Bite-Sized Sandwiches for Tea Time!

Since we’re on the tea theme, I’m going to suggest a few different types of sandwiches you can serve with your afternoon tea (or even just for lunch)!

Cucumber/Dill Sandwiches

For about 5-6 sandwiches…

·      1 cucumber, sliced thinly width-wide (cutting circles)

·      2 tbsp fresh or dried dill

·      Butter, softened (for spreading)

·      Half a loaf of bread (any type you prefer)

Cut the loaf into 10-12 slices (or fewer slices depending on how thick you like your bread slices). Remove the crust from all of the slices. Spread one side of each slice with butter, layer every other slice with cucumber slices, and sprinkle with some of the dill. Close the sandwiches, and cut into whatever size sandwiches you want. Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

For about 5-6 sandwiches…

·      Half a loaf of bread

·      4 oz smoked salmon, cut into slices/pieces

·      Half a red onion, sliced into thin strips

·      Cream cheese, softened (for spreading)

Cut the loaf into 10-12 slices (or fewer slices depending on how thick you like your bread slices). Remove the crust from all of the slices. Spread one side of each slice with cream cheese, layer a couple pieces of smoked salmon on every other slice, and place some slices of red onion on the salmon. Close the sandwiches, and cut them into whatever size sandwiches you want. Enjoy!

Smoked Rainbow Trout (or any other smoked fish)

For about 5-6 sandwiches…

·      Half a loaf of bread

·      10 oz smoked rainbow trout/smoked fish, cut into slices/pieces

·      Half a red onion, sliced into thin strips

·      Butter, softened (for spreading)

·      Half a lemon (to squeeze)

Cut the loaf into 10-12 slices (or fewer slices depending on how thick you like your bread slices). Remove the crust from all of the slices. Spread one side of each slice with butter, layer a couple pieces of smoked fish on every other slice, place some slices of red onion on the salmon, and squeeze some lemon juice over it. Close the sandwiches, and cut them into whatever size sandwiches you want. Enjoy!

Curry Egg

For about 5-6 sandwiches…

·      5 large eggs, room temperature

·      ¼ tsp finely grated lemon zest

·      1.5 tsp lemon juice

·      ½ tsp curry powder

·      1/8 tsp dry mustard

·      ¼ cup mayonnaise

·      Salt and black pepper

Put the eggs in a large saucepan with cold water, and bring the saucepan to a boil. Cover the pan, remove from the heat, and let it stand for 10 minutes. Drain the water and cool under running water. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and let them sit until they’re completely cold, about 10-15 minutes. Peel the shells off the eggs and pat them dry. Finely chop the eggs and transfer to a medium-sized bowl, adding the rest of the ingredients and mashing them together. Cut the loaf into 10-12 slices (or fewer slices depending on how thick you like your bread slices). Remove the crust from all of the slices. Add the egg mixture to every other slice, close the sandwiches, and cut the sandwiches into whatever size you want. Enjoy!

Let's start tea time with some Scones!

So how about some tea? Tea time is a very popular tradition in Britain, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy it too! It simply consists of well-brewed tea, simple small sandwiches, light desserts, and, of course, warm, fluffy scones! Today I’ll show you my favorite scone recipe and my favorite pairing for them, clotted cream!

Ingredients:

For the scones…

·      2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading

·      2 tsp baking powder

·      1 tbsp sugar

·      ½ tsp salt

·      6 tbsp cold butter, cut into very small chunks

·      2 eggs, beaten

·      ½ cup heavy cream (I’ve found in a lot of cases besides whipping that half-and-half and whole milk make good substitutes for heavy cream, in case you don’t have it)

·      ½ tsp vanilla

For the clotted cream…

·      6 oz cream cheese, softened

·      ½ up sour cream

·      2 tbsp powdered sugar

To make the scones…

Preheat the oven to 400ºF and grease a baking tray. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Work in the butter with a stand mixer or food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the beaten eggs, cream/milk, and vanilla, and stir until combined. Sprinkle your workspace with flour and knead the dough on it until not too sticky and smooth. Roll the dough flat to about ¾-inch and cut into whatever shapes you want. Put the pieces on the baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes.

To make the clotted cream…

Whisk the cream cheese until smooth and shiny, then stir in the sour cream and powdered sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Hot Cakes! (thick, delicious pancakes)

Everyone’s had pancakes, but have you tried Japanese hot cakes? These thick, cake-like pancakes are incredibly yummy and worth a try if you’re a pancake lover!

Ingredients:

·      1.5 cups AP flour

·      3 tbsp powdered sugar

·      2 tsp baking powder

·      ½ tsp kosher salt

·      1.25 cups milk

·      4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

·      ½ tsp vanilla extract

·      2 eggs, separated

·      ¼ tsp cream of tartar

·      You WILL need a couple of 3-inch-wide-by-2.5-inch-high ring molds

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the milk, butter, vanilla extract, and egg yolks in a separate bowl, then stir it into the flour mixture. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Fold in a fourth of the whites into the batter until combined, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Spray the ring molds and a nonstick frying pan lightly, and put the pan and the ring molds over medium heat. Fill the ring molds halfway with batter, cover with a lid, and cook until the batter rises to the top of the molds, about 5 minutes. Flip the molds carefully, cover, and cook until golden, another 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate, remove the mold, and enjoy with butter and maple syrup!

French Toast Loaf Bake

It’s been a month since my last post, but now that I’m out of my junior year and settled in at my internship in HAWAII, I can start uploading more delicious recipes! Today’s recipe I saw in a Buzzfeed video and just had to try my own version for Mother’s Day. It’s a beautiful French Toast Loaf Bake, where you hollow out a loaf and turn it into a stacked French toast bake.

Ingredients:

·      Half a loaf of bread

·      2 eggs

·      1 cup milk

·      2 tbsp butter, melted

·      1 tbsp sugar

·      4 tbsp sugar

·      2 tsp cinnamon

·      Strawberries

·      Blueberries

·      Maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Hollow out the loaf of bread (keeping the bottom in tact) by cutting out the inside into cubes. Whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, and 1tbsp sugar in one bowl, and combine the 4tbsp sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Dip each side of the cut-up cubes into the egg-and-milk mixture, then cover lightly with some of the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and place on a greased baking tray. Paint the inside of the hollowed-out loaf with the milk mixture, dust with the cinnamon mixture, and place it on the same tray as the cubes. Bake for 15 minutes. Place a few cubes back in the hollowed loaf, add some strawberries, blueberries, and syrup, and repeat until the loaf is full. Top with whipped cream and more fruit, and you’re done!

Top 10 Baking Hacks and Tips

Ever had difficulties baking? I definitely have! And finding tips for making baking easier is both a lot of fun and cool to discover! So here are a few I’ve discovered, so I hope you give them a try. :)

1.     Add mayo to cake batter to make cakes more moist

2.     You can make crunchier brownies by whipping the sugar and eggs together

3.     Use cake mix to make simple cookies (using just three ingredients! Use a box of cake mix, ½ cup vegetable oil, and 2 eggs, and baking at 350º for 10-12 minutes)

4.     You can tell when a cake is done baking when it springs back when pressed lightly

5.     Add simple syrup to revive dry cakes or keep layers moist when assembling and decorating cakes

6.     Frost cakes more smoothly by dipping your spatula in hot water while frosting

7.     Wait at least a few hours before serving fruit pie. This allows the filling to set properly without any runny juices

8.     The length of time you spend mixing the cake batter affects its density/flatness

9.     Make cupcake frosting swirl by using two bags in one tip

10.  Frost your cupcakes by putting a large marshmallow on cupcakes for last five minutes of baking

Japanese Curry Chicken Dumplings

Finally, we’ve got filling #6! This one was really cool, and it definitely had a strong flavor! It was definitely one of the more unique dumplings, and I thought it was so great and full of flavor! The curry flavor is so fun, but if you’d rather use your own curry recipe, definitely go for it! Remember the point of cooking and baking is so explore and figure out what tastes you like the most, so definitely don’t just copy what I have if you have other flavors you’d like to try. Enjoy yourself!

(makes 20-25 dumplings)

Ingredients:

·      3 tbsp unsalted butter

·      ¼ cup all-purpose flour

·      1.5 tsp yellow curry powder

·      1.5 tsp garam masala

·      1 tbsp ketchup

·      1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

·      ¼ tsp black pepper

·      4 oz fatty ground pork

·      4 oz ground chicken

·      ¼ cup peas

·      2 tbsp onion, minced

·      1 tsp fresh ginger, minced and peeled

·      ½ tsp salt

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, 1 tsp at a time, and whisk constantly until all dissolved and browned. Add the curry powder, masala, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Cook while constantly stirring for a minute, then add ½ cup water. Bring this mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened (add water if it gets too thick). Transfer ¼ cup to a large bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Save the remaining sauce for serving. After the ¼ cup sauce has cooled, add the rest of the ingredients. Use your hands to mix and evenly distribute the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for an hour, or up to two days. Use this page to fold and cook your dumplings!

Kimchee Beef Dumplings

Filling #5-o’clock! These dumplings have such a fun flavor; the spicy-sour kimchi tastes amazing as a dumpling, and adding beef and other flavorings make this filling absolutely amazing! There’s just no way to describe it, so you’ve gotta try it! Have fun!

(makes 20-25 dumplings)

Ingredients:

·      ½ lb Napa cabbage, finely chopped

·      1 tbsp salt

·      ½ lb ground beef chuck

·      ½ cup onion, finely chopped

·      ¼ cup gochujang (Korean chili-bean paste)

·      2 tbsp finely chopped garlic

·       1 tbsp sugar

·      1.5 tsp sesame seeds

·      ½ tsp soy sauce

·      1/8 tsp black pepper

Mix the cabbage and salt in a colander and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Transfer the cabbage to a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Use your hands to mix and evenly distribute the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for an hour, or up to two days. Use this page to fold and cook your dumplings!

Hot and Sour Soup Dumplings

Time for filling #4! I am a HUGE fan of soup dumplings; I just love drinking up the soup inside and then taking a large bite of the remaining delicious dumpling~! If you’ve never tried them, definitely give this recipe a shot, and you’ll have your first soup dumplings made especially by you! Don’t worry; they aren’t complicated to make, and are fun to make, just like the rest of the dumplings! Go for it!

(makes 20 dumplings)

Ingredients:

Chicken Consommé

·      1.5 lb chicken wings

·      2 oz Smithfield ham

·      ½ cup scallions, sliced, white parts only

·      1 oz fresh ginger, sliced and peeled

·      2 dried shiitake mushrooms

·      1 large garlic clove, peeled

·      1 tbsp soy sauce

·      1 tsp Shaoxing wine

·      1 packet powdered unflavored gelatin

·      1/8 cup cold water

Filling

·      8 oz fatty ground pork

·      2 tbsp scallions, minced

·      1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

·      1 tbsp soy sauce

·      2 tsp Chinese black vinegar

·      1 tsp sugar

·      1 tsp fresh ginger, minced and peeled

·      ½ tsp minced garlic

·      ½ tsp chili oil

·      ¼ tsp salt

·      1/8 tsp cayenne

·      1 cup Chicken Consommé

Wheat Flour Wrappers

·      2.5 cups all purpose flour

·      ¾ cup hot, but not boiling, water

·      1 tbsp vegetable oil

·      ¼ cup cold water

To make the Chicken Consommé…

Add the chicken wings, ham, scallions, ginger, mushrooms, garlic, soy sauce, wine, and 5 cups of water to a large stockpot. Bring it to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface, then reduce the heat to obtain a simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer for 2 hours, adding more water if the liquid level falls below the lines of the solids. In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and cold water. Remove the stockpot from the heat and stir in the gelatin mixture. Strain the stock into an airtight container, pushing down on the solids to extract more liquid. Refrigerate the stock until cold and set, about 4 hours or up to 5 days.

To make the dumplings…

Combine all the ingredients besides the Chicken Consommé in a large bowl. Use your hands to evenly distribute the ingredients. Add the consommé and gently fold it in. Cover and refrigerate the filling for about an hour or up to 2 days.

To make the dough wrappers…

Put the flour in a large bowl and, while constantly stirring, add the hot water in a steady stream, then the oil, and then the cold water. Knead the dough until everything is fully combined. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and kneed until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for half an hour.

To wrap the dumplings…

To wrap the dumplings, start by taking the dough and dividing it into 20 balls. Take each dough ball, flatten slightly, and roll out the dough ball into a thin, round sheet, making sure that there is a bit of a thick section right in the middle of the dough round. Scoop a 1-2 tsp of filling into the center of the wrapper, then bring up the sides of the dough to the center and twist and pinch to seal the dumping shut. Follow the instructions here to steam the dumplings.

Mapo Tofu Dumpings

And now filling #3! I bet you didn’t see this filling coming! You’ll realize as more dumpling filling recipes come out, the fillings become more and more unique and fun, so look forward to them! If you’ve never had Mapo Tofu before, you should definitely give it a try! And if you don’t like tofu, Mapo Tofu is the way to give tofu a try because it has lots of pork and is deliciously spicy; the best combo needed to practice eating tofu. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

·      4 oz fatty ground pork

·      ¼ tsp salt

·      ½ tsp minced garlic

·      ½ lb soft tofu, patted dry and finely diced

·      ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions

·      1.5 tbsp chili oil

·      1 tsp dobujang (fermented soy bean paste)

·      ½ tsp Szechuan peppercorns, roasted and crushed

·      ¼ tsp sugar

·      ¼ tsp crushed red chile flakes

·      ½ lb round dumplings wrappers

Heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and salt, and cook while stirring and break the meat apart into smaller pieces until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Add the tofu, scallions, chili oil, dobujang, peppercorns, sugar, and chili flakes. Fold the ingredients together using a spatula until evenly mixed. Cover and refrigerate for an hour, or up to two days. Use this page to fold and cook your dumplings!

Szechuan Wontons in Chili Oil

Here’s filling #2! These are spicy spicy spicy, but they are so delicious you just have to keep eating them! They have a beautiful garlic flavor, and I absolutely love the Szechuan peppercorn flavor in the chili sauce that accompanies these dumplings. Have a yummy time!

(makes 20-25 dumplings)

Ingredients:

·      1 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns, toasted

·      1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted

·      ¾ cup peanut oil

·      ¼ cup coconut oil

·      ¼ cup dried Chinese red chilies, finely chopped

·      2 garlic cloves, minced

·      Salt

·      ½ lb fatty ground pork

·      1 beaten egg

·      1.5 tsp Shaoxing wine

·      ½ tsp sesame oil

·      ¼ tsp salt

·      1/8 tsp grated fresh ginger

·      1/8 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth

·      ½ lb round dumpling wrappers

To make the chili oil…

Coarsely grind the peppercorns and fennel seeds using a mortar and pestle. Heat the two oils in a small saucepan until hot but not smoking. Add the chilies, garlic, and peppercorn mixture. As soon as the chilies turn a darker shade of red, remove the pan from the heat. Let the oil cool completely, then season with salt to taste. The oil can be refrigerated for up to two weeks in an airtight container, but bring to room temperature before using it.

To make the dumplings…

Combine the pork, egg, wine, sesame oil, salt, and ginger in a large bowl. Use your hands to evenly distribute the ingredients. Add the chicken broth and fold in. Cover and refrigerate the filling for an hour, or up to two days. Go here to wrap the dumplings like Tortellini. Boil your dumplings in salted water for about 6 minutes, drain, and immediately transfer to a large bowl with the chili oil. Toss gently to coat, divide amongst serving dishes and enjoy!!!

Classic Pork and Chinese Chive Dumplings

Filling #1! These are the most basic pork dumplings, and there is no denying that they are simple, juicy, and mega yummy! Have fun!

(makes 20-25 dumplings)

Ingredients:

·      ¾ lb Napa cabbage, very finely chopped

·      ¼ cup finely chopped onion

·      2 tsp salt

·      ½ lb fatty ground pork

·      ¼ cup finely chopped scallions

·      ¼ cup chives

·      1 beaten egg

·      1.5 tsp cornstarch

·      1 tbsp soy sauce

·      1 tsp minced garlic

·      ½ tsp minced fresh ginger

·      ½ tsp sesame oil

·      ½ tsp black pepper

·      ½ lb round dumpling wrappers

Combine the cabbage, onion, and 1 tsp salt. Let stand for at least 10 minutes while preparing everything else. Squeeze out as much of the liquid from the cabbage mixture once it’s done sitting. Transfer the cabbage mixture to a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients besides the wrappers. Use your hands to evenly distribute everything. Cover a refrigerate the filling for an hour, or up to two days. Use this page to fold and cook your dumplings!

Dumpling Madness!

Dumplings are definitely among my top 5 foods in the world! It is consumed by the billions every year and is popular amongst all types of people. I went through a huge dumpling craving right before the spring semester began, so I decided to make a bunch of different types altogether! And then the week after that I made a bunch of dumplings for Chinese New Year, so I had quite a few dumplings in January! So I’ve decided that the next few weeks will be full of dumpling recipes! Today’s post will describe simple folding techniques for the dumplings, how to fry and steam the dumplings, and a couple sauce ideas! The blog posts after this one will be filling recipes for the dumplings. Enjoy your dumplings~!

How to fold dumplings

There are tons of different ways to fold dumplings, but I will describe three different simple folding ideas so that you’ll be able to put together your dumplings. Don’t worry if they look beautiful or not, what matters is how yummy they’ll be when they’re done! For all the dumplings, make sure you have dumpling wrappers, a small bowl of water, a plate for the wrapped dumplings, and a nice bowl of your filling!

Crescent Moon

This is the simplest of them all! Place 1-2 tsp filling in the center of the wrapper, use your finger to wipe some water along the rim of the wrapper, and fold the wrapper in half. Gently but firmly pinch the dumpling shut so that the dumpling won’t break while cooking. You’re all set!

Ruffled

This one is a bit more complicated, but still fairly simple! It’ll take you a bit of practice, but you’ll get the hang of it! Repeat the process above for the Crescent, then fold the sealed edges (where you just sealed the dumpling shut) like a paper fan. Make sure you squeeze shut so that the ruffles stay together. Done!

Tortellini

This one is more complicated as well, but it’s super adorable and gets easier with practice. Create the Crescent, and then sit the dumpling up so that it stands on its own with the sealed edges pointing upward. Bring the two tips on the sides over, overlap them and seal with water. You now should have something that looks like a tortellini!

How to fry dumplings

Frying dumplings could never be easier! You just have to set everything up and let it sit for the allotted time, and then you’re done! To start, get a non-stick frying pan with a lid, cover the bottom with oil, and begin arranging the dumplings on the bottom of the pan (it’s okay if they’re touching each other). Add 3 tbsp water, set the pan over medium heat, and cover. Just let the dumplings cook now. Once you hear a popping sound coming from the pan, set your timer for 7 minutes. Once that time is up, evacuate the dumplings off the pan and onto a plate. And look at that, you’re all done!!! If you need to keep them warm, tent the dumpling plate with foil and place in a 200ºF oven. They’ll stay warm and yummy as you make more dumplings!

How to steam dumplings

This is a very simple way to cook your dumplings! Steaming is always used for soup dumplings, but this method can also be used for any dumpling you’d like! You’ll need a steaming basket to do this, so make sure you get one. They aren’t expensive and are definitely worth the purchase. To start, line the bottom of the steaming basket with Napa Cabbage leaves, and then place the dumplings on top of the leaves, making sure they don’t touch each other. Place the steaming basket over a wide pot of simmering water and steam for 8 minutes. Keep the dumplings in the steam basket when serving; it adds to the effect!

Sauce ideas

There are two common-but-popular sauces that are excellent pairings for all the dumpling recipes I’ll be putting up soon, so I’ll be sharing those with you! Enjoy!

SOY-VINEGAR DIP

            Ingredients:

·      ¼ cup soy sauce

·      2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

·      1 garlic clove, crushed

·      ¼ tsp black pepper

Combine all the ingredients with 2 tbsp water. Store in the fridge until ready to use/eat!

TOASTED SESAME-SOY DIP

Ingredients:

·      ¼ cup soy sauce

·      2 tbsp rice wing vinegar

·      1 tsp toasted sesame oil

·      1 garlic clove, crushed

·      1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

·      1.5 tsp chili oil

·      Pinch of black pepper

Combine all the ingredients with 2 tbsp water. Store in the fridge until ready to use/eat!