Korean Breakfast Rolls 韩国烤馒头

Mostly adopted this recipe from sbar.com.cn

They are crispy on the bottom, soft in the center and slightly sweet. One is not enough and you will reach for the second one...

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 cups flour
• 1 egg
• 1 cup Luke warn milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. active yeast
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• pinch of salt

Make it...

• In a large mixing bowl, mix sugar and milk, sprinkle yeast over and set for 5 minutes to let the yeast bloom. Then add the rest of ingredients and knead to a smooth dough. Cover and set in a warm place to double the size.
• Oil a 8x8 baking pan. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and make the rolls as below pictures.

 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Dip the bottom of each roll with water, then dip with sugar sesame mix. Brush the top with butter or oil, add more oil on the bottom of the pan by dripping from the side. ( The more oil, the crispy bottom).
• Bake 15-20 minute until golden brown.

Optional: after remove from the oven, brush the tops with honey water ( honey:water=1:1) for pretty and shiny rolls.



Fried Vegeterian Balls 素丸子

They look like fried meat balls, but they are made from Tofu and carrots...crispy and tasty...rich in Vitamin A and protein.

Simple ingredients:

• 1 block firm Tofu, drained
• 2 medium size carrot, shredded
• 1 cup flour
• 1 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. of Chicken Bouillon Powder
• Salt and ground pepper to your taste

Optional: green onion, chives, Chinese parsley, ginger, garlic, etc. can be added for extra flavor.

• Cooking oil for fry

Easy to make:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the Tofu with hands, add other ingredients above (except cooking oil). Mix with a fork until all ingredients well blend together.
2. Heat cooking oil on high heat until boiling hot. Use a small cookie scoop, scoop and drop the batter into the hot oil. Cook them until the balls float up to the surface and turn golden brown.
3. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces, such as sweet & sour, BBQ, honey mustard, ranch, etc.

Caution: Stay in the kitchen while cooking. Don't leave the hot cooking oil unattended. Be safe.

Crunchy Walnut Cookies 核桃酥

I chop the walnut in a food processor into small pieces so that you will taste the walnut with every bite. They are taster better after storage in a sealed plastic bag or box for overnight.

Simple ingredients:

• 2 eggs (1 use for coating to top)
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup finely chopped walnut

Easy to make:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1 egg, oil and sugar together, whisk until just blend. Then add flour, baking powder, salt and walnut. Mix with a spatula into a dough. Scoop 1 Tbsp. batter and roll into a ping-pong size balls.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lay the cookie balls on a non-stick cookie sheet with 1-inch apart, press down with the bottom of a drink cup. Brush the top with egg liquid.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Balls

This no-bake dessert is so simple and easy to make. They can be also shaped with ice cube trays for different looks, like square, heart, etc.

Simple ingredients:

• 4 oz. cream cheese, soften
• 1 Tbsp. milk
• 1/4 cup sugar (use less if you like less sweet)
• 1/4 cup raisin (or dry cranberries)
• 1/8 cup walnut, chopped
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Easy to make:

1. On a double boiler, melt the cream cheese and milk, whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat, add sugar, raisins and walnut, stir to mix together.
2. Cool in the refrigerator for an hour. Scoop about 1 Tbsp. batter and roll into a ball, then coat with shredded sweetened coconut. Serve cold.

Baked Curry Gyoza 咖喱饺

This is one of the delicious Chinese Dim Sum for curry lovers. The fillings variation is endless...you may use any of gyoza or dumpling fillings if you don't like curry. Wrappers can be used pie crust, just not as crispy as this hand-made wrappers. Give yourself a little patient to make this on your day off and you will be happy to see the result.

For Curry Beef Fillings:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 1/2 cup minced onion
• 3 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch mix with 1/4 cup water

Heat the wok on high, add beef and onion, stir-fry until beef just cooked. Add curry powder, sugar, salt, soy sauce and 1/2 cup water, stir on medium heat until well mixed. Add cornstarch with water, bring to boil, stir until thicken. Remove from the heat and let cool while preparing the wrappers.

For Pastry Wrappers:
Water-based skin:

• 2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cooking oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Oil-based skin:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cooking oil

In two different bowls, mix both wrappers separately and knead to a dough. Cover with plastic wrappers and set aside for 20 minutes.
Flatten the water-based skin bigger than the oil base the skin. Lay the oil-based skin on the top of the water-based skin. Fold and flatten 3 times as shown in below pictures. Then, cut out round wrappers with a biscuit cutter. Place the filling in the center, seal the edge tight. Use a fork to press the edge to make it fancy.


 












* Pastry making pictures are adopted from  http://www.sbar.com.cn/caipu/85157/

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a parchment paper on a large cookie sheet.
Lay curry gyoza on the sheet and brush with egg yolk. Sprinkle black sesame seeds if you like.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. ( I set on boiler in the oven for the last minutes to have the pretty golden color). Serve warm.

Instead of curry beef filling, I bought a can of Red Bean Paste from a Asian grocery store and use as a sweet filling. This dessert turns out flaky, sweet and easy.



Easy Crispy Drop Cookies

This is the most easiest drop cookies that I have made...crispy and tasty! You may already have the ingredients in the house and you can make anytime. You may sprinkle with any kinds of nuts as topping, such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame, chopped walnuts, etc.

Simple ingredients: (makes 30-32 cookies)

• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Easy to make:

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk cooking oil and powdered sugar until just blend, add egg whites and continue to whisk until blend well. Then, add vanilla and flour, mix until just blend.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a parchment paper on a large cookie sheet.
3. Drop 1 tsp. batter at a time and 1/2 inch apart onto the cookie sheet. Sprinkle seeds on the cookies.
4. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

 * My friends love these cookies so much and I have to make more for them :)

Rolo Cupcakes

Rolo is a chocolate candy with soft caramel in the center. I only placed one Rolo in the center of each cupcake. You may place more if you are a caramel chocolate lover.

You will need...

• 1 box of classic white cake mix
• 3 egg whites plus 1 whole egg
• 1/3 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 24 Rolo candies

Make it...

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake liners in the muffin pans and lightly spray with non-stick cooking oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all above ingredients together with an electric mixer on medium speed, about 5 minutes until well blend.
3. Evenly scoop the batter into each cupcake liners. Place 1 Rolo in the center of each cupcake. Bake 15-20 minutes until the toothpick comes out of center of cupcake is clean. Cool before add toppings.

For toppings:
You may simple use the cream cheese topping by whisking together...

• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, soften
• 1 stick butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Then, sprinkle with shaved chocolate and/or coco powder.

Tips:
I don't want to waste the 3 egg yolks...So...I add 2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream with 3 egg yolks. Whisk over a double boiler on low heat until thicken and cooked. Then, add to the cream cheese topping mixture.

Teriyaki Shrimp

You don't need to a pro to cook this dish...so simple and easy! Trick is...Don't add any water to keep you dish tasty.

Simple ingredients:

• 1 lb. headless shrimp, drained
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 green onion, cut into 1-inch pcs.
• 4 slice fresh ginger
• pinch of salt

Easy to make:

• Heat cooking oil on high in a non-stick wok, add ginger and green onion. While the oil is sizzling, add shrimps and brown one side at a time, stir and brown other side. Add soy sauce, sugar and salt, stir fry until the sauce is thicken. Serve with steamed white rice.

BEST Milk Chocolate Cupcakes

This is the BEST and easy chocolate cupcake...fluffy, light, moist and not super sweet...you will want more than just one! Variations of toppings are endless...roasted marshmallows, cream cheese, butter cream, sprinkle some chopped nuts, or add little coffee flavor, etc.

Simple ingredients for Cupcakes:

• 1 box of Milk chocolate cake mix
• 1 box of chocolate pudding mix (regular size)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk

Easy make it:

1. Combine all above ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer) on medium high until all ingredients blend well.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake liners in the muffin pans. Lightly spray with non-stick cooking oil
3. Evenly spoon the batter into 24 muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cake is clean. Set aside to cool while preparing toppings.

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Topping:

• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup), at room temperature
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Make it:

• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk whipping cream on high until foamy and fluffy, gradually add powdered sugar. Continue to whisk until stiff peak. Then, gradually add vanilla, butter and cream cheese and mix until well blended. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before piping on the cupcakes.

For extra decoration:

• Top with roasted marshmallows, or
• Dip with melted chocolate, or
• Dust with coco powder, or
• Top with a thin layer of my white chocolate mouse
• Sprinkle with your favorite chopped nuts, or
• Just eat them without any topping...they are ONO (yummy)!

Best Sugar Cookies

Adopted from America's Test Kitchen. It's the best sugar cookies for me. The cream cheese in the recipe makes this cookie chewy in the middle and a little crunchy on outside.

Ingredients

2¼	cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½	teaspoon baking soda
1	teaspoon baking powder
½	teaspoon table salt
1½	cups sugar, plus ⅓ cup for rolling
2	ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
6	tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted and still warm
⅓	cup vegetable oil
1	large egg
1	tablespoon milk
2	teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Place 1½ cups sugar and cream cheese in large bowl. Place remaining ⅓ cup sugar in shallow baking dish or pie plate and set aside. Pour warm butter over sugar and cream cheese and whisk to combine (some small lumps of cream cheese will remain but will smooth out later). Whisk in oil until incorporated. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; continue to whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix with rubber spatula until soft homogeneous dough forms.
3. Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough,  use hands and roll dough into balls. Working in batches, roll balls in reserved sugar to coat and evenly space on prepared baking sheet, 12 dough balls per sheet. Using bottom of drinking glass, flatten dough balls until 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle tops evenly with 4 teaspoons of sugar remaining in shallow dish (2 teaspoons per tray), discarding any remaining sugar.
4. Bake, 1 tray at a time, until edges are set and just beginning to brown, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating tray after 7 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.