Past month…

maybe blogging’s not my thing cuz I’m always too lazy to take photos and post them. blah

so my mom has a friend gathering, asking me to make some stuff…

The cookies are lime meltaways (from martha stewart website) i’ve made them many many times before…meaning they’re very good. I took the photo while they’re cooling and waiting for a bath in powdered sugar.

The other roundish things are matcha “cookies” with taro filling. I bought the canned taro filling from some chinese mart, but making it yourself is pretty easy too. Just cut the giant taro into chunks, then steam it, then puree/crush with sugar and some butter until it’s the right taste for you!

The skin is almost like a quick puff pastry in that it’s got (or suppose to have) many layers:

If you’re interested, here’s the recipe:

Matcha balls with Taro Filling

Water dough:

151 grams all purpose flour

57 grams butter or shortening

18 grams powdered sugar (regular sugar is ok too)

62 grams water

divide this into 36 gram pieces

Butter dough:

123 grams flour

5 grams matcha powder

64 grams butter or shortening

divide this into 24 gram pieces

1. wrap each butter dough (the green one) inside the water dough. roll out slightly with rolling pin, and roll it into a scroll. Flatten again, and roll again to form a small log. Cut log in half and flatten with cut side down. wrap filling inside.

For the filling, each portion will use 35 grams or taro paste.

For detailed pictures on how to make the skin, go to this website: http://www.meishichina.com/Eat/Nosh/200903/58977_2.html

After making the cookies, bake at 350 F for 25 minutes

Butter cookies

just like those sold in stores, except better cuz i made them. The recipe’s from this chinese baking book i got a few years ago, all measurements are in grams…because we’re exact people…yea

Just for the heck of it, i dipped the cookies in melted milk chocolate chips

Butter Spritz Cookie:

Yields 30 cookies (depending on size)

100 grams butter, softened

80 grams powdered sugar

90 grams all purpose flour

76 grams bread flour (it’s probably fine if you use all normal flour)

40 grams egg (about 1 small egg)

16 grams powdered milk (i didn’t use this because i didn’t have any…and because chinese powdered milk is alot more fine then American powdered milk, so it wouldn’t have worked very well)

pinch of salt

chocolate of your choice, for dipping

1. I dumped everything into a food processor and whirled until smooth…very easy

2. I piped the dough using a large star tip onto ungreased parchment lined sheet pan.

2. Bake in 350F oven for 15-20 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges.

3. cool for a few minutes before dipping into chocolate

SLowcooker Ribs (aka asian barbeque ribs)

it doesn’t have to be made in the slowcooker. i’m sure marinating, then grilled would work just as well

I got this recipe from another blog, originally meant for beef ribs. I’ve tried it with beef, pork, and chicken and they all work really well.

Slow cooker Pork Ribs

2 lbs baby back ribs, cut into pieces ( you can use chicken thighs or beef ribs)

5 cloves garlic

2 dried chilies, broken into a few pieces

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 tbsp white vinegar

a dash of sesame oil

1. put everything in the slow cooker, and cook on high for 3 hours (for pork. it takes longer for beef, and shorter for chicken)

3 hours later in the slow-cooker