No-Frills Recipes ... cooking, baking & excerpts on travel

These Hup Toh Soh (Chinese Walnut Biscuits) are without hup toh/walnuts.  I do remember from young that the traditional Hup Toh Soh that I ate those days were quite big, around 4 inches in diameter or because I was small and to me everything looked big!  They were made with lard and were very crunchy but there wasn't any trace of hup toh in them and nobody asked why.   Although these biscuits are without walnuts, they are still crunchy and yummy.  If you are allergic to nuts, this is a recipe for you.  Give this a try for the coming Chinese New Year.
However, if you would like to have a recipe of  Hup Toh Soh with walnuts, do hop in 'here'.





Hup Toh Soh  (Chinese Walnut Biscuits)  ~   CNY 2020  核桃酥

Ingredients
300 gm plain flour                                                                        100 gm caster sugar125 ml vegetable oil (may need a bit more or a bit less)1/8 tsp salt1 tsp baking powder1 tsp sodium bicarbonate1 egg beaten to glazeMethod Sieve flour with the ba…

A Very Happy New Year to one and All 
All the Very Best in 2020
This is my first attempt at baking with spelt flour and I was quite skeptical at the beginning for I do not know how the texture of the cake will turn out.  But after reading through the recipe which calls for about half spelt and half self-raising flour, I have more confidence to give it a go.  Spelt is low in gluten and perhaps that's the reason why the recipe calls for only half spelt flour.  The cake turned out swell and the texture was good, soft and moist.



Carrot Walnut Cake with Spelt Flour ~  胡萝卜核桃蛋糕

Ingredients
115 gm wholemeal spelt flour113 gm self-raising flour140 gm soft or dark brown sugar4 large eggs70 gm walnuts, chopped70 gm sultanas, chopped300 gm (about 2 medium size) carrots, gratedZest from 1 orange1 cup vegetable oil1 tsp baking powder1 tsp cinnamona pinch of saltIcing sugar for dusting (optional)Method Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper.Sift self-raising flour with baking powder, salt…

This simple yet delectable and soothing Matcha Pudding is a delicious sweet treat to round up a meal.  I adapted the recipe from  'Justonecookbook.com',  reduced the sugar, tweaked it but doubled the recipe. It was well received by members of the family and the pudding were finished in a jiffy!



Matcha Pudding  ~  抹茶布丁 
Ingredients
2 Tbsp matcha/green tea powder10 gm gelatine powder4 Tbsp hot water2.1/2 cups milk70 gm mixture of caster and raw sugarMethod Sift the matcha powder into a bowl.Put the gelatine powder into a bowl and pour in the hot water to mix.Heat up a cup of water in a saucepan and place the bowl of gelatine on top.  Once the gelatine powder dissolves, remove and set aside.In another small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil (when bubbles are seen at the side of the saucepan), turn off heat.Add in the sugar mixture and whisk till dissolved.Take 6 Tbsp of milk mixture from (step 5 above) and add into the green tea mixture.  Whisk till no lumps and the mixture is nice…

This is a simple recipe which calls for hazelnut meal, which is the star ingredient alongside eggs and sugar.  Easy to make and full of hazelnut flavour, it's an awesome cake especially for those who are allergic to wheat flour and dairy.  You can also look 'here' at another Flourless Orange Almond cake which I posted not too long ago.  Perhaps you can bake this and serve your friends and relatives, this Christmas!




Gluten-free hazelnut orange cake  ~  无麸榛子香橙蛋糕
Ingredients
6 large egg yolks 200 gm hazel nut meal140 gm caster sugar60 ml orange juiceZest from 1 orange6 egg whitesMethod Prepare a 9 inch round nonstick springform pan, line the base, grease and dust the sides with flour.Separate the egg yolks and whites.Whisk the egg yolks with sugar till creamy and the colour much lighter, until the ribbon stage.Add in orange juice.Sieve or mix the hazel nut meal into the egg yolk mixture and mix till fully incorporated into the batter.Beat egg whites till stiff peaks.Fold in 1/3 …

This is a simple one-pot meal which I serve quite often at home, especially during the hot and dry spell. Something soupy is very welcome in my family.  It's refreshing and not too heavy which can be served for lunch or dinner.



Pork Misua Soup ~  面线肉汤

Ingredients

350 gm chicken bones for broth350 gm minced porkeggs (optional)vegetable of your own choice2 servings of MisuaSeasoning for minced pork - 1 tsp Rose wine, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp oyster sauce, 1/4 tsp salt and a dash of pepperMethod Clean and blanch chicken bones in some hot water. Rinse.In a pot, add about 3 cups of water and once the water is boiling, add in the chicken bones and let cook for about an hour.  Discard the chicken bones.Scoop some seasoned minced meat and cook in the soup.  Break in an egg if desired.In another pot, boil some water and blanch the vegetable, then cook the misua.Place the misua in a bowl, arrange the vegetable, minced pork, egg and soup.Serve with chopped bird eye chillies and some chopped ga…

In Chinese medicine, Osmanthus is well known to detoxify the body, improve dry skin and reduce phlegm.  I like the sweet and fresh fragrance of the Osmanthus and this is a simple recipe.  It's a dessert, it's a snack, it's a breakfast or anything you want it to be.  Enjoy!



Osmanthus Chiffon Cake ~ 桂花戚风蛋糕
Ingredients
(A)
6 large egg yolks
120 gm plain flour
3 Tbsp honey
100 ml vegetable oil
240 ml hot water
4 Tbsp Osmanthus flowers

(B)
6 large egg whites
120 gm caster sugar
1.1/2 Tbsp or 14 gm cornflour

Method
Boil 240 ml water together with 4 Tbsp dried Osmanthus flowers.  Strain out 160 ml tea and keep the flowers aside.  Let the tea cool.Sift the plain flour twice.Whisk the egg yolks with honey, then add in oil, Osmanthus tea.  Mix well together and then add in the strained Osmanthus flowers to blend in.  Sift in the flour, mix well.Combine sugar and cornflour.In a clean bowl, beat egg whites till foamy, add in half the cornflour and sugar mixture, then gradually add in the b…

I was introduced to this Hawaiian Biscuit by a friend who bought this for me to try.  I was curious about the name and was wondering what's so 'Hawaiian' about these biscuits.  I understood, after the first bite of a Macadamia nut.  So the 'Hawaiian' thing is the Macadamia nut.  Since I have some lotus paste left after the mooncake festival, thought I'd give this a try.  I used the recipe for the pastry from my 'Lo  Por Paeng/Wife Biscuit' post and just wrap up some lotus paste with some Macadamia nuts.  This is a yummy biscuit to be enjoyed at any time of the day and the biscuits stayed crispy even on the fourth day, kept in an air-tight container.






Hawaiian Biscuits  ~  夏威夷饼
Ingredients

Oil dough
80 gm plain flour
50 to 60 gm shortening

Water dough
100 gm plain flour
40 gm shortening
30 to 35 ml cold water 

300 gm lotus paste (divide into 8 portions, approx. 35 gm each and wrap each portion with 4 Macadamia nuts)
32 Macadamia nuts
1 egg, beaten, to glaze

…