Merry Christmas Pancakes

Just want to say Merry Christmas to all the readers of Tasty Tales! We finally have a lovely white christmas this winter in Chicago :) 

We are also very excited this year because it's our baby boy's first christmas, also our first christmas as a FAMILY. Man, I really can't believe he's already so big now! 

That being said, our holiday plans became more limited. With the cold weather, we decided to stay home to spend a quiet and lazy Christmas. To add more festivity to the calmness, I made what I called "Christmas pancakes" for adults. This recipe uses a special pancake mix I bought from a local brunch place - M. Henry But any pancake mix will do. This recipe is definitely good for any lazy morning too!

Ingredients:

Egg 1

Pancake mix 1 cup

Canola oil/melted butter 2 tbsp

Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp 

Raisins 1/2 cup

Semi-sweet chocolate chips handful 

Contreau/rum 2 tbsp

Milk/soy milk 1/2 cup

Optional: spices (1/2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg)

Steps:

1. Beat eggs, pancake mix, oil/butter, vanilla extract, milk, liquor in a mixing bowl until slightly combined. Don't overmix
2. Add raisins, spices and chocolate chips into batter. Gently mix until it becomes a thick mixture
3. Preheat pan in medium heat, brush butter/oil. Pour 1/3 cup of batter into pan and make a nice circle shape. Wait for 1-2 minutes or until small holes formed on the surface, then flip the pancake. It should rise slightly as the side is browning. Repeat step 3 until all batter is used up
4. Dust pancakes with powdered sugar or serve with butter and maple syrup. Enjoy!

Tips:
*To make fluffy and thick pancakes,  the batter needs to have a thich texture. Not too thick that it doesn't spread nicely on the pan, but not too runny that it slides out quickly. Add more liquid if the batter is too thick.
*Do not tap your pancakes when they are rising, it will make it flat.

Where to start?

FOREWORD:
Being kicked in the a** about how I abandoned here and I feel totally guilty that my friend, who is a new mom, is publishing even more than myself. I am so guilty. My redemption is to keep blogging as much as I can. The fact is that I did not give up cooking or baking and I still have pretty much to share.

I feel a bit skeptical that when I watch American dramas, people have chicken noodle soup when they get sick. Or you get your friends some chicken noodle soup when they get sick. But here in Hong Kong, we Chinese think you can't have chicken when you get sick, especially if you get a cold. I am not going to go through the theory inside but just yesterday I felt sick and I caught a cold. Then chicken noodle soup is all over my head. I googled. WOW WAIT! Too complicated for a sick person to do all the chopping and peeling. And then it was time the pins you have on Pinterest come handy. I came across this recipe and it is pretty similar with the chicken noodle soup. But without all the chopping and it is a one-pot-to-the-end-so-you-have-less-washing-up kind of way to treat your cold or anything.

People call it Italian Wonderpot because you literally put EVERYTHING in the pot at the same time and just put on the stove. In no time, you have some nice pasta to comfort your half-deadly soul(it's still a very nice dish for everyday). I just cooked it my way and the ingredients can be replaced with anything you can think of and the quantity is rather casual. Try anything you like and sky is the limit!  Get your aprons on folks!

Italian Wonderpot
(Serves 2)

While it was cooking...

Ingredients:
Half an onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 can of chopped tomato
1 handful of chopped spinach
1 handful of mushrooms
Any pasta (portion for 2)
500ml chicken stock
Black pepper
Dried parsley flakes

1) In a large pot, put everything in and make sure the chicken stock slightly covers the pasta. If you don't want the spinach to be overcooked, leave it in this step and add it right before you turn off the heat.
2) Bring to boil and turn to medium heat, give it a nice stir occasionally.
3) You can see all the stock and juices are being absorbed by the pasta and usually it needs to be cooked for about 7-8 minutes with this portion.
4) Serve hot and enjoy.

*The starch in the pasta thickens the sauce and eventually makes a very nice sauce for the pasta.
*Personally I like to sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top. Oooh-lala!

Japanese Sweet Potate Chiffon Cake

Japanese sweet potato is one of my favorite winter snacks. There's countless possibilities with this sweet veggie, you can caramelize, bake, boil, mash, anything!
Today I tried to use sweet potato puree to add to my all time favorite cake recipe - chiffon cake.
The recipe calls for a 12 cm chiffon cake mold.

Ingredients:
Egg whites 180g (~6 large eggs)
sugar 90g
corn starch 10g

Egg yolks 70g (~4 large eggs)
water 80g
canola oil 70g
mashed sweet potato 100g
all purpose flour 90g
caramelized sweet potato (diced) 150g

decoration
whipping cream 200g
sugar 18g
contreau/rum 1 tbsp
caramelized sweet potato optional

Steps:

1. Preheat oven 320 F (160 C) 
2. Caramelized sweet potato: Cook sweet potato in 100g water, 40g sugar and 1 lemon zest until softened. Diced 150g and mashed the remaining for use. Add 1 tsp of rum to sweet potato if desire. 

1. Chill mixing bowl, whisk egg whites in low speed using electric mixer until bubble rises. Then mix in high speed. Add all sugar and whisk until soft peaks form. Add corn starch until peaks stiffen.
2. After stiff peaks are formed, slightly stir 3-4 times manually and test the consistency of the egg whites

1. Use a different mixing bowl, blend egg yolks, water, oil until smooth and thick. Add in smashed sweet potato, mix well.

1. Add all purpose flour, stir in the same direction until combined. Don't over mix.
2. Gently fold in diced sweet potato into the mixture. 
3. Put 1/3 of egg whites and mix into (5), gently stir and combine.
4. Then pour (6) into the remaining egg white mix, gently fold in the batter without breaking the bubbles from the egg whites.

1. Lightly pour batter into cake mold, gently tap the mold onto table to even out the surface. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown
2. Prepare cream by mixing whipping cream, liquor and sugar. 
3. After cake is ready, gently tap the mold on the table again, then flip mold upside down. Place the mold on table until completely cool. Remove the cake by cutting the cake along the edge, lift up the cake by supporting the detachable base. 

1. Cream the cake with cream and decorate with sweet potato as desired. Enjoy!

Tips:

1. The consistency of the egg whites is a major key to success. NEVER over mix or under mix. Make sure it stays in the bowl even you tilt it. That shows the whites are stiff enough to rise when baking
2. measure ingredients precisely to ensure the cake is not too moist or dense
3. Don't over heat the oven to speed up the process. If the cake is over-heated, it will sink down when it cools down
4. too much wet ingredients will also make the cake sinks 

Strawberry project #4: Strawberry jam/preserves

 

The finale of the project ends with a yummy preserve to use up all the remaining strawberries. This recipe does not require pectin. The original recipe yields 5 cups, but you can always adjust the portions depending on how many strawberries you have. Believe it or not, the final product tastes just like Smucker's!

Ingredients:
2 lbs strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 cups granulated sugar

Steps:

1. In a large bowl crushed strawberries into chunks or use a food processor. Leaves some bigger chunks if you wish to add some texture to the jam. 
2. In a saucepan add lemon juice and sugar into the strawberry puree, stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
3. Turn heat to high, stir constantly until mixture reaches over 220 F degrees (105 C degrees) or thickens. (usually takes 40-60 minutes)
4. Sterile jars in hot boiling water, wipe clean before pouring in the preserve. Transfer to jars leaving 1/4-1/2 inches headspace. Seal the jars and process in a water bath for 15 minutes.
   
5. Cool down the preserve before refrigerate. Or you can serve right away. 

 
Tips:
*Make sure the mixture is thick enough before you transfer to the sterile jars
*The fresh preserves will be a bit runny when it's still hot. The texture will slowly thickens as it cools down
*The longer you cook, the thicker it becomes. Adjust the thickness for your own preference

Strawberry Project #3: Daifuki/Mochi/いちご大福

Everytime I found these adorable mochi in a Japanese store, I am very tempted to try them but they are always very expensive. So with the large amount of strawberries from the picking, I decided to try making my own version of Ichigo Daifuku. I am not quite sure the reason for the high price, but making one definitely requires a lot of patience and a crafty hand. The layers of flavor is very delicate and fragrant. I am surprised how the tartness of the strawberries can perfectly compliments the sweetness of the red bean paste. Of course the mochi layer finshes off with a light chewy texture as if you are eating puff of clouds.

The original recipe yields 8 strawberry mochi but I roughly tripled the portions.Also, I divided the mochi batter into original and strawberry flavor as well.

Ingredients (original):

8 small strawberries
160g red bean paste
100g mochiko(glutinous rice flour)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
120ml water (I substitute with coconut milk water)
roasted mochiko flour for dusting ~ 1 cup, add more if needed

Strawberry puree ~1/2 cup 

 

1. Roast  the mochiko flour on a fry pan without oil until hot. Don't over-roast to a brown color. Prepare strawberry puree using about 1/2 pint of additional strawberries. Set aside to cool down to room temperature.
   
2. Mix glutinous rice flour and sugar together in a heatproof bowl. Add water or sweetened coconut milk and stir to dissolve. (*Be generous with the liquid portion because the mixture tends to get too dry. You should make sure the final texture will be similar to a smooth yogurt texture)
   
3. Divide the batter in half. Add strawberry puree in one half, leave the other half plain.
   
4. Cover the bowl with heatproof cling wrap or a heatproof plate/cover. Place in a steamer and steam over high heat for 15-25  minutes.
5. Rinse, dry, and hull the strawberries. Roll red bean paste into 20g balls. Flatten each ball into a small disc and wrap with one strawberry. Chill in fridge.
   
6. Stir cooked mochi thoroughly. Before rolling out the mochi, wear plastic gloves or pat your hands with roasted mochiko flour. Use a tablespoon to scrape a golf ball size of mochi, roll it and press it flat. Insert the red bean strawberry at the center, carefully fold the mochi around the strawberry and close the ends tightly. Loose ends will lead to leaking and cracks later on. Roll the mochi in a bowl of roasted mochiko flour.
   
7. Repeat the same with the rest of the mochi. (Note: Work briskly as the mochi will get less flexible as it cools.) Leave the daifuku at room temperature for an hour to set before serving. Daifuku tastes best on the day it is made. If there are any leftovers cover and store at room temperature. 

Strawberry Project #2: Marbled Shortcake

Project #2: I have longed to create a tart yet buttery loaf of cake. And strawberry is definitely a perfect ingredient. This strawberry bread gives a nice hint of cinnamon aroma amidst the sweet strawberry swirl. I wish I had added more puree to give more flavor to the cake.

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
1 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled, quartered, and mashed with a fork
1/2 cup sugar (for strawberries)
lemon juice (optional)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar 
2 large eggs
1/3 cup water (or  buttermilk) 

Steps:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F, butter a regular 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. In a small saucepan, cook the strawberries then add lemon juice and sugar. Stir constantly until sauce becomes thick. Set aside. 
2. Whisk together all the dry ingredients flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt, set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, and eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add dry mixture alternately with 1/3 cup water, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in reserved strawberries.
   
3. Scrape batter into the loaf pan. Bake 1 hour. Test by inserting toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool in a pan for 5 minutes before moving to the baking rack. Serve with fresh cream and strawberry compote for extra flavor. Enjoy! 
   

Tips:

1. Try not to overmix your final batter after you add the dry ingredients. Just mix until combined, otherwise the cake will come out dry 
2. Sprinkle raw sugar on the top before baking will add a sweet crust to the cake 
3. Add chunks of strawberries into the batter in addition to the sauce to add flavor
4. Be generous with the sauce, don't worry about making the cake too wet! Also, should consider reducing about 1/4 cup flour if you find the batter starting to get thick

Strawberry project #1: Puree Strawberry Iced Tea

It's been a long time since my last update. I have been busy mastering my motherhood the past month with our new baby boy. Man, it is not easy! But after he just passed a month, I finally got a hang of it (slightly). So I am finally back with my own routine :)

This recipe was dated back when I went to strawberry picking for the first time. I was at the end of my second trimester, picking strawberries with the heavy belly. But we managed to get over 10 lbs of strawberries from 4 bare hands! Look at those cute ruby gems!

strawberries is by far one of my most favorite fruits for desserts. So in order to make fully use of these brautiful gems, I came up with 4 baking projects. Hope you will like them!

Project #1: Iced Tea (servings for 4)

Ingredients:
Strawberries a handful (8-10 stemmed and cut)
lemon juice 1 tsp
honey 2 tbsp
1 pot of hot tea
2 tea bags (preferrably Darjeeling, Asaam or Earl Grey)

Steps:

1. Pureed the strawberries and add all the ingredients. Mix well
   
2. Set aside puree. Sip the tea bags in hot water in the tea pot for 10 minutes. Use a towel/cover to cover the teapot to ensure better quality
3. Add ice cubes till 1/2 cup full, add about 2 tbsp of puree
   
4. remove tea bags and set the tea cool for 1 minute
5. pour tea immediately into the cup. The ice should be able to ice the tea right away
   

Tips:

1. The tea should be double stronger than usual since the ice will slightly dilute the flavor
2. cook the puree into a compote for more concentrated flavor. Make sure to cool down to  room temperature before serving

Alenna's Baby Shower: Lemon Curd Filled Cupcakes

Alenna's baby shower is the first shower I have ever gone to (thanks for the invite!). Speaking of baby shower, cupcakes are one of the biggest highlights. This time I decided to make a filled cupcake for the party.

Ingredients

Cupcake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons (about 3 tablespoons), plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk


Recipe for Lemon Curd
Recipe for Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting (with lemon zest)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in zest and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk and lemon juice, and beating until just combined after each.
   
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
   
5. To finish, scoop a hole in the middle of each cupcake, spoon or pipe about 1 tablespoon lemon curd into the hole. As an option, you can keep the top part of the cut-out cake and cover the filling.
   
6. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open-star tip (Ateco #828 or Wilton #8B) with frosting. Pipe frosting onto each cupcake, swirling tip slightly and releasing as you pull up to form a peak. Hold a small kitchen torch 3 to 4 inches from surface of frosting, and wave it back and forth until frosting is lightly browned all over. Serve immediately.

The perfect filet mignon

Yes, I think I have only made steak for a handful of times in my life. I always feel like it's tricky to cook meat than vegetables. But this recipe proves me wrong! A perfect steak can just be quick and easy. 

It's actually a very random coincidence, as I strolled along my favorite French Market and stumbled upon two pieces of aged angus filet mignon. They were $8 each!! It's too hard to miss this chance to try on a steak recipe. 

So I bought these beauties home and found this recipe to hone my cooking skills. I always believe freshness of ingredients is key to success, this is definitely true when it comes to steak.

Ingredients:
Filet Mignon fillet (2)
pinch of sea salt and pepper for seasoning

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F 
2. Allow the meat sit in room temperature. Generously season the steak with sea salt and pepper on both sides, gently press/massage the seasoning into the meat. Sit the meat for about 15 minutes
   
3. Heat the pan in high and add oil/butter. Once the pan is hot enough, sear your mignon on the side for 3-4 minutes, depending on thickness. 
4. Turn the steak over and allow to sear for another 3-4 minutes
5. For the last minute, melt butter and add your favorite herb (rosemary/thyme goes very well)
6. Baste the steak with the herb butter 
7. If you like the steak very rare, you can take it off now and skip the steps below
8. For more well done steaks, slide them into the oven. Every 1-2 minute moves up the scale of doneness so time your cooking precisely. (I did 2 minutes for medium rare and 3 minutes for medium well)
   
9. Remove from oven, and put it on a plate cover a foil for 5 minutes before serving. This helps the steak to rest and the juice to settle
10. Prepare your side dishes/pasta and pour the jus on top of the filet. Enjoy!
    

Tips:
*  Use the feel technique to test the welldoness of the steak. NEVER cut the steal to test. The steak is continue cooking even off the oven and cutting open a steak will get it more cooked and less juicy
* Never let your steak sit in the over for more than 7-8 minutes

Lemon Curd Recipe

This basic recipe is based on  Joy of Baking and it had been a very useful jam for many uses.
Lemon curd is fantastic for scones, cupcakes, spread on toast, cake filling, fruits, you name it!

I doubled the recipe to make sure I have enough for my lemon cupcakes. But here's the original one yields 1 1/2 cup (can last for about 2-3 weeks if refridgerated):

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (do not use the bottled lemon juice)
4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon (4 grams) finely shredded lemon zest (freshly ground at room temperature)

      

1. Whisk together eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Place mixing bowl over a saucepan of shimmering water (low heat)
   
2. Cook and stir mixture to prevent it from curdling. Cook until mixture is thick and creamy (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C)
3. Use your finger and scrape the spatula to test. The mixture should not be runny and stays on the surface
   
4. Remove from heat and pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps
5. Add butter and lemon zest. Whisk into the mixture until blended
6. Cover the container immediately so a skin doesn't for. Fridge for at least 1-2 hours or until it becomes more firm. Enjoy!