They say that meringue originated from a tiny village in Switzerland called Meiringen, but was later adapted and improved into the meringue that we know now by an Italian chef named Gasparini in the 18th century. It is also very easy to make and takes limited effort. It's also a cute treat that can be made classy or cute.
Depending on how large of a quantity you would like, you can make this recipe to fit, but you should always have
1 part egg whites
1 1/2 part sugar
Then whip them together until there are no more grains in the batter and it id beaten, but not stiff. After that put the batter into a plastic bag, and cut out the corner. Then pipe either circular shapes pr sticks onto a pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Then place them in a 200 degree oven for 30 minutes or until they turn dry, but before they turn brown. And that's it!
This recipe is so simple yet delicious that you can do it any time you'd like!!
P.S In honor of Halloween coming up soon, feel free to turn your meringue drops into tiny little ghosts! Happy Halloween!
The crisp, buttery shortbread is one of my favorite cookies. Even better, you only need three ingredients to make it! Although I enjoy the original butter, sugar, and flour pastry, I also like its variations. Shortbread can be made into many flavors. Add cocoa powder for a chocolate biscuit, lemon extract for a lemon biscuit, matcha for a green tea biscuit, the list goes on and on. If you have three ingredients and are short on time, give this recipe a try!
The history of shortbread goes back to at least the 12th century, and originally started as a "biscuit bread", or biscuits made from left over bread dough. The word "biscuit" meant "twice cooked". This practice took place in parts of the British Isles and Scotland, causing some debate as to which country this pastry comes from. Over time, the leavening was exchanged for butter, making it an expensive treat that was only bought for celebrations such as Christmas or Hosmanay (Scottish New Year). Although shortbread was prepared during much of the 12th century, the refinement of shortbread is credited to Mary, Queen of Scots in the 16th century. This fancy shortbread was cut into triangular wedges, and flavored with caraway seeds.
Today, shortbread is made from flour, butter, sugar, although other flavorings can be added. In the 18th century, caraway, almond, and citrus fruits were extra ingredients often added to the batter. The first printed shortbread recipe was by Mrs. McLintock in 1736. Here's an interesting recipe from a baker in the 18th century:
Take a peck of flour…beat and sift a pound of sugar; take
orange-peel, citron, and blanched almonds, of each half a pound, cut in
pretty long thin pieces: mix these well in the flour; then make a hole
in the middle of the flour, put in three table-spoons of good yeast;
then work it up, but not too much…roll out; prickle them on top, pinch
them neat round the edges, and strew sugar, carraways, peel, and citron,
on the top. Fire it…in a moderate oven.
Picorial:
Beat together butter, sugar, and flour in a kitchen mixer on the lowest speed. If necessary, scrape sides of bowl to mix well. The end mixture should be slightly crumbly.
Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper, and cut into desired shape. I kept it simple with the traditional rectangle shape.
Prick each cookie with a fork to ensure even baking. Place onto a cookie tray and bake for 20-23 minutes.
Remove tray from oven, let cool, and enjoy!
Ingredients:
-3/4 cup salted butter (1.5 sticks)
-1/2 cup confectioners sugar
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Method:
Preheat oven to 325 F degrees.
Blend
butter until smooth in a large bowl using an electric mixer set at
medium speed. Slowly blend in the icing sugar. Scrape down the sides of
the bowl and combine thoroughly. Add flour and mix at low speed until
well blended.
Pat
dough into an ungreased cookie sheet. Alternatively you can roll out
the dough so that it's about ¼ of an inch in thickness and cut them to
your desired shape. I placed parchment paper on my cookie sheet, but
it's not necessary.
Bake
for 18 to 20 minutes, or until just done (slightly golden in color). Do
not let it get brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with colored sugar
or other sprinkles if desired. Cut into squares if you haven't pre-cut
them and place cookie sheet on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove
from pan and enjoy!
Notes:
- If desired, you may add a tablespoon of cocao powder to make chocolate buscuits.
- If you don't have confectioners sugar, pulse white sugar in a food processor for about 30 seconds to make some.
Recipe based on Jo's recipe which can be viewed here.
This sweet and tasty dessert is a quintessential part of the Latin American sweet tooth. The recipe originated in the rural areas of Mexico when farmers had a surplus of eggs and didn't know what to do with it. This recipe is a great dessert that seems high end and classy, but can be enjoyed by people of all ages and takes not much effort.
Ingredients:
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of water
Rose Water (optional)
14 oz. of condensed milk
14 oz. of milk
2 eggs
Put a saucepan on the stove at medium heat, then stir the sugar and water together and let the sugar dissolve and the water begin to boil. Instead of tuning down the heat when the water boils, let is keep going until the sugar water begins to burn and turn brown, then, if you would like a sweeter top layer, then add a dash of rosewater, and stir for a couple seconds.
While your sugar water is boiling and burning, whisk together your condensed milk, milk, and eggs until fluffy.
For this recipe you can either make it into one large flan, or individual cupcake like servings. Either way, take whichever pan you choose, then find a bigger and deeper pan. Fill the bigger pan with cold water then, take your sugar water and pour the sugar water to the bottom of the pans or cupcake pans, then pour the milk/egg mixture and lay it above the sugar water, then place that pan in the water bath. Then place in the oven at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Then take them out and let them cool of for at least an hour. Enjoy!
Whenever someone says Italy, the first thing anyone thinks about is pasta and pizza. You may be hesitant to make fresh pasta because you think it'll be too hard or time consuming. But if a beginner like me can make pasta from scratch so can you. Pasta dates as far back to Sicily in 1154, it's also a staple iteam in and Italian household and can be found anywhere you turn in Italy.
To make the pasta you're going to need:
3 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/8 of a teaspon of kosher salt
3 egg yolks
water
Start by putting your three cups of flour in a food processor with your salt and egg yolks and start pulsing it till all the egg yolks have been broken up.
While still pulsing slowly start pouring in your olive oil, once it's completely incorporated stop and open the lid from the processor and pick up a bit of dough. If you can form it into a ball and pinch it, and it retains it's shape, then you are done.
If not, then start pulsing again and begin adding water in 1 tablespoon intervals, while stopping every once and a while and pinching to see if it retains it's shape.
After your dough can retain its shape, take all of it out of the food processor and try to shape it into a ball, then wrap in plastic and put it in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
After you take the dough out of the fridge, take a board and flour it and your hands. Cut the dough into four equal parts. If you have a pasta maker, run your dough through the pasta maker till it's 1/8 or 1/16 of an inch thin, then run it through again to form noodles. However if you, like me, don't have a pasta maker, take your first 1/4 of dough and role it out to 1/8 or 1/16 of an inch of thickness. Then take a knife and begin to make thin lines and form noodles. Continue this for all 4 sections.
Cook your pasta like you would any other pasta, but since it is fresh it will only take about 7 minutes to cook.
To go along with your fresh pasta:
Fresh tomato sauce ingredients:
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 onion diced into tiny pieces
4 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tablespoon of dried thyme)
1/2 a carrot finely grated
2 cans or 28 ounces of canned peeled whole tomatoes
Salt
Start by putting your olive oil in a saucepan and let it simmer, then add onion and garlic until they turned brown. Add in the thyme and carrot and continue cooking. Add in the tomato and let it all come to a boil, but continue stirring often. After reaching the boiling point, lower the fire to simmering and put the cover on and let it cook for about 30 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Then pour pasta into a serving dish, lay the sauce on top, and enjoy!
During the period of time that I had a Japanese nanny, there would always be a kabocha squash sitting on our countertop. Being seven, I tried as hard as I could to avoid this thing, because it had an ugly green skin and brown looking "warts". However, true beauty is on the inside, and there is nothing to be afraid of when eating this funny looking vegetable. In fact, the inside flesh is very soft and very sweet. My nanny used to make this dish for our family on a weekly basis, and I always looked forward to devouring this saccharine winter squash.
Kabocha Nimono means simmered squash. Kabocha is an Asian variety of winter squash, also known as Japanese pumpkins. They have a strong sweetness to them, and a chestnut-like texture. Although green kabocha squash is more common, there are red types too. The red-skinned sweet chestnut kabocha is popular in Utsugi, Japan. It is a traditional seasonal vegetable of Japan. This red squash has a long history, at least back to the Edo period. They were prepared in villages in many ways, mostly stewed in Dashi, with light soy sauce and sugar, traditionally with a sesame sauce over them. This recipe uses green squash, because it is easier to find in the United States.
Kabocha Nimono is the kind of old family stand-by recipe that most Japanese moms can make with their eyes closed. You can leave the skin on if you'd like, I removed it for aesthetic purposes. Cooked this way, the skin with become soft. The goal is to get the squash soft and buttery, not waterlogged and overcooked. You should be able to find most of the ingredients in an Asian grocery store, but I've provided substitutions in the notes section.
Pictorial:
Start by using a sharp knife to cut off the skin of the squash. This step is optional. Then, scoop out the seeds of the squash.
Next, cut the kabocha into bite sized pieces. If you are under 15, I suggest you have a parent help you cut, as the squash can be quite hard.
Chop up garlic, and prepare spices.
Heat up a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet, and saute garlic until fragrant. Then add the squash, and coat evenly with oil.
Spoon in the dashi broth, and cover the pan with its lid. Let sit for about three minutes, or until squash is tender.
Season with sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Kabocha Nimono Recipe:
Ingredients:
- Half of a kabocha squash
- 4 tablespoons garlic
- 1/2 cup of dashi stock (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (opt.)
Method:
- Cut off the skin of the squash with a sharp knife and scoop the seeds out using a spoon or knife.
- Use the same knife to chop the squash into bite-sized pieces. Chop garlic into fine pieces. - Heat vegetable oil in a wide pan, and saute garlic until fragrant.
- Add the cut squash to the oil, and stir to make sure every piece is evenly coated.
- Add the dashi stock to the squash, and cover the pan with a lid. Let steam for about 3 minutes, or until tender.
- Once squash is tender, remove from heat and stir in sugar, salt, pepper, and soy sauce if desired.
- Serve warm.
Notes:
- You may subsitute chicken broth for dashi stock.
Being Chinese American, I am able to celebrate two New Years, the American one and Chinese one! Most of my family has the typical American New Year resolution, to go on a diet. This becomes tricky when the Chinese New Year comes around a few weeks later, and everyone is feasting on moon cakes and dumplings. This blog posts has two moon cake recipes for you to try. Luckily, my cousin's husband is a great chef, and was able to visit our family from Beijing last week. He showed me how to make moon cakes, and I saved the recipes so you could make them too.
Moon cakes are traditionally eaten during the Mid- Autumn Festival. This day is also known as the Moon Festival, because it is this time of the year that the moon is at its roundest and brightest. the date various from year to year, but it is usually in September-October. Depending on the region of China, moon cakes can have different fillings, although the most common is a salted egg yolk in dense, sweet paste. The salted egg yolk is supposed to look like a full moon in the sky.
There are many reasons why Chinese people eat mooncakes on this day. The legend of Chang'e says that there were once ten suns that had risen together to the heavens. This caused hardship to the people, because it was so hot and no crops could grow. A skilled archer named Yi, shot down nine suns, and left one to heat the world and help crops grow. As a reward, he was given the elixir of immortality. He did not consume it, because it was only enough for one person, and he wanted to be with his wife Chang'e. However, when Yi went hunting, Fengmeng broke into his house and tried to steal the elixir. Chang'e was in the house at this time, and refused to give the elixir to Fengmen. Instead, she drank it and flew upwards to the heavens, choosing the moon as a residence, so she could be near her beloved husband. When everyone found out what happened, they all felt so sad that they displayed the fruits and pastries that Chang'e liked, and gave sacrifices to her. Moon cakes used to be eaten as a way to remember Chang'e and her bravery. Today, it is customary for businessmen and families to present them to clients or relatives as presents.
In order to make these moon cakes, you will need a moon cake press. My cousin's husband gifted me two, which he bought on TaoBao, the Chinese equivalent to Amazon. Unfortunately they only ship in China, but I've found a listing on Amazon here. If you are interested, here is the TaoBao link. The seller was kind enough to include some free packages to store your moon cakes in. Please note that you will have to weigh all ingredients on a kitchen scale, this insures precise measurements. You will also need some ingredients that may seem unfamiliar to you, but can be easily found in an Asian grocery store. If you don't have some of the ingredients, feel free to improvise. You can even use premade filling or wrappers if you'd like. Let's get started!
Snowskin Moon Cake:
Ingredients:
For the dough-
45g glutinous rice flour
35g rice flour
20g wheat starch
40g castor sugar or plain sugar
185g milk
18g vegetable oil
1/2 cup cooked glutinous rice flour
For the filling-
Around 300g of lotus bean paste
Method:
- Mix
all the ingredients for the dough in a large bowl and then strain the
mixture. Steam it with medium high fire for around 30 minutes. Transfer
out and stir it using chop stickers or anything you prefer and then set
aside to cool down. Knead the dough until smooth (this step is quite
important, otherwise your moon cake might be stiff after refrigerated)
and then divide into 15 small portions, roll each to a small bowl and
then press into a round wrapper. (For coloring the wrappers, see notes)
-Wrap
the fillings in, roll to around bowl and then shape with moon cake
shaping tool. Pre-coat your tool and hand with cooked glutinous rice
flour or roll the wrapped ball in cooked glutinous rice flour before
shaping.
-Store
in air-tight container and refrigerate for several hours before
serving. The best serving time is the following day after assembling.
Lotus paste filling
Notes:
-Yes, all ingredients must be weighed. I used a standard kitchen scale to get precise measurements.
- If
you want to make colorful moon cakes, use gel food dye for best results. Alternatively, you can use matcha, cocoa powder, beet juice, etc. for a natural option.
- To
make the cooked glutinous rice flour for coating: in a fry pan, stir
fry raw glutinous rice flour on medium low heat until the flour turns
light yellow. Remove it from the heat. Set aside to cooling down.
- Coconut milk may be subsituted for regular milk for a vegan alternative.
- Lotus paste is considered the most luxurious mooncake filling. Due to the high price, sometimes white kidney bean paste is used as a filler, make sure you watch out for fake lotus paste.
- Keep the left cakes in
freezer up to 1 week; move out for 1 to 2 hours until softened before
serving. However it is highly recommended finish all of them in
following day (the best time to enjoy). The taste will change on the
third day.
Based on Elaine's recipe which can be viewed here.
Traditional Chinese Moon Cake:
Ingredients:
For the dough-
115g plain flour
25g vegetable oil
75g golden syrup (see notes)
1 tablespoon flour to coat mold
1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon egg white for egg wash
For the filling-
300g of red bean paste
14 salted egg yolks
Method:
-Combine golden syrup with vegetable oil and
alkaline water in a large mixing bowl. Shift flour in. Mix well. Knead
to a ball, wrap with film and reset for 1 hour in refrigerator. I use a
larger wrapper dough amount in the consideration of the loss of the
process.
-Prepare
the wrappers, soaked egg yolk and fillings. Divide the dough and red
bean paste into 14 portions. For the dough around 15g each one and for
the red bean paste 21g to 22g each one. A better way is to measure the
egg yolk and red bean paste together. We need 35g filling in total.
-Wrap the egg yolks with red bean paste
firstly. And then take one portion of the wrapper, press into a round
wrapper and then place the red bean ball in center. Push the wrapper
from bottom to top little by little until the whole ball is completely
wrapped. Or you can roll the wrapper into a larger one before
assembling. For more tips, see notes.
-When
the assembling process is done, coat the ball with a layer of flour.
Also coat your tool please. Place the ball on your board, then carefully
cover with the shaping tool, press the rod and gently remove the cake
from the tool.
-In a small bowl, whisked the egg yolk and combine with egg whites.
-Preheat
oven to 180C (356F). Spray a very thin layer of water on surface to
avoid cracking surface (especially you used larger amount of dusting
flour). Bake for 5 to 8 minutes and then transfer out and brush a thin
layer of egg brushing. Each time after dipping your brush into the egg
brushing, remove the extra liquid otherwise the egg liquid might spoil
the pattern on the surface.
-Continue bake for around 15 minutes until the moon cake becomes golden brown.
-Transfer
out and reset to cool down. Place in an airtight container with film
wrapped. Wait for around 1 or 2 days for the pasty to become soft.
Notes:
-Yes, all ingredients must be weighed. I used a standard kitchen scale to get precise measurements.
- Honey can be used as an alternative to golden syrup.
- When
pushing the outer wrappers, be carefully and slow down your process. Do
not break the wrapper. If you do, pinch any small holes together. The
time needed for assemble one moon cake should be around 1 minute even
you are quite skilled. Be patient during the process.
- These moon cakes can be keep in airtight container for 2~3 weeks.
Based on Elaine's recipe which can be viewed here.
Conclusion:
I hope you try out these recipes and enjoy the end results like I did! If you're curious as to what the moon cakes will taste like, here's a hilarious taste testing video by Buzzfeed.
Soupa Avgolemono, also know as, Egg Lemon Soup, is a traditional Greek soup. It's normal practice to have this soup before the beginning of your lunch or dinner. It's like the American version of chicken noodle soup. It started out as a thick sauce made by the Jewish, which later spread to Spain. After a while, it reached Greece, there, they took out the meat, usually lamb, and changed the juice into lemon juice, instead of the typical orange or pomegranate. They then made the sauce lighter and hotter and called it soup.
Making this soup is very easy, you'll need the following ingredients.
8 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of orzo (or rice is easier)
4 eggs (separated)
3 lemons
1. Pour your orzo and chicken broth into a put and let them come to a boil
2. While your orzo is becoming tender, whisk your egg whites and lemon juice together in a separate bowl.
3. Add in your egg whites and whisk.
4. Take 2 cups of stock and pour it into the egg yolks (stir rapidly so your eggs don't cook)
5. Take the soup of the stove and start whisking in your egg, lemon mixture.
6. Serve immediately with fresh group pepper!
My family loved this dish because it reminded us of our favorite Greek restaurant. This recipe only has a couple ingredients, and isn't very complicated, and it packs in loads of flavor and is lighter than your regular soups. By far one of my favorites!
