Melt in your mouth Pandan German Cookies

I like everything pandan, be it pandan chiffon cake, pandan kaya, pandan kueh etc. Saw a few recipes on German cookies and want to feel the melt in your mouth sensation. Yet, I want to try adding pandan flavor to it. So I decide to modify this recipe to fit in the pandan.

Recipe Adapted from Happy home baking

Ingredients:
120g margarine (room temperature)
40g icing sugar (sifted)
1/2 tsp pandan paste
125g potato starch
80g top flour

Method:
1. Beat margarine and icing sugar till soft and fluffy.
2. Add in pandan paste and mixed well.
3. Sift in potato starch and top flour. Use spatula to mix well and form soft dough.
4. Roll dough into balls. Arrange on Lined baking pan and press lightly with a fork. (dip fork in water after each time to prevent dough From sticking To the fork)
5. Bake in preheated oven at 170 deg C For 15 min. (with my small oven I need to bake for 25 min)

Verdict: all my colleagues liked it! Not too sweet and it really has the melt in your mouth power. With the pandan flavor, it actually reminds me of pandan kueh bangkit! Maybe I can bake this cookies before CNY , and tell people it is kueh bangkit! ;p

Cranberry Mojito

I don't drink alcohol so I always ask for mocktail and any drink in virgin version. That day, I received a bottle of Ocean Spray Cranberry Cocktail juice and thinking how to spice it up. So happen that I saw a box of fresh mint leave in the supermarket and decide to buy back and make virgin cranberry mojito.

Method: 1 glass of cranberry juice, half glass of mint leave(wash and break into pieces), a hint of lime juice and add some ice! Voila! A glass of refreshing drink is ready to serve.

P.S. Cranberry is rich in vit C and it helps to prevent cancer.

Hakka Suan Pan Zi 算盘子

My mom is a Hakka. Recently she said that she missed eating算盘子, and shared with me her recipe. After that week, I decided to be a good girl and cooked for her.
She said that I must put yellow tau gua, black fungus and dried shrimps to bring back the traditional taste that she remembered. So I tried to search for a recipe that is similar and has those ingredients.
I adopted recipe from 新食谱 and modified from there:

Ingredients:
1 cup sweet potato flour
Half of yam
10g Dried shrimps (soak in hot water for 15 min)
2 pc of black fungus (soak in hot water for 15 min)
1 pc of yellow tau Gua (slice)
1 tsp of salt
1 tbs of oyster sauce
1 tsp of xo sauce
Abit of pepper,dark soy sauce.

Method:
1. Steam yam till soft and cooked. Mash while hot.
2. Add sweet potato flour and salt and use hand to form dough.
3. Roll into flat ball. Boil in hot water. Set aside.
4. Fried tau gua sliced till golden. Set aside.
5. Fried xo sauce till fragrant, then add dried shrimps and fried till fragrant.
6. Add black fungus and tau gua and continue frying. Add some water and bring to boil.
7. Add yam ball and stir well.
8. Add seasoning: oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and pepper. Add some water and mixed well.
9. When boil , it's ready to serve.

Verdict: my mom likes it! Yam ball is full of yam bites and flavor, with the right flavor of sauce and ingredients, it was very addictive and filling.

I have contributed this post to Aspiring Baker #12: Traditional kueh (October 2011) hosted by SSB of Small small baker.

Lemongrass Drink

I fell in love with this drink while waiting for our spa treatment in Bali few years ago.. It really soothed and calmed me on a hot weather.
After that, When I go to any Thai restaurant, I will order one if it shows on the menu. There was once I ordered this drink and it was served together with syrup. I didn't really like it this way as it didn't have the brew till just right and 入味 feeling.

Recently, I went to supermarket and to my delight, I saw a box of fresh lemongrass that costEd only $1, I bought without hesitation. I want to make my own lemongrass drink.

Method:
I put 3 stalks of fresh lemongrass in 4 cups of water and bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer for 1 hour. Add 50g(or more)of rock sugar and continue to simmer for 1/2 hour. Serve hot or cold.

Although this is my first attempt but it turnEd out to be what I really want! The taste was just right! It not only make me happy and also give me comfort ;)

Peanut Cookies

I always like to eat peanut cookies during CNY. And I always looking for one that's not too sweet nor hard. So since CNY is approaching, I decided to make my own. I'm a sucker for very easy and simple recipe. After searching for many recipes, I decided upon this one. I substitute plain flour with self raising flour so I omit baking powder and salt. And I choose peanut powder with no sugar added. Wella! My 1st attempt is a success! It turned out really nice and meet my requirement--melt in my mouth and not too sweet :)

(Recipe adopted from Cuisine Paradise)

Ingredient: (36-40 balls, depends on the size)
100g self raising flour
100g peanut powder
50g icing sugar
70-80g veg oil

Egg white as egg wash

Method:
1. Mix sieved self raising flour, icing sugar and peanut powder in a mixing bowl.
2. Add oil abit at a time, knead with hand, till dough bind together.
3. Roll to marble size and brush on egg wash.
4. Put in preheated oven at 170 degree C for 20-25 min till golden brown.
5. Let it cool on rack and ready to serve and store.