新年零食#6 【巧克力杏仁瓦片】Chocolate Almond Tuile

這跟杏仁瓦片很相似，但這一次不是隨意的一大塊，而是在焗之前，已經分好一塊塊的巧克力餅。功序多了，但看起來也更公整，送人更好看。

【巧克力杏仁瓦片】Chocolate Almond Tuile

Ingredients: (yields 20pc)

2 egg white

30g white sugar (original recipe calls for 60g)

30g sieved cake flour
10g cocoa

30g melted butter/ oil

80-100g almond flake (depend on liking)

Procedures:

1. Mix white with sugar, then the fat and the dry ingredients. Lastly stir in the almond flakes.

2. Spoon the batter onto baking sheet and flatten it out with the back of a spoon.
These will only expand slightly so more can be placed on each tray.

3. Bake 150C 12min (For it to brown) and then at 120C for 12-15min (until the whole piece has dried out)

新年願望【年糕】Nian gao

明知道願望不可能實現，還是忍不住去期盼......

年糕的意思是步步高升，快高長大的寓意。我明明這麼喜歡吃甜甜的年糕，卻偏偏長不高。在那飲恨的160上停留著......

這是我第一次自己做年糕。雖然一直喜歡吃，但一直以來都總會有不少人送年糕給我們家。吃也吃不完，我當然也不會做。但今年新年來得早，好像大家也還未準備好的樣子，也沒什麼人送年糕過來。終於，我有機會動手自己做啦!
喜歡吃年糕，卻又怕甜。只喜歡純年糕，甚麼姜味，椰漿，紅棗我統統都討厭。對於自己的挑食，只好乖乖的自己做，這樣才一定對口味 ^^

對了，是不是應該叫【古早味年糕】雖然好像是同樣的東西，但聽起來好像pro 一點。哎，算了，好吃就行啦!

【年糕】Nian gao

蘿蔔糕是老媽做的，我可不會邀功

Ingredients: (5inch round tin)

200g glutinous rice powder

35g cornstarch

150g brown slab sugar

250ml water

20g oil

Procedures:

1. Melt the brown sugar into the water in a saucepan under low heat.

2. Wait until the liquid cools down completely before adding in the flour.

3. Add in the oil and then pour into aluminium tin greased with extra oil.

4. Steam under boiling water for 1 hr.

5. Serve but slicing out pieces and pan frying it either whole or fry after dipping it into some egg mixture.

PS. For those who have never tried one before, the texture is like a chewy and soft fudge. After pan frying it, it is crispy on the outside and chewy in the centre. Be sure to try it.

新年零食#5 【維也納曲奇】Vienna Sables

第一次做這款曲奇，本來以為跟唧花曲奇差不多，怎料會硬身這麼多。在唧花的時候，硬生生的把3個唧花袋弄破了。下一次弄這款曲奇，一定要小心。

對比唧花曲奇，這兩款曲奇也挺像的，差別在於有沒有用蛋，而且吃出來的口感，這款較脆和硬，另外一款較鬆。

【維也納曲奇】Vienna Sables

Ingredients (yield 30 pc)

130g room-temp butter

50g icing sugar

1 egg white

135g (140g) cake flour

15g (10g) cocoa powder/ matcha powder/ one pack of tea leaves

pinch of salt

*Base on personal taste, I think 15g cocoa powder is too strong for me.

Procedures:

1. Whisk the butter with sugar until light and pale in color.

2. Add in the white and continue to whisk.

3. Add in sieved flour

4. Add in flavoring of your choice. (Either cocoa, green tea or faint tea leaves flavor)

5. Put into piping bag and squeeze out pattern that you like onto baking sheet.

6. Bake at 180C for 15-20min base on your cookie size.

新年零食#4【杏仁焦糖餅】Caramel Almond Biscuits

勤勞的一天又開始，年二十九，離期限又少了一天。
今天特意早起，為了早一點動工。目標是要做好兩道曲奇，還有年糕!
( 今天還要研究年三十還有開年飯的菜單，在不囤積居奇，辦年貨，就菜可煮啦orz)
雖然很忙很忙，但同時間也是忙得快樂，忙著快樂。

【杏仁焦糖餅】Caramel Almond Biscuits

Ingredients (yield 20square pcs)

Base:

125g butter

25g icing sugar

1 egg

225g cake flour

Topping:

55g brown sugar

50g honey/ golden syrup

10g water

125g almond flakes

Procedures:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the base like the way you make short-crust pastry.

2. Press the base into a rectangular tin lined with baking sheet.

3. Bake at 180C for 10-15min

4. While the base is baking, make the caramel. Add all the ingredients for the topping except almond flakes into a saucepan.

5. Heat the sugar syrup until the sugar reaches 130C-140C

6. Pour in the almond flakes and stir.

7. By this time the base should be cooked and pour the topping onto the top of the base. Even it out.

8. Bake at 180C for 25 min with upper fire such that the top crisps up.

9. For a crunchy base, move the tin to a lower rack and turn the oven to down fire. Continue to bake for 10 min.

10. Only remove the biscuit from the tin when it has cooled. (Ouch! Bubbling caramel hurts)

11. Cut and serve.

新年零食#3【杏仁芝麻蕾絲曲奇】Sesame & Almond Lace cookie

在廚房裡站了一個早上，來來回回不知道走了多少遍。幸而，努力沒有白費，總算把其中三款曲奇KO了。廢話不多說，直接上曲奇食譜。這個食譜還有很多不足之處，還需要多加改。就目前而言，油味太重，也許應該用牛油不用菜油，味道會更好。

【杏仁芝麻蕾絲曲奇】Sesame & Almond Lace cookie

Ingredients: (yields 36pc)

75g oil/ melted butter

55g cake flour

30g sugar

2 tbsp honey

40g crushed almond flakes

10g black sesame

Procedures:

1. Combine the wet ingredients and then the dry ingredients.

2. Layer them onto a baking sheet and spread them out. 

3. Bake at 180C for 5-7min (until the batter dries out) and let them cool on the tray before taking out.

*Mine turn out to be too thin and had a hard time taking them out of the baking sheet without them crumbling. Perhaps the batter can be further split into more pieces and each of smaller size making them easier to handle with.

新年零食#2 【芝麻脆餅】Sesame biscuits

臨近新年還真是特別的忙，尤其是過兩天年三十，又要想有甚麼新菜式讓大家眼前一亮，開開心心送舊迎新。然後年初一街市又不開門，要為初二親戚到來有所準備，繁忙的程度跟剛過去的聖誕節不惶多讓。再者，新年團拜，到處走訪，少不了送禮這項重要的事情。

想到明年新年也許到海外留學，不能一起過年，不禁希望能多出一份力，把來年的祝福，都一次過送給大家。

接下來幾天都要準備曲奇，並弄成雜錦曲奇禮包。目前為止，選定了一下作為禮包的成員；

杏仁瓦片，芝麻脆餅，維也納曲奇，唧花曲奇，杏仁焦糖餅，巧克力杏仁瓦片，還有

杏仁芝麻蕾絲曲奇。(希望趕得及完成)

【芝麻脆餅】Sesame biscuits

Ingredients: (yields 40pc)
200g cake flour
60g granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
10g water (or milk)
40g oil
pinch of salt
20g black and white sesame

Procedures:
1. Whisk the wet ingredients together.
2, Add in the dry ingredients. (except the sesame)
3. Use a spoon to get out small pieces of dough (the size of your thumb nail)
4. Mold them until round and roll them in the sesame.
5. Compress the ball with a flat surface (try not to do it with your hands)
6. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

7. Bake at 170C for 13 min. (second highest rack)

*The reason not to use your palm is to ensure that the thickness of the cookie can be uniform. My first patch was made using my palm and ended up having half thicker than the other. A bread scrapper (the flat and plastic type) is ideal in this case.

新年零食#1 【芋蝦】Taro balls

新年除了準備年糕，曲奇，也少不了傳統的炸物。這一年，準備了充足的油，準備來大紅大紫，炸一炸!

街外賣的實在是太貴了，再看到近日的阿爺廚房有教，立刻有樣學樣，動起手來。

 【芋蝦】Taro balls

Ingredients:

1 Taro shredded

Red Fermented Beancurd (南乳醬)

Sugar

Cornstarch

Procedures:

1. Season the taro shreds and let them marinate for at least 30min

2. Form the shreds into balls and heat the oil to 180C

3. Deep fry the balls until golden.

4. After removing the balls from the oil, re-fry them and fry until cooked.

(When no bubbles are coming out from the ball, it is cooked)

*Remember to use gloves when handling with taro to avoid getting itchy.

另外也做了茶泡 (炸慈菇片) 和炸番薯片，雖然不太健康，但一年一次，也不太過分吧。

美X香翻版 【豬肉乾】Pork jerky

一直很喜歡某牌子的豬肉乾，奈何價錢越來越貴，而且吃起來感覺很肥。
為了滿足嘴饞卻有怕肥的自己，只好自己動手做!

利申: 自己做其實也不失健康多少，只是可以對成分有所了解，吃得更放心。

【豬肉乾】Pork jerky

Ingredients: (yields two large pieces)

500g minced meat

Cha Siu Sauce (Can substitute with BBQ sauce)

White sesame

Marinate:

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp rice wine/ Chinese Shaoqing wine

2 tbsp light soy

100g sugar

1.5 tsp five spice powder

Procedures:

1. Marinate minced meat and use a chopstick to stir the mixture until it becomes gluey.

Marinate for at least 2 hrs. Best overnight.

2. Divide the mixture onto two pieces of non-stick baking sheet.

3. Place a piece of plastic wrap or baking sheet on top of the mixture.

4. With a rolling pin, compress and roll out the mince meat until 2-3mm thick. Brush the meat with some honey.

5. Remove top baking sheet and bake at 180C for 25min. (Second layer in the oven)

6. Brush the char siu sauce and sprinkle white sesame. Allow it to cook for 5 more min.

7. Flip the pork piece over and repeat above procedure.

8. Remove the pork piece from the pan, trim off the burnt pieces and cut into serving sizes.

The piece of pork right out of the oven

漫長的備戰 【番薯甜甜圈】Sweet Potato doughnut

中學生涯的最後，將會迎來目前為止最大的考試。二月學校的mock，到四月的全港考試，一月開始便是中六生們的假期。整天在家裡，做了一份又一份的練習，很快便挨不住，要找別的東西做。整整一個下午的空閒，最好的方法大概就是做麵包。看著家裡放滿了番薯，立刻想到一直想試的食譜。

【番薯甜甜圈】Sweet Potato doughnut

Ingredients; (6pcs)

200g bread flour

15g milk powder

30g sugar

80g mashed sweet potato

a pinch of salt

5g instant dry yeast

45g water

1 egg

20g butter

Procedures:

1. Throw in all the ingredients (except butter) and turn on the mixer.

2. Once all combined add in butter and let the mixer knead until smooth dough forms.

3. Allow the dough to prove until 1.5 times in size. (As its winter, it took me 1 hr)

4. Roll our the dough until 1.5 cm thick. Use a doughnut cutter to cut out 6 pcs. (55g each)

5 Allow them to rest for 20min

6. Place in oil and deep fry until golden and floating.

7. Dip the doughnut in sugar or on melted chocolate to serve.

早餐滋味 【巧克力鬆餅】Chocolate Chip muffin

正當苦惱著明天的早餐，腦海裡閃過一道鬆餅的食譜，簡單便利，立刻動手起來。

明天早上，一家人都可以吃到美味的早餐。\(^^)/

【巧克力鬆餅】Chocolate Chip muffin

Ingredients: (yields 13 small pieces)

250g Self-raising flour (240g plain flour+10g baking powder, pinch salt)

20g cocoa powder

30g chocolate chips (extra for topping)

80g sugar (half white half brown)

250ml mlik

90ml oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp espresso (2tsp instant coffee mix with hot water)

Procedures:

1. Beat the egg till its fluffy.

2. Add in the rest of the wet ingredients+ chocolate chips.

3. Sieve the flour and cocoa. Fold into the batter.

4. Scoop into muffin tin and sprinkle over extra chocolate chips.

5. Bake at 200C for 20min (middle rack)

2016 最後晚餐

22016 最後一頓飯，有客人來，簡簡單單的一個晚餐，也為2016畫上了完美的句號。
有時候，簡單也是一種幸福。

30/12 Menu
Foie gras with apple, baguette and vinegar sauce
Steak
Porchetta (Rolled pork tenderloin with herbs)
Sides: Baby asparagus, cherry tomato braised in vinegar, saute mushroom
Mushroom risotto
Bake Cheese tart