Pumpkin Cookies for the Fall

It had been almost 1.5 year since my last post. Life had been crazy on this side of continent. We had brought a business, expended, AND started another business. Don't know what I was thinking! Two businesses in 1.5 years, I must be crazy!  Yeah, I wasn't thinking straight!  I love what I do, so no complaint.  Thanks for all of your supports.

Now, it's once again Autumn/Fall and I can't help myself but everything pumpkin!  Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin spiced latte, pumpkin pancakes, and etc.  Yeah, I tend to be a little pumpkin crazy at this time of year.  Luckily I can do it all at work instead of fattening up my poor husband.

Pumpkin Cookies

  328g  Sugar
  115g  Butter

  350g  AP
  1t       Baking Soda
  1t       Baking Powder
  1t       Cincinamon
  1/2t    Nutmeg
  1/2t    Salt

  1        Egg
  280g  Pumpkin Puree
  1t       Vanilla Extract

• Beat butter & sugar in high speed for about 5 minutes, until the butter mixture is light & fluffy.
• Slowly beat in egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract.
• Beat in the flour mixture slowly.  Scrape the mixing bowel often.
• #24 Disher.  350 F, about 10 minutes.  
• Dust with Cinnamon/powder sugar mixture while the cookie still slightly warm and enjoy!

Happy Chinese New Year!

 HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

MAY YOUR 2014 BE GREAT & FRUITFUL!

I had found those wonderful little molds & just couldn't resist! The cookies are simple shortbread cookies with orange, green tea, and sesame.

Marmalade! Marmalade! Cumquat Marmalade!

Whenever blood orange is in season, I felt the need to make the blood orange/cumquat/leek fish that we love so much.  However, the thing with cumquat is... you must buy a container of it when you only need 4.  There are people whom will insist on HOW sweet & great cumquats are, but I just simply hate them.  I blame it on my mother, I was forever scarred from my childhood memories of being forced to eat it every Chinese New Year!  After 4 days on the counter, I decided to make marmalade.  It's a very simple formula where you can easily substitute the cumquat with orange or even blood orange (great color for marmalade).

In this recipe, it's 1:1:1 ration with fruit, sugar, and water by WEIGHT.  Yes, by weight!  I know it's a hassle to break out your scale even if you do have one, but trust me.. you don't want to wing it as you go with jam/jelly/marmalade!  Since we are keeping the rind (contains pectin), I would recommend organic fruits if you can find them, so you don't have to worry about funky chemicals.


Cumquat Marmalade

100 g    Cumquat
100 g    Sugar
100 g    Water

• Wash & thinly slice the cumquat.  Pick out seeds
• Place cumquat, sugar, and water into a pot.  Bring to a boil, stir constantly so it doesn't burn
• Turn the heat down so it is just simmering for another 1/2 hour or so, until the rind is soft and the liquid is thin.  
• To check for "gel-ness" by place a small drop on a plate & place in the fridge for a couple minutes.  If the marmalade is ready, it will "gel" like soft jam.
• Can & lid.  Let cool on the counter top then store in the freezer up to 12 months!

Let's burn some sugar! Caramel Sauce...

People had consistently asking me how NOT to burn the caramel sauce.  Truth to be told... it's easy... just let it BURN (to a certain degree, of course), baby... That's where the favor comes from!  No, really... I understand that watching your sugar "burn" is a scary process, especially we had been taught that "burning" is BAD.  So I took step by step photo for this, and hope this will help. :)


Caramel Sauce

8 oz Sugar
2 oz Corn Syrup
1 oz Water


6 oz Heavy Cream

• Place sugar, corn syrup, and water into a 10" pot (yes, TEN inch!).  Give it a quick stir to make sure all the sugar is wet.  Use a little wet brush to brush down the sugar on the side.
•  Cook the sugar in medium heat.  As the water cook off, sugar will started to bubble.  Your pot of sugar should look something like this

• Keep cooking until your pot started to turn color and you may turn the heat down if you are not comfortable continue at medium heat.  If you add cream at this point, this is called the golden/blond caramel.

•  Cook the sugar to dark amber color, turn the heat off 

• Add cream SLOWLY.  IT WILL FOAM!!  Gently stir after each addition, until all cream is added.  Return the pot back to heat to melt down the seized sugar.   Let it cool in a heat proof container then place in a air tight container & refrigerated up to 2 months!

Life has gone crazy! Time for Espresso Hazelnut Cookies!

It has been 2 months since the last post, I didn't forget you all, I promise!  I took a new job to opening a store and it has literally turn my life upside down & into a 24/7 job in the past couple month.  However, I promise, in the near future, there will be more to come! 

I don't normally eat sweets, but here is my all time favorite!  Honestly, I can not stop eating these cookies whenever I made it.  I modify it from Martha Stewart's recipe so I can't claim the glory to myself!  The portioned cookie can be freezes & store in a airtight container for up to 1 month, thaw before using.



Espresso Hazelnut Cookies

2 C AP
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
16 T (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C sugar
1/2 C packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
3 - 4 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 cups hazelnuts, toasted, chopped (sliced almond works as well)

 

 

1. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add egg, one at a time. 
3. Add espresso powder.  Love espresso/coffee, use 4 T instead.
4. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix in hazelnuts.
5. Bake at 375 F, until golden, about 12 minutes.  Cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Oh, Marshmallow! Oh, Marshmallow!

In the past few years, I had been extremely busy & tided down at the restaurants during Christmas time, so I hasn't really enjoy Christmas since we moved to west coast.  This is the first Christmas that I do get to enjoy it with MD and I had pulled out all the stops!!  Cookies, truffles, spiced hot chocolate & marshmallows, and etc, etc, etc..  It's a kid's paradise in our house!  Actually, it's MD's paradise!

One of the things that we enjoy during this time of year is hot chocolate w/ marshmallow.  Whenever people tells me that they do not like marshmallows, I simply reply, "that is because you haven't have REAL marshmallow!"  I really think the over fluffed, plastic taste commercial marshmallow gave this old world candy a bad name.  A little bit know-how & a little bit of patient, you can enjoy marshmallow like you have never before!  This recipe is similar to Alton Brown's recipe on Food Network, so you can follow his instruction if that is easier for you.



Marshmallow


3 pkg Unflavored Gelatin
1/2 C Water

12 oz Sugar
1 C Corn Syrup
1/2 C Water
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Marshmallow Dust
1/4 C Confectioners' sugar
1/4 C Cornstarch

1.  Mix the marshmallow dust by combine equal part of powdered sugar & cornstarch, whisk well.
2. Heavily dust a quarter size pan (9 1/2 x 13) evenly with marshmallow dust & sit aside.
3. Combine the gelatin & water in a mixing bowl, site aside (Blooming).  Attach a wire whisk to your mixer.
4. Combine sugar, corn syrup, water & salt, cook to 240F.  Turn your mixer on the slowest speed and slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into the mixing bowl.
5. Turn the speed up to med-high until the mixture is lukewarm to touch, Volume should double & sticky.  
6. Add vanilla extract, mix well on low speed.
7. Spray your hands & a spatula w/ cooking oil.  Quickly pour the marshmallow onto the prepped sheet & even it out.
8. Dust w/ more marshmallow dust, cover, & let sit at least 4 hrs to overnight.
9. Cut into 1" squares & coat w/ more marshmallow dust.  Shake off excess & store in the tightly sealed container up to 3 weeks.

Wishing everyone a merry Christmas & a happy holiday!