Ladies Kisses

I saw the picture of this cute looking cookie from a Multiply site and messaged the lady if she could share the recipe with me. A few days later, she replied with the recipe! I didn't expect her to be so willing to share it. Afterall, she paid to go for the lesson. I would understand if she didn't. It was so gracious of her.

So thanks to her, now anyone who's reading this will have this recipe too. *smiles*


Ingredients:

• 110g whole hazelnuts or almonds (I used ready prepared grounded almond)
  
• 100 g icing sugar
• 100 g unsalted butter1/4 tsp grated lemon
• 120 g superfine flour (I used Top Flour)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 75g chocolate, cut into small pieces

How to do it:

1. Toast hazelnuts or almonds in a frying pan over a very low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Cool and rub off skins only on hazelnuts as the almonds skins do not rub off easily. Cool. (Skip this if you are using ready grounded nuts.)
   
2. Line 2-3 baking trays with non-stick parchment paper. Preheat oven to 160C
   
3. Place nuts and icing sugar in a food processor and grind to a coarse powerly texture. Set aside.
   (Just sift the icing sugar if you are using grounded nuts.)
   
4. Soften butter by beating in a small mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Add the nut mixture and grated rind and beat until creamy.
   
5. Add flour and salt, mixing just long enough to mix well - do not overwork. The dough should be firm but not crumbly.
   
6. Pinch off very small balls of dough (1/2 a teaspoon) and roll in balls.
   
7. Arrange, evenly space with room for a bit of spreading on the paper-lined baking trays.
   
8. Bake for about 15 minutes or until cookies are very lightly coloured - do not over-brown.
   
9. Cool cookies on rack.
   
10. Gently melt chocolate in a small bowl over simmering water, stirring constantly - heat until chocolate melts.
    
11. Cool slightly until chocolate starts to thicken.
    
12. Transfer into a disposable plastic piping bag and snip a small hole at the base of the bag.
    
13. Arrange half the cookies - flat side up - on a tray and pipe a small blob of chocolate on each cookies.
    
14. Allow chocolate to set slightly, before sandwiching with the remaining half of the cookies. Store in an airtight container.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.

* Individual Cookies before they get married *

Broccoli Fish Balls with Vegetables

Okay, this is a kid's side dish. Yay, It doesn't look like a kiddy food. But they find it interesting that their food is served in a spoon instead of the usual. And since I sort of stack the food in layers and there isn't space for them to push the food they don't want aside, they just have to try to eat it. I told them, it's only two small pieces (of mushroom). That did the trick!

Ingredients

• 150g Fish Paste
• 1-2 tablespoon chopped Broccoli (I didn't use the stem part)
• 16 stalk Shimeiji Mushroom
• 8 Baby Corn, sliced half length-wise
• 5 tablespoon Broth
• Cornflour Mixture (thickener)
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• Oil for cooking

How to do it:

1. Mix fish paste with broccoli.
2. Shape it into 8 balls and set in a bowl of water.
3. Drain and place in a dish to steamed till cooked.
4. Set aside.
5. Heat wok with oil.
6. Saute garlic till fragrant.
7. Add in the baby corn and stir fry for 15 seconds.
8. Add in mushroom and continue stir frying for another 10 seconds.
9. Add in the broccoli fish balls and the broth.
10. Simmer for 1 minute.
11. Add salt to taste.
12. Gradually stir in the thickener.
13. Dish and serve.

Note:
I'm trying to encourage the kids to eat the vegetables. Too much of it will put them off.
So instead of the above said amount, you can add more mushroom and babycorn and also shape more than 8 broccoli fish balls.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.