Chinese Restaurant Almond Cookies
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup lard
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
48 almonds
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together into a bowl. Cut in the lard until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add egg and almond extract. Mix well.
3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Set them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place an almond on top of each cookie and press down to flatten slightly.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges of the cookies are golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.
Chinese Sweet Bun Dough
Ingredients
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
4 cups bread flour
2 eggs, beaten (divided)
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish (divided) (optional)
Directions
1. Whisk the sugar and milk together in a large mixing bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the yeast, and let stand until a frothy layer forms on the milk, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour, most of the beaten eggs (reserve about 1 tablespoon of egg in a small bowl for later), vegetable oil, and salt, mixing well until thoroughly combined.
2. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky. Place the dough into a large oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, place the bowl in a warm spot, and let rise until doubled, 2 to 3 hours.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Remove the dough from the bowl, and knead it briefly to punch down, about 1 minute. Roll the dough out into a rope, and cut it into 12 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, and use your fingers to flatten each ball into a disc about 5 to 6 inches in diameter.
5. Place about 2 tablespoons of your favorite bun filling in the center of the dough circle, and bring the edges of the dough up over the filling. Pinch and twist the top together to seal in the filling. Make sure there are no open spots. Place each filled bun seam-side down on the parchment paper while you finish making the rest of the buns. Cover the filled buns with plastic wrap, and let them rise for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
7. Beat the 1 tablespoon of reserved beaten egg with the water to make an egg wash, and brush the top of each bun with the egg mixture. Sprinkle each bun with a few sesame seeds, and bake in the preheated oven until the tops are browned and shiny, turning the baking sheet around halfway through baking, for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Easy Hong Kong Style Egg Tarts
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup evaporated milk
24 (3 inch) unbaked tart shells
Directions
1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Combine the water and white sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl; add the evaporated milk and continue beating. Pour in the cooled sugar water and mix until well combined. Place the tart shells on a baking sheet. Strain the filling through a sieve, and fill the tart shells.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the filling has puffed a little bit, about 20 minutes.
NAN Dining Guide Spotlight on 09/02/2018