Venetian Almond Biscotti

This recipe is super easy to prepare.  I’ve given them out as gifts in boxes or cello bags and these cookies always win over anyone who’s ever tasted them. Makes some great party favors, too.  So don’t wait another minute before you try this.  Make more than one batch cuz these biscotti cookies goes lightening fast!!!

A Ingredients

Unsalted butter          ½ cup (115 g or 1 stick)

Sugar                        175 g

Eggs                             2 heads

Vanilla extract             ½ teaspoon

B Ingredients

All-purpose flour       240 g

Baking powder          1 ½ teaspoon

Salt                                ¼ teaspoon

C Ingredients

Almonds                  110 g (1/2 cup)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.

2. Measure and sift all B ingredients into a bowl.  Toast the almonds in a small dry pan until fragrant and the almond skin looks oily. 

3. Cut the butter into chunks and let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.  Then place the butter into a mixing bowl, beat until fluffy, beat in the sugar in 2 batches, then beat in the eggs and vanilla extract in two batches.

4. On low speed, fold in B ingredients in three batches until no loose powder in the bowl.  Then add the almonds into the batter with a spatula.  Fold by hand to avoid breaking the almonds. 

5. Scoop the batter into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and form two-three long logs.  If the batter is too sticky to handle, put the whole baking sheet into the frig for 15 minutes.  Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown. 

6. Let the cookie blocks cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cookie blocks onto a wired rack to cool completely, around 20 minutes.  Then slice the each cookies blocks into 12 equal portions into long sticks.  Pace the sticks onto the baking sheet again, flat side down, cut sides to the side, bake in the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes, until crispy on all sides. 

7. Let cool on wired rack, store in air-tight container for a couple of weeks. 

Serving: 2 dozen

Spam Musubi

 My new friend, Jeremy introduced me to genuine Hawaiian food.  He’s a self-proclaimed foodie from Hawaii.  It was love at first sight.  I really love how easy and quick to come up with this dish at home.  All the ingredients are in the pantry.  It takes no trips to stores and no time to make at all.  It’s always gratifying to see these disappear from the table at any party. 

The first time I made it, I used a package of imitation spam I found from the pantry.  Over the phone, Jeremy asked me “how poor are you?”  Supposedly spam was originally designed to be a meat substitute for the poor during famine times.  If I had to buy imitation spam, I’d be pretty poor!!!  And he thinks he is funny.  But seriously, for the purpose of the film, I used real spam.  What’s a spam musubi without real spam, right? 

Jokes aside, thanks Jeremy!!! 

A Ingredients

Seaweed sheets                4 sheets

Steamed rice, cooled    650 g

Furikake                            1 tablespoon

Spam                                 1 package

B Ingredients

Soy sauce                 1 tablespoon

Mirin                        3 tablespoon

Chopped scallion     1 tablespoon

Directions:

1. Cut spam into 8 equal portion strips.  Heat up a small frying pan.

2. Depending on what kind of frying pan, add the little oil to the pan, add the spam strips to pan and brown all four sides, about 2 minutes per side.  Add the soy sauce and mirin, cook until thicken like syrup consistency.  Remove from heat and add the chopped scallion.

3. Heat a flat griddle to toast the sheets of seaweed, about 30 seconds per side.  Spread a thin layer of steamed rice onto the seaweed, leave a ¼ inch gap with no rice on the short side of the seaweed.

4. Place two spam strips onto the rice to the side without gap, sprinkle some furikake, then roll up from the spam side gently.  Press firm after the spam musubi is rolled up,

5. Cut the spam musubi into 3-4 sections and arrange on plate to serve.

Serving: 4-6

Chocolate Cupcakes

This recipe makes some really moist and spongy cupcakes.  You’ll gotta try this.  I’ve made it for countless parties, always the first one to go. If you don't want so much icing on top, you can use the desired amount and adjust accordingly.  See the very last picture of this article.  =)

A Ingredients

Boiling water                            ½ cup

Unsweetened coco powder      40 g

B Ingredients

Butter, room temp 30 min         115 g

Brown sugar                               200 g

Eggs, room temp 30 min                2 heads

C Ingredients

Milk, homogenized             90 g

Vanilla extract                      ½ teaspoon

D Ingredients

All purpose flour                   150 g

Baking soda                             ¾ teaspoon

Salt                                           ¼ teaspoon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C

2. Line a muffin mold with muffin liners.

3. Mix A ingredients in a bowl. Measure C ingredients into a measuring cup.  Sift D ingredients into a bowl. 

4. Cream B ingredient butter, then add the brown sugar until smooth.  Beat in eggs one, scrap the bottom to ensure a smooth batter.

5. Alternate fold in the dry and wet ingredients, start and finish with dry ingredients.

6. Scoop the batter into the muffin liners, about 2/3 full, bake in the oven 15-18 minutes.

7. Let cool completely before applying buttercream icing.

Sweet Vanilla Buttercream Icing

A Ingredients

Sugar                       100 g

Egg whites                   3 heads

Salt                               1 pinch

B Ingredients

Unsalted butter         280 g

Vanilla extract               1 teaspoon

Directions:

1. Heat A ingredients in a water bath, stir constantly to melt the sugar.  Remove from heat when all the sugar melted.

2. Pour the heated A ingredients into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat at high speed for 10 minutes to cool down, it will look like fresh whipped cream afterwards. 

3. With mixer on medium high speed, slowly beat in the butter cubes.  Beat until the butter cream icing feels smooth and consistent. 

4. Beat in vanilla extract, the icing can be used right away or reserved for later in room temp. If refrigerated, might need to let sit at room temp for 30 minutes, and beat again to smooth out. 

Servings: 2 dozen

Maple Caramel Flan

Crown Royal Maple is truly a love at first sniffle.  It has such a luscious flavor I’ve used it in countless dishes since my first discovery, even Tiramisu!!!

This is one of my most requested recipes, even the owner of the neighborhood liquor shop, the one who sold me the 2^nd bottle of Crown Royal Maple, wants some, too!!! 

A Ingredients

Sugar                          1/3 cup

Water                             4 teaspoon

Hot water                       4 teaspoon

Crown Royal Maple      ½ teaspoon(optional)

B Ingredients

Milk                    1 2/3 cup

Sugar                       ½ cup

C Ingredients

Egg                                    5 piece

Egg yolk                            1 piece

Heavy whipping cream    ½ cup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C

2. Prepare 4-6 little oven-safe ceramic cups, spray with cooking spray.  Then place these cups into a big roasting pan.

3. Boil a hot of water, the hot water should come half way to the molds in roasting pan.

4. In a small sauce pan, heat the A 75g sugar and 20 g of cold water until the edge is medium/dark amber color.  Remove from heat and whisk in 4 teaspoon of hot water and ½ tsp of Maple Whisky.

5. Heat B ingredients until almost boiling.  Beat C ingredients in a big bowl until pale yellow.  Add the hot B ingredients into C in a steady stream while beating.  Don’t add too fast or the eggs will scramble.  Next, beat in the heavy whipping cream.  Sift the custard to make sure no scramble eggs.

6. Divide the egg custard evenly into molds.  Pour the hot water into the roasting pan, water should come up to half way of the baking molds.  Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes

7. Remove the roasting pan from oven and let cool 15-20 minutes before serving.  Run a knife around the edges to release the flan, then invert it onto a small dessert plate.  Can also be served cold after refrigeration.  Keep in flan mold in frig for about a week.

Servings: 6

Butter Pastry

 This recipe is one of my all time favorites.  It took me years to perfect.  Hope you like it! 

I. Dough Starter (prepare the night before or at least 8 hours before)

A Ingredients

Dry yeast                           rounded ¼ teaspoon

Warm water ((105-115°F)               40 g

B Ingredients

All purpose flour                              60 g

Salt                                                        pinch

Directions:

1. Mix A ingredients, let rest 5 minutes.

2. Mix A and B ingredients until and knead until smooth, cover and let rest in room temperature around 8-10 hours.  (any longer,  put the dough in the frig, let sit at room temp for 30 minutes before using)

II. Pastry Wrapper

Dough Starter           the above recipe

All purpose flour                  100 g

Powdered sugar                        20 g

Peanut oil                                  40 g

Cold water                            50~55 g

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients by hand, or with an electronic mixer until smooth, around 5-8 minutes.  Cover and let rest 20-30 minutes. 

III. Pastry Dough

Ingredients

Cake flour             100 g

Peanut oil                40 g

Directions:

Sift the flour then add the oil, mix until blended.  Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, cover and set aside.

IV. Buttered dough

C Ingredients

Butter                                 50 g

Shortening(or margarine)   50 g

Powdered sugar                  85 g

Salt                                     1/8 g

D Ingredients

Eggs, slightly beaten          10 g

Powdered milk                  100 g

Directions:

1. Blend all C ingredients together.  Beat in the D eggs until blended.

2. Add the powdered milk, mix just until blended in, no loose powder.

3. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, roll into balls, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

V Combine

Ingredients

Sesame, white, toasted       1 cup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.  Divide the bread dough into 12 equal portions, roll into balls, cover and let rest for 20-30 minutes. 

2. Take a bread dough, push an oil dough into the center, pinch at the bottom, roll it to make a round shape. 

3. Seam side down, press down with your hand, roll the dough out into about the size of your hand. Flip over, seam up side, roll up from the short side. 

4. Seam side down, press down with your hand, then roll the dough out into the length of your hand, flip over, seam side up, roll up from the short side. 

5. Seam side up, press down with a finger in the middle of the seam side, then gather the side and pinch towards the center to make a ball.  Flip over, seam side down.

6.  Press down the ball into half the height, using a rolling pin, roll from the outside towards the inside to create a thick in the center, thin on the outside UFO shaped dough, Wrap a butter ball into the center on the seam side, pinch tightly on the bottom to seal.  Put the ball, seam side down on the working surface, using both of your hands to make it as round as possible.  Then press down the ball again into about half the height. 

7. Brush the top with water, then press the wet side down into a bowl filled with white sesame.  Take out and put the dough onto the working surface again, sesame side up.  Roll with a rolling pin into a long oval shape about the size of your palm.  Place the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with others and put the baking sheet into the oven for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.  If you like a crispier finish you can bake an additional 2-3 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in air tight containers.

Servings: 1 dozen

Almond Florentine

The first time I had this, my godmother Michelle had made it.  It was truly love at first bite.  The preparation and ingredients are so simple, anyone can make it.  Please give this a try.  You’ll all fall in love. 

A Ingredients

Egg whites          50 g

Sugar                   50 g

Butter, melted     20 g

Cake flour           15 g

B Ingredients

Sliced almonds         100 g

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 325°F/160°C.

2. Whisk the A ingredients in a medium bowl until opaque.

3. Gently fold in B ingredients with a rubber spatula.  Careful not to break the sliced almonds.  

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Scoop the prepared batter 2 inches apart onto the baking sheet, around 1 -2 tablespoon per cookie

5. Using your fingers to separate the stacked sliced almond.  The objective is to have a single layer of sliced almond across.  So the cookies will be thin and crispy and bakes evenly.  The ideal cookie size should be about the palms of your hand. 

6. Bake in the oven for 10-13 minutes.  Let cool 1-2 minutes before removing the cookies to a wired rack.  Let cool completely before storing in a air tight container. 

Serving: 1 dozen

Super Sandwiches

            At first, I didn’t know what to name this sandwich.  During a filming break, my photographer/camera man, Albert said “super sandwich.” Hey! It’s perfect!!  After packaging, this sandwich is perfect for picnic or a family trip.  I’ve packaged a bunch of them to a beach party once!!  My friends had never seen sandwiches packaged this way, but they all love the taste!!! 

           The day of filming was one disaster after another.  I woke up in the morning with a raspy voice and stuffy nose.  What woke me was my neighbor’s construction project! It was also unfortunately street sweeping day.  On top of that, my parents had a very exciting political discussion in the backyard, which was caught on tape.  Seriously?  Wait wait wait, it’s not over yet.  That night after filming, I broke in a fever of 102.  Record!!

A Ingredients

Toasts                 8 slices

Ham                   4 slices

B Ingredients

Hard boiled egg, chopped       2 heads

Mayonnaise                              2 tablespoon

Ground black pepper               to taste

C Ingredients

Cucumber, shredded      ¼ cup

Mayonnaise                      1 tablespoon

Apple cider vinegar         1/8 teaspoon

Sugar                               1/8 teaspoon

Directions:

1. Stir all B ingredients together into an egg salad.

2. Stir all C ingredients together into a cucumber salad.

3. Place toasts, four slices into a stack, spread the egg salad, ham, and cucumber salad into each of the three layers.

4. Slice the edges off the four sides and cut diagonal into two triangles down the middle.  Bag the sandwiches into triangle bags for easy to go. 

Servings: 2-4 Servings