April 1, 2017

“Soylent Green” Tea Cookies

Posted by HI Cookery under 04 April | Tags: , , , , , , |
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“Soylent Green” Tea Cookies

soylentgreenteacookies

April 1: Soylent Green Day and April Fools’ Day

What a coincidence that Soylent Green Day falls on April Fools’ Day. Why not fool some friends by serving them some “Soylent Green” tea cookies?!

Spoiler alert: Unlike the fictional food depicted in the film, they are not made of people but are made of matcha (Japanese green tea powder), they are not crackers but cookies and they are not mass produced at a mysterious factory but baked in small batches in a home kitchen.

Soylent Green tea cookies are sweet but have an earthy taste about them, which comes from the matcha flavor (or from its movie equivalent the “high-energy plankton gathered from the world’s ocean”). Soylent Green crackers were favored over its predecessor products, Soylent Red and Soylent Yellow. According to movie trivia, the word “soylent” comes from “soy” + “lentils”, implying that the crackers were protein-rich and nutritious. But the world’s ocean was unable to supply enough high-energy plankton to feed the masses so Soylent Green was rationed. Only human remains were a suitable substitute for the plankton-protein but this was not revealed until the film’s climax. Therefore, “Soylent Green is people!”

Have some fun on Soylent Green Day and April Fools’ Day by snacking on Soylent Green tea cookies, watching the classic movie and fooling friends with freaky food.

Recipe

(Adapted from Japanese Cooking 101)

Ingredients

  • 4 teaspoons matcha
  • ¾ cup cornstarch
  • ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon cake flour
  • ¾ cup cornstarch
  • 5 tablespoons butter, softened
  • ¼ cup granulated white sugar
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon soy milk (as in “Soylent”; the original recipe uses regular milk)

Directions

Over a large bowl, sift several times the matcha, cornstarch and cake flour until well blended. In another bowl, cream the butter with both the granulated and powdered sugars. Beat in the two egg yolks.

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Mix in the soy milk or milk. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until a cookie dough is formed. Cover in plastic film and refrigerate the dough for at least half an hour.

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Divide the dough in two balls. Roll out each between two sheets of waxed paper about ¼ inch thick. Use a 1-inch square cookie cutter to cut out shapes OR slice into perpendicular lines with a pizza cutter or knife to cut out squares. Place the squares on lightly greased baking sheets about an inch apart.

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Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, being careful not to overbrown the edges. Remove from the oven. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about five minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool to a crisp. Serve in rations by placing a few Soylent Green tea cookies in a plastic bag.

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Notes

 

March 24, 2017

Chocolate Raisin Nut Clusters

Posted by HI Cookery under 03 March | Tags: , , , , , |
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Chocolate Raisin Nut Clusters

chocolateraisinnutclusters

March 24: National Chocolate-Covered Raisins Day

This blog post is dedicated to our New Jersey friend Gary B. who, whenever we went out with him and his wife to dinner and a movie, would get a bucket of buttered popcorn and a box of chocolate-covered raisins to eat—even if he already had a big meal. His habit of combining popcorn and Raisinets has influenced us, as we now like to eat something sweet with our salty snacks.

We no longer live in the Garden State but still watch a matinee in the local theaters once in a while and eat popcorn and candy. On some Saturday evenings, we laze around the house and watch videos and also eat microwaved popcorn with a side of homemade chocolate raisin nut clusters. They are an amped-up version of Gary’s favorite movie theater treat.

Our double-dating days with our friends may be over because of the distance now. But Gary can still enjoy this easy recipe with his family in their huge home theater. And we can all treat ourselves to chocolate raisin nut clusters on National Chocolate-Covered Raisins Day!

Recipe

(Adapted from Food Network)

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces chocolate, dark or milk, melted
  • ½ cup peanuts, unsalted
  • ½ cup raisins

Directions

Line a cookie pan with waxed paper. Set aside. In a large bowl, melt the chocolate (over a double boiler or in the microwave according to the directions on the package). Stir until smooth. Add the peanuts.

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Stir in the raisins and coat everything well. Use a small scoop to drop a cluster on the prepared pan, leaving ample space between each candy. Refrigerate to set until firm. Peel the clusters from the waxed paper. Serve at room temperature.

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Notes

  • This is a very versatile recipe. Exchange the peanuts for pistachios, macadamias, cashews, etc. Use golden raisins or dried cranberries.
  • Instead of dropping clusters on waxed paper, spoon them into mini cupcake or candy papers for an elegant presentation.

 

 

March 21, 2017

Baguette

Posted by HI Cookery under 03 March | Tags: , , |
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Baguette

March 21: National French Bread Day

We celebrated Highlander’s birthday while touring Paris, France, many years ago. Before heading out of our hotel to go sightseeing, we ate croissants, brioches and other breads for breakfast. But our favorite was the classic baguette, a long loaf of French bread with a crusty exterior, which was served with many meals at the cafes and restaurants throughout the day. It tasted so delicious, especially when smothered with creamy French butter!

We still like to buy baguettes and fresh artisan breads at the local grocery store’s gourmet bake shop. But for our blog, we decided to try the “dough only” cycle on our bread machine and bake baguettes in our own oven because Islander has an old form pan that she wanted to use (both our bread machine and the form pan were acquired in our newlywed year).

Whether starting from scratch or taking a shortcut with a bread machine, try baking a baguette for National French Bread Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Oster)

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon softened butter (or margarine)
  • 2 cups bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ teaspoons regular active dry/bread machine/quick-acting active dry yeast

Directions

In the container of the bread machine, place the water, butter or margarine, flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Set the machine to “French” and “dough only” cycles. Press start and wait until the cycle is complete.

Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into two or three balls. Place the balls in well-greased bowls or pans that are large enough for the dough to rise. Cover with a damp cloth or greased plastic wrap.

Put the dough in a warm, draft-free place, such as an oven. Let them rise until doubled in size (about 1-2 hours). Remove from the pans and roll out to form a long loaf shape. Sprinkle corn meal on a greased French bread form pan or baking sheet. Lay the dough on the pan/baking sheet, cover with a damp cloth or greased plastic wrap and return to the oven. Let them rise again until doubled in size (about another hour). Remove from the oven. Meanwhile, preheat it to 375 degrees F.

Brush a little milk on top. Cut diagonal slits on top of the dough. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Cool slightly before slicing.

Notes

  • We bought our baguette form pan from Wilton before the item was discontinued. However, Amazon.com sells a variety of French bread pans.
  • Search our blog for other Franco-inspired food recipes.

 

 

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