Li Hing Apricot

January 9: National Apricot Day

When they were in intermediate school in Hawaii, Islander and her friend, sistah Nan N., used to walk across the street after their last class to get a snack at the strip mall. With their limited keiki allowance, they usually bought something inexpensive and small, such as shave ice, chips, cookies, arare (rice crackers) or crack seed. Collectively, the latter consists of partially pitted plums or other dried fruits that are sprinkled with a reddish, salty-sweet-sour powder called li hing. The distinctively unique spice mix was introduced to Hawaii by the Chinese who labored in the sugar cane plantations. Li hing means “traveling” in Chinese, and the dried fruits, such as plums (mui, as in the popular li hing mui), prunes, apricots, mangos, cherries, pineapples and others, provided a portable and preserved quick snack for the migrant workers.

Crack seed has become a nostalgic part of Hawaii’s local food culture and is available from glass jars at specialty stores and mall kiosks and in packages wherever snacks are sold. Even Nan now sells crack seed and other local goodies at her family’s mini-mart in West Oahu. Once in a while she would send care packages to us. Islander appreciates those tasty treats that remind her of their childhood together.

With li hing powder now available, she can easily flavor any dried fruit, such as apricots, at home on the mainland. Li hing apricot may be an acquired taste for some, but it is a novel delicacy from Hawaii worth blogging about on National Apricot Day.

Recipe

• 1 cup dried apricots
• ½ tablespoon li hing powder

Directions

In a bowl, sprinkle li hing powder over the dried apricots. Toss until the apricots are coated well. Store in an airtight container or zipper top plastic bag until ready to snack on them.

Chocolate Shortbread

January 6: National Shortbread Day

Highlander has a wee bit o’ Irish heritage. Some geneaological records indicate that his ancestors moved back and forth from Scotland and Ireland throughout history. We further learned that they are referred to as Ulster Scots, and those who have emigrated to North America are called Scots-Irish.

Inspired by Highlander’s history and heritage, we infused Irish butter into a classic Scottish shortbread cookie recipe. And as chocoholics who we were in the mood for mix-ins, we added baking cocoa and dark chocolate drizzles. Chocolate shorbread is the ultimate Ulster-Scot tribute on National Shortbread Day!

Recipe

(Adapted from Brown Bag)

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature (we used Kerrygold brand unsalted Irish butter)
• 1 ½ tablespoons baking cocoa (we used Nestle brand)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 2 ounces (2 squares) semi-sweet chocolate (we used Baker’s brand)

Directions

Lightly mist the ceramic shortbread pan with cooking spray. Wipe off the excess oil from the pan. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the cocoa, sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Gradually add the flour until a sticky dough is formed. Press the dough evenly (it is fine to use fingers) in the shortbread pan.

Prick holes on the top with the tines of a fork.  Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 30-35 minutes and slightly puffed, taking care not to burn the edges. Remove the cookie from the oven and let cool in the shortbread pan for 10 minutes.  Loosen the edges with a spatula or knife.

Carefully invert the shortbread pan onto a cutting board. While the shortbread is still warm, cut into wedges with a sharp knife. Brush away the crumbs and let cool on a wire rack. Melt the chocolate squares. Fill a pastry or zipper top plastic bag with the melted chocolate. Using a small round tip on the pastry bag, or cutting a small hole from the edge of the zipper top plastic bag, squeeze out the melted chocolate in a back and forth drizzling motion over each shortbread wedge. Let the chocolate cool completely before stacking the cookies.

Notes

• Try drizzling different types of flavored chocolate (mint, orange, chili, etc.) for variety.

Chocolate-Cherry Mice

 January 3: National Chocolate-Filled Cherry Day

Check out these cheesy but cute critters: chocolate-cherry mice! Islander receives a lot of compliments when she gets creative with her cooking. She would study Internet images of funny foods and then adapt them with her own personal touches. She made the mice by looking at basic photos, set them on a square base (chocolate cookie) and added a cheese wedge (made of yellow banana taffy). Our guinea pigs friends love them! Although chocolate-cherry mice appear as desserts around Halloween and Christmas time, they are also appropriate for Chocolate-Filled Cherry Day!

Recipe

(Inspired by Internet photos)

Ingredients

• Maraschino cherries with stems (for the mouse body and tail)
• Hershey’s Kisses chocolate candies (for the mouse head)
• chocolate candy melts, semi-sweet baking squares or chocolate chips
• 2-3 tablespoons vegetable shortening (we used Crisco brand)
• almond slivers (for the mouse ears)
• white (vanilla) tube frosting (for the mouse eyes)
• black tube gel or frosting (for the mouse pupils)
• square fudge graham crackers (for the base)
• yellow taffy candy or fondant (for the “cheese”)

Directions

Drain the cherries from its juice. Let them dry on a paper towel. Unwrap the Hershey’s Kisses chocolate candies and set aside.

Melt the chocolate with a little bit of vegetable shortening until smooth. Carefully dip a cherry and coat it with chocolate. Set on a tray lined with waxed paper.

Attach a chocolate kiss to the cherry. Dip the ends of two same-sized almond slivers in chocolate and attach between the chocolate kiss and cherry. Allow to cool. Continue making the rest of the chocolate-cherry mice in the same manner.

Pipe little white circles for the eye balls using the vanilla frosting. Lightly touch with black gel to make the pupils and complete the eyes. Using a food-safe brush, paint the corner of a fudge graham cracker with the remaining melted chocolate.

Attach a chocolate-cherry mouse on top of the fudge graham cracker. Using a sharp paring knife, slice of tiny triangles from the yellow taffy candy or fondant. Paint a dot of melted chocolate to attach the “cheese” in front of the mouse. Refrigerate to set and until ready to serve.

Notes

• Substitute maraschinos for fresh, pitted cherries.