ALMOND COOKIES

    Almond Cookies or Almond Biscuits - are an utter treat with a light, crumbly & melt-in-mouth texture. This is an easy to make cookie recipe with simple ingredients. And above all, it has a wonderful nutty aroma, which comes from the Almond Meal or roasted & powdered Almonds. These are absolute festive favourites often served during Chinese New Year, and also best suits to be served as a Tea Time Snack.

 

    When it comes to baking cookies, I have seen that festivities are so synonymous to Cookies in Malaysia. They have their special Cookies for each occasion. And when it comes to Chinese New Year, Pineapple Tarts(Nastar Gulung) tops the list along with Cashew Cookies, Almond Cookies, Peanut Cookies, Butter Cookies, and there is a long list to follow. So, this is one special Cookie for Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year.

 

    Let's pop into a few important factors before baking Almond Cookies. These doubts were the ones which popped into my mind when I wanted to bake these Chinese Almond Cookies. The recipe called for Almond Flour. What came to my mind was Almond Meal or Almond Flour. Then searching through the web and fixing up my mind to what may suit my instinct.

 

Almond Flour /Almond Meal

 

    Suit yourself with any of the above. Can use both because almond flour/almond meal/almond powder. All the same, the above is made out of grounded almonds. 

Almond Flour/Almond Powder is sold with the finest grind of blanched almond.

Almond Meal is slightly coarser as the skin is also blended. 

I feel the Almond Meal brings out the best flavours for this recipe. Traditional Chinese Almond Cookies have those crumbs of Almonds in the cookies as you chew on them.

Homemade Almond Flour

 

    The next issue which popped up as - I went shopping for Almond Flour, which I thought was a bit expensive for me.  

    So next step went with the idea of making Almond Flour at home, which suited my convenience & purse. So my personal preference was homemade Almond Flour for the recipe. Can grind the Almonds with skin or blanch them, roast it briefly until dry and then grind it into Almond Flour. Just blend the almonds finely/coarsely. Do not blend them for too long, which would bring out the essential oils from the Almonds making it oily.

 

Oil

 

    One main point, what oil to use? 

    Any standard oil suits well for this recipe preferably which has no overwhelming flavour/smell. I have used Sunflower Oil, as it is what I had. You can get easy with any type of Vegetable Oil, Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, etc. But traditional Chinese Almond Cookies use Peanut Oil.

 

Decorating the Almond Cookie 

   

    Though a personal choice,

    You can use one whole almond to top each cookie. Or you can cut each whole almond into two halves and top each cookie with a half almond. Can decorate the Cookies with Slivered Almonds too, which is my personal favourite. If you are short on time, you can leave the cookies plain.

 

Baking Time

     

    Adjust the baking time to suit your oven settings. I baked it for about 15 minutes. Do not bake for more than 15-18 minutes. The cookies tend to set while cooling down. The more the baking time the Almond Cookie can get hard & chewy.

 

Storing Suggestion

 

    Cool the cookies in the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Gently remove the cookies and cool on wire rack. Once the cookies are completely cool, store in airtight containers. Store them in a cool, dry & moist free area, away from the sunlight. If stored properly, lasts up to 4-6 weeks. Serves good as a snack or enjoy the cookies with a good cup of Coffee/Tea.

 

    Serve these cookies for the upcoming Chinese New Year with a fine cup of quality Chinese Tea.

恭喜發財 

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!!

Wishing you a prosperous New Year!!!

 

 

 Recipe Type - Cookies, Snacks 

 Difficulty - Easy 

 Yields - 12 - 15 Cookies

 Author - SM

 

 Preparation Time - 10 -15 Minutes

 Baking Time - 12- 15 Minutes for 1 Batch

 

 

 

 

 

HOW TO COOK CHINESE ALMOND COOKIES

ALMOND COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

 

For Almond Cookies:

All-purpose Flour - 130 Gms

Almond Flour- 90 Gms

Icing Sugar - 80 Gms

Salt - 1/4 Tspn 

Unsalted Butter - 30 Gms

Vegetable Oil - 45 Gms

Milk - 1 Tspn(Optional)

 

 

For Glazing:

 

Egg Yolk – of an Egg

Water – Few Tspns

For Toppings:

 

Slivered Almonds - 50 Gms(toasted)

METHOD:

 

• Preheat the oven at 180° Celsius for about 10 minutes.
• Let the Butter be at room temperature.
• Grind the rest of the Almonds into a fine powder and keep it aside. 
• Combine All-purpose Flour, Icing Sugar, Salt and sift it once.
• Add Almond Powder to the sifted flour mixture and mix well.
• In a separate bowl, stir in the softened Butter and Oil.
• Soften it with a wooden/rubber spatula until smooth and well combined.
• Add the Flour Mixture to the Butter-Oil mix.
• Gently mix it to form a soft dough.
• If you feel the Cookie dough to be crumbly/dry, add about 1 tsp of Milk to it & mix it well.
• Line up a Baking tray with baking sheet/parchment paper.
• Scoop 1 Tspn of Almond Cookie Dough and shape it into a ball. 
• Slightly flatten the cookies and arrange them 2cm apart on the tray.
• Cookies will spread a little during baking.
• Meanwhile, beat the Egg Yolk with a few teaspoons of water.
• Brush the top of the Almond Cookies with the egg glaze.
• Place a few slivered almonds on top of every cookie and brush with egg glaze once again.
• Bake at 180° Celsius for 15 minutes.
• Allow Almond Cookies to cool completely.
• Store it in an airtight container.

NOTES:

 

• Can prepare the same cookies by substituting Almonds with Cashew nuts.
• I have used powdered Almonds( with skin) in this recipe.
• If you need to use Almonds without skin, then blanch them in hot water for about 20-30 minutes, remove the skin and allow the Almonds to dry on a clean kitchen towel.
• Then toast the Almonds until they emit a wonderful nutty aroma and turns dry.
• Do not to burn the Almonds or leave it wet.
• The Cookie dough should be soft and not crumbly.
• Can add a few teaspoons of Milk, if the dough is crumbly. But it optional. 
• Can shape the Almond Cookies into Balls or Cube-shaped or flatten it up or shape it into your preferred design.
• Baking time depends on the type of oven used. Adjust accordingly. 
• Do not bake for a long time. The cookie may turn hard & chewy. 

CANTONESE CHICKEN & CORN SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

To Marinate the Chicken:

To Cook Chicken & Sweet Corn:

Marinated Chicken Pieces(boneless) - 250 Gms
Sweet Corn - 1 Cob
Water - 1 Cup
Salt - To Taste

For Chicken & Corn Soup:

Sesame Oil - 1 Tbspn
Garlic - 1 Clove
Ginger - a small Piece
Homemade Chicken Stock - 2 Cups
Pepper Powder - 1 Tspn
Soy Sauce - 1 Tspn
Salt - To Taste

To Thicken the Soup:

Corn Flour - 1 Tbspn
Cold Water - 2 Tbspns

 

For Garnishing:

Spring Onions - few

METHOD:

 

To Marinate the Chicken:

 

• Clean, wash and cut chicken pieces into thin strips.
• Marinate the Chicken Pieces with Soy Sauce, White Pepper, Salt & Sugar and leave it aside for about 4-6 Hours/overnight.
  

 

To Cook Chicken & Sweet Corn:

• Place the Corn Cob on a Cutting board upright and gently slice through the Corn Kernels with a sharp knife. 
• Collect the Kernels and the Cob.
• Place the Chicken Pieces, Corn Kernels and the Cob along with a dash of salt in a Saucepan or a Pressure Cooker.
• Pour in enough water & Cook until the Chicken Pieces & the Kernels turn soft & tender.
• Remove the Cob and discard it.
• Once the chicken pieces are cooked, shred it up into small pieces.
• Remove half the amount of cooked Kernels from the Saucepan and allow it to cool.
• Once cooled, blend the corn kernels into a coarse paste and keep it aside.

 

For Chicken & Corn Soup:

• Meanwhile, heat Sesame oil in a Pan & Saute finely chopped Garlic cloves and Ginger pieces on a very low flame.
• Pour in the homemade Chicken Stock and allow it to boil.
• Add the shredded Chicken Pieces, cooked Corn Kernels along with a dash of Salt & Pepper and give a quick stir.
• Pour in a dash of Soy Sauce & give a quick stir.
  
• Pour in the blended Corn Paste/Creamed Corn(from the can) to the above and mix well
• Adjust the consistency of the Soup by adding Water.
• Cook this on a low flame for about 5-10 minutes.
• Mix Corn flour along with 2 Tbspns of Cold Water. Make sure there are no lumps.
• Lower the flame & slowly pour in the Corn Flour mixture to the Chicken & Corn Soup.
• While pouring the Corn Flour Mixture make sure to reduce the heat and stir the soup continuously.
• Cook on a very low flame for few minutes or until you get the desired consistency.
• Garnish the Cantonese Chicken & Corn Soup with finely chopped Spring Onions.
• Serve hot.

CANTONESE CHICKEN & CORN SOUP

NOTES:

 

• Increase the amount of Sweet Corn & Chicken Pieces if you prefer a strong flavour of the ingredients in the Soup.
• Cooking and shredding the Chicken Pieces initially helps to get soft texture chicken pieces in the Soup.
• Adding it directly into the soup can make it cling to each other and you may find it difficult to break it up and shred.
• Once the cooked Chicken Pieces are added into the Soup base make sure to cook it on a low flame.
• Vigorous boiling can toughen the chicken meat. 
• If you want to have a very smooth soup, do not cut the corn too close to the cob and blend the corn for at least 2 minutes.
• I have used Sesame Oil in this recipe, can substitute it with any other Vegetable Oil of your choice.
  
• Adjust the amount of Salt and Pepper depending on your personal preference.
• Store-bought Chicken Stock may have added Salt & Seasoning in it. Adjust accordingly.
• Adjust the consistency of the Soup to suit your preference.
• While adding the Corn Flour mixture to the soup make sure the flame is at low and stir the soup continuously for a silky even texture.

CHINESE CABBAGE & SAUSAGE STIR FRY

    When it comes to Stir-fries, I love the Chinese technique which uses a quick-cooking method with mild seasonings, which brings out the overall taste, flavour & keeps the very nature & texture of the vegetable added. Using a Wok, high temperature, quick-cooking & mild seasonings is all about Chinese style simple Stir-fries.

 

    Though I make several stir-fries inspired from the Veggies I eat at restaurants, this Cabbage & sausage Stir fry is an all-new recipe which I tried out recently. What caught my attention with this recipe was the combination of Cabbages & Sausages & adding simply hand-torn Cabbage Leaves fancied me a lot. No cutting, slicing or mincing - the Cabbage Leaves are hand-torn for this recipe. I am not sure whether it yields any extra texture, but the idea fancied me. What I felt after I dished out this stir fry was that the torn cabbage leaves were aesthetically appealing, and each piece remained separated. Which could not be yielded when cut by a knife(layers of cabbage tend to stay together, right?) And it is a quick stir fry which is cooked within 2 minutes, so if you add the centre ribs of the Cabbage Leaves, it may not get cooked within this time. 

 

    I usually use a variety known as Taiwanese Flat Cabbage, a variety locally available for this recipe. These Cabbages are oblate -shaped with loosely packed leaves. The regular ones(Green, white/purple Cabbages) have densely packed layers. Even Napa Cabbages or the Sweetheart Cabbages can also be used for this recipe. What we need is tender & thin Cabbage Leaves, which is easy to be cooked through. And mainly it should stay tender, crispy & sweet once cooked. And this quick-cooking method retains the nutrients too.

 

Few points to remember while cooking Cabbage & Sausage stir Fry:

 

• Use Taiwanese Flat Cabbage/Napa Cabbage/Sweetheart Cabbage for the recipe.

• Tear the Cabbage Leaves into irregular pieces( no need to cut it with a knife).

• Hot wok, cold oil - allow the wok to smoke off before pouring the oil.

• High flame & quick cooking

• Stir constantly & don't overcook.

 

    As the cooking technique uses a high temperature, the small-sized ingredients like garlic, ginger & spices may burn off easily. So, make sure to stir continuously throughout the process to ensure even heating & also it helps to avoid burning of the ingredients. And above all, don't overcook. Overcooking can make the cabbage soggy & will lose its crunchy texture.

 

For more STIR-FRY RECIPES, Click here....

 

Cuisine - Chinese, Southeast Asian
Course - Side Dish
Spice Level - Low - Medium
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 2-3
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 5 - 10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 3 - 5 Minutes


For more SOUTHEAST ASIAN RECIPES, Click here...

 

 

 

HOW TO COOK CHINESE CABBAGE & SAUSAGE STIR FRY 

CHINESE CABBAGE & SAUSAGE STIR FRY

INGREDIENTS:

 

Oil - 1 Tbspn

Sausages - 3 Nos. 

Garlic - 3 Cloves

Ginger - 3 Slices

Dry Red Chillies - 5-6 Nos.

Cabbage - 250 Gms

Carrots - 100 Gms

Dark Soy Sauce/Oyster Sauce - 1/2 Tspn

Light Soy Sauce - 1/2 Tspn

Rice Wine Vinegar - 1/4 Tspn

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - a Pinch

 

CHINESE CABBAGE & SAUSAGE STIR FRY

PREPARATION:

 

• Clean, Wash & Hand tear the Cabbage Leaves & keep them aside.
• Clean, peel & wash the Carrots and cut them into 1" slices.
  
• Cut the Sausages into thin slices and keep them aside.
• Clean, Wash & cut Ginger into thin slices/strips.
• Peel & wash the Garlic and mince it. 
• Chop Spring Onions and keep them aside.

 

METHOD:

 

• Heat the wok until it lightly smokes off. 
• Then pour in the Oil.
• Snap off the Dry Red Chillies into 3-4 pieces, add it into the oil & give a quick stir.
• Immediately, add sliced Sausages along with Ginger & Garlic.
• Fry the sausages until it curls up a little.
• Now stir in the Cabbage, Carrots & the Spring Onions.
• When the Cabbage wilts, add dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, Rice Wine Vinegar, Salt & Sugar. 
• Stir fry the ingredients for about 15-20 minutes or so on a high flame.
• Switch off the flame and serve this Cabbage & Sausage stir fry hot.

 

CHINESE CABBAGE & SAUSAGE STIR FRY

NOTES:

 

• I have used Taiwanese Flat Cabbages in this recipe. Can be substituted with Sweet Heart Cabbages/Napa Cabbages.
• The original recipe uses Chinese Sausages or Pork Belly. I have cooked this recipe with normal Chicken Sausages instead.
• Adjust the Red Chillies to suit your spice level. 
  

 

SPICY SNAKE GOURD & EGG STIR FRY

 

   Malaysian Curry Houses or Mamak restaurants flaunt a wide variety of dishes. I love to have lunch in these restaurants especially, for the wide range of Veggies, a local lingo used for Stir-fries & Poriyals. The curries, gravies, fries with chicken, mutton, beef, egg, fish, squid, prawns, tofu, salted eggs & a whole lot of dishes with veggies. All these dishes would be lined up in serving trays & displayed within a glass case, from which we can choose our preferred curries & side dishes which would be served into our plate. I would mostly end up with more Veggies in my plate rather than any non-vegetarian side dishes. And mainly I would be sure to take a serving of deep-fried bitter gourds.

   

    Well, this spicy Snake Gourd & Egg Stir Fry is one dish I got into my cooking repertoire. Inspired & replicated from the lunch arenas in Malaysian Curry Houses. This recipe was a different version, from what I had eaten before. A spicy stir fry made with Snake Gourds cut differently into a U shape or can we say C Shaped? We can find two versions of the same, sometimes without Eggs in it. This dish can be found in almost all Indian Curry Houses and Mamak Shops in Malaysia.

     

   Though an Indian dish prepared to suit the local palate has given this dish a new dimension. This recipe is a spicy and dry version compared to the ones available in eateries. This spicy stir-fry goes well with Fragrant Rice or Fried Rice. It can also be eaten as a side dish along with rice and curry.

 

For more MALAYSIAN RECIPES, Click here...

 

 Cuisine - Malaysian Mamak Style

 Recipe Type - Stir Fry

 Spice Level - Medium - High

 Difficulty - Easy

 Serves - 2- 3 

 Author - SM

 

 Preparation Time - 10 - 12 Minutes 

 Cooking Time - 10 - 15 Minutes

 

For more STIR FRY RECIPES, Click here...

 

 

HOW TO COOK SPICY SNAKE GOURD & EGG STIR FRY

SPICY SNAKE GOURD & EGG STIR FRY

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

For Spicy Snake Gourd & Egg Stir Fry: 

 

Snake Gourd - 1 Medium Sized

Egg - 2 Nos.

Salt - 1 Tspn

Sugar - 2 Tspn

Oil - 1 Tbspn

For the Spice Paste:

 

Shallots - 4-5 Nos.

Garlic - 2 Cloves

Fresh Turmeric - 1 Small Piece

Dry Red Chillies - 2-3 Nos.

Red Bird's Eye Chillies (Chilli Padi) - 2-3 Nos.

 

METHOD:

 

• Trim both the ends and Scrape the whitish layer on the Snake Gourd with a knife.
• Cut it into two halves lengthwise and scoop out the white pulp with seeds.
• Cut Snake Gourd into 4-5mm thick strips and leave it aside.
• Soak Dried Red Chillies in hot water for 10 minutes.
• Grind it along with other ingredients mentioned under 'for the Spice Paste' into a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a pan and saute the Spice Paste on a low flame until oil separates from the mix and it turns aromatic for about 5-7 minutes.
• Add Snake Gourd, Salt and Sugar to the spice paste and mix well.
• At this stage, sprinkle some water if necessary.
• Saute it until the vegetable is cooked, and spice paste turns fragrant & dry.
• Meanwhile, Crack open the Eggs, beat it lightly along with a dash of Salt and Turmeric Powder.
• Push the Snake Gourd to one side of the pan. 
• Pour the beaten egg into the Pan & Scramble it on a medium flame until cooked.
• Now mix both the Snake Gourd and the scrambled eggs. 
• Serve it along with Fragrant Rice or any other dish of your choice.

SPICY SNAKE GOURD & EGG STIR FRY

 

 

NOTES:

 

• Adjust the amount of Dry Chillies and Red Bird's Eye Chillies to suit your spice level.
• Adding sugar is optional, but it helps to retain the colour of the vegetable. 
• Can add Turmeric powder instead of Fresh Turmeric.
• Do not overcook the Snake Gourd.
• Cooking on a high flame yields crunchy and sweet-tasting Snake Gourd.
• Snake Gourd should not be overcooked or turn soggy.
• Pushing off the cooked Snake Gourds to one side of the pan and then pour the Eggs & scramble it up.
• This way, the eggs can be scrambled well until cooked and doesn't get coated to the Snake Gourd.
• If you pour the eggs over to the Snake Gourd, it gets coated to the vegetable and doesn't get cooked well, which may result in an eggy smelling stir fry. 
• The same recipe can be prepared without Eggs too.  For Spicy Snake Gourd Stir Fry, click here...