April 9, 2011

Chinese Almond Cookies

Posted by HI Cookery under 04 April | Tags: , , , |
[2] Comments 

Chinese Almond Cookies

Chinese Almond Cookies

April 9: National Chinese Almond Cookie Day

In kindergarten, Islander was the Chinese queen on the ethnic court for May Day at her elementary school in Hawaii. In junior high, she learned how to make Chinese almond cookies in a required home economics class. In college, she and Monica C. from Taiwan were roommates for more than a year at a university in the Midwest. Now she continues to observe some Chinese traditions whenever she can, which can be a challenge when there is not a large Asian community in the area.

Chinese New Year is probably the biggest cultural holiday Islander would celebrate. Although she does not cook a lot of auspicious foods for the occasion, one lucky dish she would make is Chinese almond cookies. Fortunately, there is a National Chinese Almond Cookie Day and she could bake up a batch with the same recipe she has used since junior high. But these crisp confections can be enjoyed not just on Chinese New Year and National Chinese Almond Cookie Day but throughout the year!

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable shortening (we use and recommend Crisco brand)
  • 1 cup sugar, granulated white
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tube red frosting (optional)
  • slivered almond pieces (optional)

Directions

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the vegetable shortening with the sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and almond extract. Gradually add the flour mixture.

Chinese Almond Cookies

Knead until a smooth dough is formed. Roll into one-inch balls. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie. Flatten the balls with the base of a drinking glass or cup. Make a dent in the middle with the end of a chopstick or cooking rod or a finger.

Chinese Almond Cookies

Drop a dot of red food coloring in each dent. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add a little red frosting in the middle of the dent. Top with a piece of slivered almond. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool to a crisp. Yield: Approximately 3 – 3 ½ dozen.

Chinese Almond Cookies

Notes

  • Learn more about Chinese New Year foods at the Food Museum website.
  • For additional tips on making Chinese almond cookies, read an article in the Honolulu Advertiser.
  • Search our blog for other cookie recipes.

 

 

 

 

 

April 8, 2011

Empanadas

Posted by HI Cookery under 04 April | Tags: , |
1 Comment 

Empanadas

Empanadas

April 8: National Empanada Day

Empanadas, dumplings, turnovers, pasties, samosas, pierogis, calzones, baozi—these dough-filled delicacies are called different things in different cultures and we have eaten various versions of these at food festivals, restaurants or our international friends’ get-togethers.  For National Empanada Day, we focus on the Filipino meat-filled pastry. The recipe is influenced from its Spanish roots and is simplified by the use of packaged pie crusts.

Recipe

(Adapted from Filipino Foods)

Ingredients

  • ½ pound of lean ground beef, pork or chicken
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small potato, peeled and diced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • oil for frying the filling
  • 1 package (15 ounces) refrigerated pie crust
  • 1 egg, beaten

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the ground meat. Add the onions, garlic, potatoes, salt and pepper and sauté until the potatoes are cooked through.  Stir in the raisins. Drain any grease from the skillet and let the filling cool.

Empanadas

Prepare the dough. If frozen, thaw the pie crusts as directed on the package. Roll out the dough and use a 2 ½ inch cookie cutter or rim of a glass to cut out circles. Place about 1 ½ teaspoons of filling in the middle. Wet the edges of the dough with a little water to help seal it together. Press the edges of the empanadas with the tines of a fork.

Empanadas

If using a dough press, cut out circles with the bottom of the press. Lightly grease the press before putting the dough on top. Place filling in the middle. Wet the edges of the dough with a little water to help seal it together. Close the press and carefully remove the empanadas.

Empanadas

Place the empanadas on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Brush the tops with egg wash.  Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until brown. Serve hot.

Empanadas

Notes

  • Avoid overfilling the dough or the empanadas will explode!
  • An egg wash gives the dough a nice golden gloss.
  • Empanadas can also be deep fried instead of baked.
  • Search our blog for recipes posts on other dough-filled delicacies.
 

April 7, 2011

Hawaiian Beer Bread

Posted by HI Cookery under 04 April | Tags: , , |
[4] Comments 

Hawaiian Beer Bread

Hawaiian Beer Bread

April 7: National Beer Day

Although we are not big beer drinkers, we still enjoyed visiting the Miller Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the Budweiser Brewery in St. Louis, Missouri. Both tours featured historical displays, views of the huge kettles and tanks in the production rooms, high-speed packaging centers, free drink samples at the bars and gift shops with branded merchandise. We did not buy any beer cookbooks there but found many recipes online. In our adaptation of a quick bread recipe, we used Hawaiian beer. As an alternative to imbibing, bake beer bread for a buttery buzz on National Beer Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Food.com)

Ingredients

  • 1 12-ounce beer at room temperature (we have used Kona Brewing Co.’s Fire Rock Pale Ale and Longboard Island Lager and Primo Island Lager before)
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ cup sugar (we used C&H brand, granulated white)
  • ¼ cup (½ stick) butter, melted

Directions

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together several times in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar. Add the beer and blend the batter well.

Hawaiian Beer Bread

Pour the batter into a well-greased loaf pan. Pour the melted butter on the top.

Hawaiian Beer Bread

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for an hour. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Take the bread out of the loaf pan and blot out the excess butter with paper towels. Put on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes before slicing.

Hawaiian Beer Bread

Notes

 

« Previous Page — Next Page »