Peanut Cookies with Sesame Seeds

I had plans to baked some Chinese New Year goodies this year. But as usual, things never turn up as planned. I didn't get to baked any CNY goodies. :(  I did, however managed to fry a bottle of Arrowhead Chips for myself. :P

Just a couple of days before CNY, the kids asked why there isn't any Peanut Cookies which happened to be their favourite. Hence, I burned some mid-night oil to bake a few bottles of it. Of course, I got nagged for 'wasting time'. *roll eyes* Some people men just don't understand. :P

Arrowhead Chips

It's the time of the year for those super additive chips that looks like potato chips but better! Yup! I'm talking about Arrowhead Chips. You only get them once a year and can easily cost you $15 for a bottle of it.

Well, if you don't mind hard work, which is worth every bit of it, make it yourself! To make it crispy, you have to slice it thin and dry it before frying.

Okay, enough said. Please excuse me while I go enjoy my Arrowhead Chips. Crunch ... crunch ... crunch ....

Churros with Chocolate Sauce 切洛斯

I made one of my favourite snacks, Churro, today.  I wished it was commonly available. 

I don't really enjoy making it because it's so difficult to squeeze out hot dough. :( Always remember to wrap a cloth around the piping bag when you are doing it to avoid being burned.

I used some remaining dough that was too difficult to pipe out and make them into balls. We all love those as it's was a lot more easier to eat. One ball each mouth!

These churros  are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Can't stop at one!

Ingredients:

• 250ml Water
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 125g All-Purpose Flour, sifted
• 2 tablespoon Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• Oil for frying

How to do it:

1. Put flour in a heatproof bowl and set aside.
2. Combine water, sugar, salt and oil in a saucepan.
3. Bring it to a boil.
4. Pour it over the flour.
5. Stir till a smooth dough is formed and it separates from the sides of the bowl.
6. Spoon the dough into a pastry bag with a large star tip.
7. Pipe into hot oil.
8. Alternatively, pipe on baking paper.
9. Drop the piped dough with the baking paper into the oil then remove the paper.
10. Deep fry till they float up on the oil and turns golden brown.
11. Drain on paper towels.
12. Coat with Cinnamon sugar or serve with melted chocolate.

Notes:

• I melt some semi-bitter chocolate bits with some fresh milk using steam bath method. I didn't weigh the chocolate chips as I just used what I thought is enough. It's about 5 tablespoon of chocolate bit and 1 tablespoon milk to thin it.
• The mixing of Cinnamon Sugar as based on estimation too. More sugar and less Cinnamon powder. Adjust according to your taste.

Sesame and Peanut Cookie 芝麻花生酥

During last Chinese New Year, I get lots of request for Peanut Cookies. I can't recall how many times I have did it. Luckily it was one of the easiest Chinese New Year snacks to make. Hence, I didn't get tired of making it. :P

Closer to the festival, I tweaked my recipe a little and added toasted sesame to it and my family members commented that it was even better than the original.

I realised that the new recipe has been sleeping my draft folder, along with many other recipes :P. Anways, It's never too late to share, In fact, it's just in time. If you love Peanut Cookies, you may like this too. Try baking some for the coming Chinese New Year. :)

PS. This photo here is a year old. :P

Ingredients:

• 300g Peanut Powder with sugar
• 150g Toasted Sesame Seed, grind into powder
• 50g Sesame Seed
• 120g Extra Fine Sugar
• 250g Top Flour or All Purpose Flour
• 190ml Oil (I use Olive Oil)
• 1/3 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Egg Yolk, beaten for glazing
• Additional Sesame Seeds as toppings

How to do it:

1. Mix flour, salt, sugar, grind sesame and peanut powder together to combine.
2. Pour half of the oil into the peanut mixture and mix together. I use hands to do it.
3. Pour the remaining oil and continue mixing and kneading till the (icing) sugar has melted.
4. Roll a ball of 10g paste and if it doesn’t crumble, your paste is ready. Otherwise, add a bit of oil till the peanut ball doesn't crumble when you roll it.
5. Place peanut ball on baking tray.
6. Brush with the egg yolk.
7. Sprinkle on some sesame seed.
8. Bake in a preheated oven for 13mins at 180C till lightly golden brown.
9. Cool on rack and store in air tight container.

Sweet Pan Roasted Chestnut 炒糖栗子

This was in my draft folder since January this year! :P I might have thought that I have published it and this could be a duplicate. O_o

Roasted Chestnuts has always being my favourite and my sister's too I think. I couldn't resist buying if I see or smell it. I will follow the aroma to get to it! However, you don't get to see roasted chestnuts very often.

These homemade one can't beat those roasted with those small burned stones which help roast the chestnuts evenly. Nonetheless, this will do till I get my hands on the "professionally" done ones. ;)

Ingredients:

• 400g Raw Chestnut, washed, cleaned and dried
• 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
• 100ml Water 
• 1-2 tablespoon White Sugar

How to do it:

1. Slit chestnut carefully with a sharp pointed knife to prevent 'explosions' during cooking.
2. Pan toast the chestnut on medium low heat for 5 mins to dry them.
3. Remove and toss chestnut in oil to coat evenly.
4. Return to pan and roast for 15 mins covered.
5. Remove the cover and stir regularly to prevent burning.
6. Meanwhile, melt sugar in water by simmering it.
7. Add sugar solution to the pan.
8. Continue to let the chestnuts to cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent burning (like me :P) until the water evaporates and the chestnuts are tender.
9. Peel and eat while it's hot!

Mini Sesame Balls 迷你芝麻球

I vaguely remembered having these when I was a little girl. I don't remember how it tasted like though.

After trying them out after so many years, I find that it's like eating the deep version of Muah Chee. It's sort of crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Sadly, It didn't bring back my childhood memories. :P

Ingredients:

• 250g Glutinous Rice Flour
• 20g All purpose/Plain Flour
• 1/3 teaspoon Vanilla Essence 
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten
• White Sesame Seed for coating
• Oil for deep frying

Sugar Solution:

• 80g White Sugar
• 140ml Water

How to do it:

1. Prepare the sugar solution by simmering the sugar in water till it dissolved.
2. Set aside to cool for later use.
3. Mix glutinous flour and plain flour together.
4. Add the sugar solution, vanilla essence and egg to the flour mixture.
5. Mix and knead into a smooth dough.
6. Roll dough about 5g-7g into a ball.
7. Coat with white sesame seeds.
8. Deep fry till golden brown.
9. Remove and drain on paper towel.

Seaweed Shaker Fries 紫菜摇摇薯条

I had some leftover fries I had from lunch. I didn't want to throw it away, so I reheated it in the oven and added my homemade Seaweed Seasoning. It resembles some seasonal fries from a certain fast food joint eh?

Try this if you have leftover fries that you don't want to toss out. You can pan fry it too if you don't have an oven.

Ingredients:

• 8 pieces Japanese Seaweed Snack
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Chicken Powder/Salt (Chicken Powder taste a lot better)
• 1 portion of Large French Fries

How to do it:

1. Grind the seaweed to almost powder like.
2. Mix well with garlic powder and Chicken Powder.
3. Add french fries into a paper bag with the seaweed seasoning.
4. Shake till fries are well coated.
5. Tear open paper bag and dig in.

Note:
You don't have to use a paper bag if you don't have one. Just toss in a deep dish.

Pot Stickers 锅贴

I have been craving for Pot Stickers for a while and decided to make some myself. I could find the usual dumpling skin I used to make Pot Stickers. I bought normal round wanton skin instead.

My son likes it so much he requested I made it again; 3 days in a row! My husband wants soup so I cooked the dumplings with Chicken Broth and Pot Stickers become Dumpling Soup.

Ingredients:

• 250g Minced Pork or Chicken
• 300g Prawns, shelled, devein and diced
• 3 Waterchestnut, skinned and diced
• 50g Chive, chopped
• Wanton Skin or Gyoza Skin

Seasonings:

• 1/2 tablespoon Fish Sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sesame Seed Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Ginger Juice (grate ginger and squeeze for juice)
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder or 2 clove Garlic, grated till paste like
• 1/2 teaspoon Chicken Powder (optional)
• a dash of Pepper

Dipping Sauce:

• 2 tablespoon Black Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Sesame Seed Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Ginger Juice

How to do it:

1. Mix all ingredients, except Wanton Skin, with seasonings well.
2. Preferably to set aside for half an hour before you start making the dumplings.
3. Prepare dumpling as shown in the instruction video at the end of this post.
4. Heat pan with a teaspoon of oil.
5. Place pot stickers in pan and close.
6. Pan fry 2 side for 30 seconds each. You can skip this step if you like.
7. (On the 3rd side) Add 3-4 tablespoon chicken stock or water, cover pan to let cook for 5 minutes or till stock is dry.
8. Dish and serve with dipping sauce.

For Dumpling in Soup:

1. Have 2 pots ready, 1 filled with water and 1 teaspoon salt and the other with Chicken Stock.
2. Bring the pot with water to a boil and the pot with chicken stock to a simmer.
3. Place dumpling in the pot of water and cook for a minute.
4. Remove and place the dumplings into the pot with Chicken Stock.
5. Bring the pot of dumplings to a boil.
6. Add salt to salt.
7. Pour into a bowl, drizzle with sesame seed oil and serve with spring onion.

Note:

• If you are using a regular flying pan, you will just need to have a cover and cook a minute or 2 longer.
• Traditional Pot Sticker are fried only on one side, I like it slightly brown on the other 2 sides, hence I did Step 6. You can skip that if you like.

All ready to be cooked.

Rice Krispies Easter Eggs 米香复活蛋

I happened to chance upon this really cute recipe and I thought I'll try it with my daughter since Easter is just around the corner.

Honestly, I find it harder than it looks and a lot messier. My daughter gave up doing it half way doing it and left me to finish it. I only did 5 eggs and use the rest to do something easier and less messy. :P

I didn't have plastic egg that is required for this so I use Kinder Surprise Egg instead. It works fine too. Take note that the mixture will hardens when it's cooled, so you got to work fast!

If you want to do this over the weekend, here's the recipe, which I've copied over for easy reference.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons Butter or margarine
• 10 oz (about 40) Regular Marshmallows
• 1 box (130g) Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal
• M&M's® Chocolate Candies, Chocolate Bits, etc for decorations

How to do it:

1. Clean, then coat inside of plastic eggs with cooking spray or just spread regular cooking oil on it. Set aside.
2. In large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. 
3. Remove from heat.
4. Add Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal. Stir until well coated.
5. Using greased hands, firmly press some Rice Krispies® mixture into both halves of each plastic egg. 
6. Use fingers to make hollow center in each half. Remove from molds. Place on wax paper. Cool slightly.
7. Place about 6 M&M'S® in one half of each egg. Gently press two halves of each egg together until they stick. Cool completely.
8. Decorate if desired. Best if served the same day.

Recipe adapted from Hidden Surprise Easter Egg Treats

Chocolate coated Cornflakes

My little daughter helped me made this during the school holidays for a kids' magazine. The magazine will have the step-by-step instructions in photo, so it's easier for the kids to follow. If my 4 year old can do it, anyone can.  

Ingredients:

• 1 bar of 75g Chocolate
• 30g Butter
• 1 box of 25g Corn Flakes
• Sprinkles of hundreds and thousands (colourful candy bits)

How to do it:

1. Boil a pot of water.
2. Remove from fire.
3. Place a bigger heat proof bowl or pot over the water.
4. Break chocolate and place inside bowl.
5. Stir to melt the chocolate.
6. Add in butter and stir to melt together with the chocolate.
7. Pour in the corn flakes.
8. Stir gently, not to crush the corn flakes.
9. Coat corn flakes well with chocolate.
10. Spoon chocolate coated cornflakes on to paper cups.
11. Sprinkle hundreds and thousands over it.
12. Cool it to set in the refrigerator.

Note: You can add in raisin, dried fruits or chopped nuts too!