, then sprinkle yeast over the milk mixture. Set aside with cover for 5 minutes. Then add...

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1 egg
• Optional: 1 cup white raisins

1. Mix well together and set aside until double the size.
2. Lightly spray the cupcake molds or puto molds with no-stick cooking oil. Fill the molds 2/3 full with the batter.
3. Steam over the boiling water for 20 minutes.

Makes about 24 muffins.

Corn Pancakes 玉米饼

Simply Need...

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup Bisquick mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and black pepper to you taste
• Cooking oil

Optional: (whatever you prefer, about 1-2 cups, or just let it plain)

• Cooked and chopped meat, choose from ham, turkey, chicken, sausage, etc.
• Veggies can be chosen from chives, parsley, tomato, Chinese parsley, dill, etc.

Easy to make...

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, Bisquick, eggs, milk, salt and black pepper together and mix well. Then add your favorite meat and veggies.
2. Spray cooking oil in a saucepan on medium high heat, scoop about 1/4 cup batter to the pan, flatten with back of the spoon. After the bottom turns light brown, flip to the other side and flatten, cook until both sides turn light brown.
3. Use biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to cut into the size or shape that you like. Or just serve as is while they are hot.

Cheesy Buttery Biscuit

Simple ingredients...

• 2 cups Bisquick Mix
• 4 Tbsp. cold butter (half block), cut into small cubes
• 3/4 cup Shredded Sharp Cheese
• 3/4 cup milk
• Optional: chopped fresh chives or parsley.
• 4 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Easy to make...

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, mix Bisquick, cold butter and cheese together with a spatula. Then add milk and mix well. Spoon about 1/8 cup batter on a cookie sheet. Bake about 15 minutes or until turn light golden brown.
3. Mix melted butter and garlic powder in a small bowl. Brush over the hot biscuit...Mmm...So soft, flaky, cheesy and buttery!

Substitute shape cheese with 4 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese with chive and onion. They taste yummy too!

Stewed Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings

Simple Ingredients...(looks like a lot, but you may already have in your kitchen)

• 10 chicken wings parts (wings and drumsticks)
• 1 block firm Tofu (about 16 oz.), cut in bite size cubes
• 3 cups water
• 3 slices fresh Ginger
• 3 green onions,cut in to 1-inch pcs. (or use 1/2 of yellow onion)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup cooking wine
• 2 dry bay leaves
• Salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper to your taste

Easy to make...

1. Bring 3 cups water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add all above ingredients (except Tofu) to the saucepan and simmer on medium high heat for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce is reduced. Stir occasionally.
2. After wings are cooked and turn tender, add tofu to the sauce and continue to simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce is deduced again. Don't stir too much since tofu is very soft.
3. Serve with streamed rice.

Kiwi Mochi

Simple ingredients:

• 2 fresh kiwi
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/3 cup mochiko (glutinous rice powder, can be purchased at Asian grocery stores)

Easy to make:

1. Crush kiwi in a small food processor until turn liquid.
2. In a medium bowl, mix crushed kiwi, sugar and mochiko together well.
3. Lightly spray no-stick cooking oil in a microwaveable container. (I used a 4x6 inch plastic container). Pour the mixture into the greased container. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes or until the center is cooked.
4. Cut into the shape that you like. Wrap with shredded coconut or potato starch. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Note: you may add few drops of green food color for darker and pretty green kiwi mochi.

Sweet Potato Mochi

You will need...

• 2 cups Sweet Potato, cooked and mashed
• 1 cup glutinous rice flour, also called Mochiko
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Shredded coconut and water for boil

Make it...

1. Mix cooked sweet potato, mochiko and sugar together. Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of mixture, roll into a ball with both hands.
2. Drop the balls in the boiling water. Water should be enough to cover the balls. Cook the mochi balls until they are floating. Take the balls out and set aside to cool until can be touched by hand.
3. Roll the mochi balls over the shredded coconut. Chill in the refrigerator and serve cold or at room temp.

Red Bean Puto (steamed cupcakes}

You will need...

·         2 Eggs

·         1 1/4 cup Sugar (use 1/4 cup less sugar for less sweet)

·         1 cup Flour

·         1 cup Bisquick

·         1/2 cup milk

·         2 tsp. Baking Powder

·         1/2 cup cooked red mung beans

Make it...

1.     In a medium mixing bowl, mix all ingredients (except red beans) with an electric mixture. Beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes until batter turn smooth. Stir in the cooked red beans and mix well.

2.    Lightly spray the cupcake molds with no-stick cooking spray. Fill the batter into the cupcake molds 2/3 full. I used the Filipino’s Puto cups (plastic cups can be used in a steamer).

3.    Steam over boiling water for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of center clean.

Makes: 24 cupcakes