May 2, 2015 by Bonnie Eng

Dim Sum Recipe # 13: Coconut Milk Pudding

For me, springtime officially marks the season when my love for green tea reawakens to full force. There’s something about the sprouting of fresh vegetation that makes me crave a clean and grassy cup, nature’s purest offering.
I think of gelatin based desserts the same way I think about green tea. They’re light, refreshing, and best of all…simple to put together. Coconut Milk Pudding is a favorite in my family. You’re most likely to spot it as it goes rolling by on windowed dim sum carts where it looks like an unassuming wobbly square of white jello, cut into huge cubes.I love to enjoy Coconut Milk Pudding with Chinese green teas like Tai Ping Hou Kui Tea, an impressive, large leaf green tea (sometimes 4-5″ in length!) that’s mildly sweet and smooth. Tai Ping Hou Kui is low in caffeine and some liken its taste to sugarcane. Another complementary pairing to this pudding is hand-rolled Jasmine Pearl Tea. This tea gets its intoxicating scent from blending with jasmine flowers overnight. Its intensely aromatic quality highlights the tropical flavors in this light, creamy dessert.

Coconut Milk Pudding

Makes 4 small bowls of pudding.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp powdered gelatin

1 cup water or coconut water

1 can coconut milk

1 cup half & half

2/3 cup sugar

non-stick spray (if planning to unmold the pudding later)

Equipment:

medium pot

small bowl

cups, molds, or containers

Directions:

1.) In a small bowl, bloom the gelatin with the water.

2.) In a medium pot over low heat, stir together the coconut milk, half & half, and sugar until the mixture comes just under a boil and the sugar dissolves completely. Turn off the heat, then add in the bloomed gelatin, mixing to make sure the gelatin dissolves completely.

3.) Spoon the coconut mixture into cups, molds, or containers. Chill the pudding in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving. If you plan on unmolding the puddings later, grease the cups, molds, or containers with non-stick spray before spooning the hot coconut mixture in. After chilling, immerse the bottom of the cups, molds, or containers under warm water before unmolding.

April 1, 2015 by Bonnie Eng

Azuki Bunny Buns

Soft, fluffy, sweet, and classically Asian. There’s no other way to describe red bean buns. Where Americans have chocolate chip cookies, the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans have their red bean buns. Whether it’s someone’s birthday or time for an afternoon snack, in Asian food culture red bean buns are always a welcome treat.

Maybe it’s the American in me, but I don’t find red bean buns nearly as appealing as chocolate chip cookies. After all, they’re made with–of all things–beans! Everything changed this past week when I did some tweaking on my recipe for savory steamed buns. Inspired by spring, I sought out to make an Easter bunny-themed variation, with the perfect mild sweetness and tender texture. The results are some seriously yummy buns that can easily steal the spotlight from those chocolate chip cookies.

Azuki buns are so popular that you’ll often find them ready-made in the freezer or fridge section in Asian markets. The tell-tale sign of a mediocre (or bad) azuki bun is that it’s chokingly dry and dense. And a good one? Tender and slightly chewy with just the right amount of filling.
I based this recipe on the dough used for my Steamed BBQ Pork Buns and Chinese Fold-Over Buns, with a few changes. Instead of using Hong Kong flour, which is harder to find, I use regular all-purpose flour here. I also swap out the powdered sugar for superfine sugar, which creates a chewier, slightly heavier dough that steams up with a perfectly thin skin and smooth surface.

Decorated with a pair of bunny ears and a nubby nose made from soft candies, the humble buns are instantly transformed into wagashi-like Easter treats. You can also just scatter some sesame seeds in the center of each rounded bun before steaming. The buns will look elegant and easy, ideal for no-nonsense adults who aren’t in to adorably chubby bunnies. Enjoy these with Japanese green teas like a pale jade gyokuo, a toasty genmaicha, or a delicate sencha like Palais des Thés Tawaramine Shincha. Any tea that’s light, grassy, and fresh on the palette is ideal with the classic Asian flavor and look of these buns. Some may say that these Azuki Bunny Buns are too cute to eat, but as you can see I clearly don’t agree!Azuki Bunny Buns

Makes 10 buns.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup superfine sugar

1 tsp SAF instant yeast

1 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp non-fat dry milk powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil

6 Tbsp lukewarm water + 1-2 tsp water more (if needed)

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp sweetened smooth red bean paste (koshian)

black sesame seeds, for bunny eyes

soft, pink chewy candies, for bunny ears and noses (I used Hi-Chews)

non-stick spray or oil, for coating proofing bowl

Equipment:

stand mixer with dough hook attachment

large bowl

plastic wrap

work surface

chef’s knife

Tbsp measure

large bamboo steamer

wok with slightly larger diameter than steamer OR a stockpot with exactly the same diameter as the steamer

parchment paper, cut into 2 1/2″ squares

small cupcake liners (optional)

Japanese bento grass (optional)

Directions:

1.) Place all dry dough ingredients into the bowl of a large stand mixer. Start the mixer on low, then gradually add the water and oil. About 3 minutes in, the shaggy dough should come together to form a ball. If it does not, add 1-2 tsp of water until the dough comes together. Let the dough continue to mix on low for 10 minutes, until you get a soft and supple ball of dough.

2.) Lightly spray a large bowl with non-stick spray, coating the top surface of the dough with some of the same oil. Place the dough ball in the large bowl, then cover it with plastic wrap and place it in a draft free place to rise until almost doubled in volume.

3.) After the first rise, take the dough out onto a work surface. Give the dough a few light kneadings, then portion it out into 10 equal pieces using a chef’s knife. Shape each dough piece into a ball, then flatten each ball into a disk about 3 1/2″ in diameter and fill it with 1 Tbsp of red bean paste. Gather the edges of the flattened dough disk, pinching them together to seal. Flip the filled dough ball over, then roll it into a slightly oval circle. Place this shaped bun on a small square of parchment paper.

4.) Attach the eyes of the bunnies with the slightly wetted tip of a toothpick. Place the bun into the bamboo steamer. Shape a total of 10 buns, placing them at least 1″ apart in the steamer. Cover the steamer and let the buns rise for about 15 minutes, until just slightly puffy. Meanwhile, boil some water in a wok or stockpot so that the water is at least 2″ deep in the pot. 5.) Steam the buns for 12 minutes over water at a full boil. After the buns have finished steaming, let them cool before decorating them with soft, pink candies (I used Strawberry Hi-Chews, but you could use any soft pink candy). Cut a candy crosswise, in 1/4″ thick pieces. Shape the pieces (see below) into elongated bunny ears. Use the center pink part of the candies to make tiny balls to make the bunny noses. Attach the candies to the surface of the cooled, steamed buns using light dabs of water. Decorate these buns just before serving as the attached candies get soft and sticky after being adhered to the buns. Place the buns on cupcake liners decorated with bento grass for a festive Easter finish.

April 19, 2014 by Bonnie Eng

Easter Bunny Stroopwafels

Who says chocolate bunnies are only for kids?

Let’s be honest, Easter isn’t Easter without a large chocolate bunny being involved. These Easter Bunny Stroopwafels are the more enchanted version of those grand hollow Easter bunnies that children enjoy, with a measure of portion control thrown in. What’s also great about these is that they make good use out of the unique and incredibly delicious Dutch stroopwafel!

Several months back I posted a recipe on tea bark, where fragrant green teas were scattered over thin layers of glossy dark chocolate. For these Easter Bunny Stroopwafels, I used matcha infused white chocolate to set the stage for some grass-like imagery. The matcha tea also helps to give the cookies an extra boost in green tea flavor.

When choosing which tea blend to use here, you want a green tea laced with lots of flowers and dried fruits. Even just plain herbals like lavender and ripped rose buds work well. Above all, you want to use a tea that is pleasantly fragrant and edible.

Teavana’s Sakura Allure is an ideal tea to use for these Easter Bunny Stroopwafels. Aesthetically, this is a very beautiful, feminine looking tea, which is exactly why I chose it to use! This blend is inspired by the cherry blossoms that bloom in Japan every spring.

Tasting Notes:

BREWING TIPS: 2 minutes at 175 degrees F.

THE LEAF: Long, narrow, dark green tea leaves with chunks of dried cherries, dried mango, candied pineapple, orange peels, hibiscus, rose leaves, and rose buds thrown in.

THE SCENT: A very strong cherry and floral scent. I left some in my hot car after my run to Teavana, and the car smelled incredibly fruity by the time I returned!

THE STEEP: This blend looks and tastes very much like fruit punch. Since there are many fruits and herbal flowers added in, the caffeine content is lower, so this blend is good for kids or those who are caffeine-sensitive.

*** The thing you need to remember if you use Sakura Allure for this little project is that the dried cherries in the tea are not pitted. Pit and cut the large dried cherries into little tiny bits before using them to make the tea bark. The cherries are easy to spot in the blend–they are large, sticky, speckled black clumps.

Easter Bunny Stroopwafels make an easy and elegant after-brunch dessert. Enjoy them with a hot, fruity cup of brewed Sakura Allure so that your guests can try the tea in two ways–dried and brewed! These Easter-themed stroopwafels help to capture a lovely image of the season, reminding us that spring is a time for fresh starts and new beginnings.

And with that, I would like to wish all my blog readers out there a very Happy Easter!!

Easter Bunny Stroopwafels

Makes 6 decorated stroopwafels.

Ingredients:

6 stroopwafels

6 small chocolate bunnies (I used Lindt)

6 small pastel-colored chocolate Easter eggs (I used Cadbury Minis)

1/4 cup white chocolate or candy melts

1 tsp matcha green tea powder

2 Tbsp of a floral, fruity, and fragrant loose-leaf green tea (I used Teavana’s Sakura Allure), plus more for brewing

Equipment:

teacups, with diameter same or less than stroopwafels

baker’s twine or thin decorative ribbon, cut into 8″ pieces

scissors

Instructions:

1.) Melt the white chocolate or candy melts in the microwave or over a double boiler. Add in the matcha and mix until the chocolate is an even green color.

2.) Place 2-3 tsp of the green tea melted chocolate in the top middle of each stroopwafel. Smooth over the chocolate evenly so that you leave a 1/4″ border all around the top circumference of the stroopwafel.

3.) Lightly scatter the green tea blend atop the setting green tea chocolate.

4.) Place an unwrapped chocolate bunny in the center of the stroopwafel, and an egg beside the bunny. Allow a few minutes for the chocolate to set.

5.) Using baker’s twine or thin string, tie a bow around the neck of each chocolate bunny. Snip off excess ribbon. When it’s time to serve, place the stroopwafels atop a teacup filled with the same Sakura Allure you used to make the bark. Enjoy!

March 30, 2014 by Bonnie Eng

Springtime Carrot Cutlery

It was during the Royal Wedding a few years ago that I found about Party Pieces. For those of you who don’t know, Party Pieces is a party supply company in the UK, similar to Party City here in the US, except a bit fancier. What’s more surprising is that it’s owned by Kate Middleton’s parents.

Today’s quick and easy Springtime Carrot Cutlery post is inspired by a glimpse of a photo that I caught on the Party Pieces site. Nothing too fancy, just a fun little idea for celebrating your upcoming Easter brunch or afternoon tea!

One of the reasons I love afternoon tea is because it isn’t just about the food– it’s about the presentation and feeling of a meal that you are about to share with others. These cutlery carrots are bright and festive, and help to set the stage for a fresh and bountiful springtime meal.

These utensil sets are very easy to make, and made even more special if you present them in the spirit of springtime harvesting. You might want to set them atop some multi-colored beans or split peas or even stick them into the beans vertically so that your guests can pluck them out of a garden planter as they start down the Easter buffet.

For a personal place setting, you can also sink the tip of each carrot into a small terra-cotta clay planting pot. Use your index finger to guide the tip of the carrot into the dried beans. This will help to firmly plant the cutlery so that it stands upright securely.

Serve up your most delicious Easter meal with these Springtime Carrot Cutlery. They are sure to make any Easter brunch table that much more cheerful and welcoming!

Springtime Carrot Cutlery

What You’ll Need:

large orange napkins

green plastic spoons, forks, and knives

jute twine or decorative ribbon, cut into 12″ pieces

scissors

Step-By-Step:

1.) Stack a full set of cutlery with the fork at the top, then the spoon, and finally the knife on the bottom. Place the stack parallel to the horizontal center line of the napkin, about 1″ below the horizontal center line. The open side of the napkin should face left.

2.) Tuck the bottom tip of the napkin over the cutlery stack.

3.) Roll the stack over (upwards) along with the napkin, making sure the tip of the carrot (the right side of the napkin) rolls up tight and snug. Roll the left side of the napkin (with the cutlery showing) looser than the right side.