♥ Black Sesame Dumpling (Tang Yuan) ♥

Tang Yuan, aka glutinous rice dumpling, is a popular Chinese sweet during the Chinese New Year festival. It symbolizes togetherness and completeness of the family, which is also similarly served during the Mid Autumn Festival.

Nowadays, these dumplings often come in a variety of fillings such as red bean, peanut, egg custard or even green tea and purple sweet potato, but the most loved and common choices is black sesame filling.

When serve, it is delicious to go with a hot sweet soup. Hope this recipe can bring you sweet memories and loads of happiness.
*Adjust the sugar accordingly to see how sweet you want the filling to be. I used 2:1 ratio.

This post is linked to Cook and Celebrate: Chinese New Year 2016 organised by Yen from GoodyFoodies Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids.

This post is part of the monthly link up party Our Growing Edge. This event aims to connect food bloggers and inspire us to try new things. This month is hosted by Chinelo at Good Cake Day.

This post is part of the weekly linky party I'm Lovin' It hosted by Cheryl at TidyMom.

You'll need:
2 tbsp black sesame powder
1 tbsp black sugar*
2 tsp natural peanut butter, such as this
1 tsp vegetable oil, to smoothen
50g glutinous rice flour
1/4 tsp wheat starch
5 tbsp water
To serve:
Water
Cane sugar

How to make black sesame dumpling (Tang Yuan):

1. To make black sesame filling: In a bowl, combine black sesame powder, black sugar, peanut butter and vegetable, mix well until smooth.
2. Divide equal parts and roll into balls. Cover with cling film and set aside.
3. To make the glutinous rice dough: In a large bowl, mix glutinous rice flour, wheat starch and water. Keep kneading until the dough comes together into a small ball. Shape into a log.
4. Take 1 heaping portion of the dough, flatten and wrap around 1 teaspoon sesame filling. Seal the edge and shape the balls gently.
5. Bring a pot of water to boil and add cane sugar. When it melts and water comes to boil again, add the rice dumplings and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until they float to the surface.
6. Serve hot.

With all my love <3

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♥ Sugarless Sweet Potato Pancake ♥

Happy Pancake Day! It was a Pancake Tuesday yesterday. To catch up the celebration, I wake up with a stack of lovely, fluffy pancakes.

See the drizzle of honey over that generous slab of butter. Please don't tell, it is indulging.

That fluffiness? Why?

The best part of these pancakes are the sweet potato. They add natural sweetness to them without any additional/artificial sugar. That little teaspoon of coconut extract also completes the outstanding flavor as I have made a healthier replacement with vegetable oil instead of melted butter, well.

This post is linked to Cook and Celebrate: Chinese New Year 2016 organised by Yen from GoodyFoodies Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids.

This post is part of the monthly link up party Our Growing Edge. This event aims to connect food bloggers and inspire us to try new things. This month is hosted by Chinelo at Good Cake Day.

Adapted from Real Food Real Deals
Serves 2
You'll need:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 medium sweet potato, mashed
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp coconut extract
Salted butter and honey, to serve

How to make sugarless sweet potato pancake:

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together mashed sweet potato, eggs, vegetable oil and coconut extract. Add the dry ingredients and stir well. A few lumps is actually fine so do not overmix the batter.
3. Place a griddle or non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Drop batter on it to make a 4 inch pancake. Once bubbles form, flip the pancake and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Stack up 5-6 pancakes, serve with a slab of salted butter and honey or maple syrup.

With all my love <3

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♥ Crabmeat & Coconut Jelly Cocktail ♥

Lately, I have got a few pounds of lump king crab meat at home. They are freshly picked from a steamed large king crab that is sourced from a local seafood wholesaler.

I'm feeling a need to make something tropical, but easy, elegant, and great for a capane party.

Chilling the coconut water into semi-solid, forming the jelly to be served with fresh crabmeat and laced with young coconut meat.

And did I mention this clear liquid inside the coconut fruit is nutritiously packed with vitamins and minerals? So healthy!

This post is linked to Cook and Celebrate: Chinese New Year 2016 organised by Yen from GoodyFoodies Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids.

This post is part of the monthly link up party Our Growing Edge. This event aims to connect food bloggers and inspire us to try new things. This month is hosted by Chinelo at Good Cake Day.

This post is part of the weekly linky party I'm Lovin' It hosted by Cheryl at TidyMom.

You'll need:
330g fresh coconut water, from 2 young coconut
4g gelatin
Salt, optional
Flesh of 2 young coconut
1/4 lb. lump crabmeat
Chopped Spring onion, to garnish

How to make crabmeat and coconut jelly cocktail:

1. Open the young coconuts and extract the coconut water. Pour them over a fine sieve to remove residue.
2. Separate 1/4 of the liquid into a small bowl. Heat in microwave or over simmering water, and add the gelatin. Stir to melt.
3. Combine the liquid and add salt to taste. Set in any container and chill in the fridge to set.
4. Meanwhile, remove the coconut flesh from the shell. Trim and remove any brown skin.
5. To serve, spoon some coconut water jelly, add lump crabmeat and chopped green onion.

With all my love <3

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♥ Matcha Tart ♥

Other than Hong Kong egg tart and the extremely popular cheese tart brought by the Japanese, matcha tart is another recently favourite in my country.

The tart has a buttery shortcrust pastry filled with a milk based egg custard, which is slightly different from the usual egg tarts using evaporated milk.

This helps to prevent the matcha flavor being overpowered by the sweet milk.

In this recipe, I have made a slight adjustment to my basic pate sucree recipe, instead added powdered sugar to give a better flakiness.

And thanks Ann for sharing such a delicate matcha sweet treat.

This post is linked to Cook and Celebrate: Chinese New Year 2016 organised by Yen from GoodyFoodies Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids.

This post is part of the monthly link up party Our Growing Edge. This event aims to connect food bloggers and inspire us to try new things. This month is hosted by Chinelo at Good Cake Day.

Adapted from Anncoo Journal
You'll need:
For the pate sucree
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold salted butter
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp cold milk

For the filling
200g whole milk
30g raw sugar
2 tsp matcha powder, sifted
1 egg
1 egg yolk

How to make matcha egg tart:

1. To make the pate sucree: In a bowl combine flour and powdered sugar. Cut butter cubes using a fork or pastry blender until dough resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg yolk and water. Slowly add to the flour mixture until a dough comes together. You may not need all the liquid. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This pate sucree dough can be stored in the freezer for 2 months.
2. Preheat oven to 180C. Remove the dough onto a floured surface, divide and roll into balls. Press and fit into the tart tins. Prink holes on the bottom using a fork.
3. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Set aside.
4. To make the filling: Heat milk and sugar until the sugar melt. Add sifted matcha powder and whisk until well blended.
5. In another bowl, whisk together egg and egg yolk. Add egg mixture into the matcha milk and whisk to combine.
6. Pour liquid over a fine sieve to remove any lumps. Divide the matcha mixture among pre-baked tarts and bake for another 20 minutes, or until egg is set.

With all my love <3

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