Twix Treats

        My classwork for my masters class has been going really well lately.  The best way to celebrate is to make treats.  I love looking through fun cooking blogs and finding unique recipes.  This is just one of those recipes.  I got the idea from The Pastry Affair.  At first, neither Zach or myself cared for it.  It was just too rich/sweet.   I decided to put them in the freezer.  Items usually appear in the freezer for one of two reasons.  1. It isn't looking like the same consistency it was when I first made it, but I can't throw food out. So, I put it in the freezer where it just ends up getting freezer burnt.  After a couple months, I find it and think, this is so freezer burnt, no one can eat it.  At that point I feel that it is ok to throw out.  I don't do this on purpose.  It's just a pattern I've started to notice. 
       The second reason....I love how some consistencies of food change when frozen.  For example, I love frozen grapes.  They're fabulous to eat when it's hot outside.  And it seems like you get more for your money, b/c you eat them much slower.  There also is a type of yogurt here in Taiwan that I love frozen.  It's almost like ice-cream consistency when placed in the freezer. (which finding a sweet, yummy ice-cream in Taiwan is hard to come by...well, unless you go to Coldstone.)  
       So for the twix treats, I opted for the latter option, but realistically thought that it would turn into the first option.  Of course, the next day when I was really craving some kind of sugar, I realized it was absolutely delicious frozen!  Now, I know that not everyone's taste buds are the same, but if you decide to make this treat, definitely put one in the freezer and see what you think.  The freezer was the only way that Zach was gonna eat almost a full treat.  It was just too sweet/rich for him otherwise.


Twix Cookies  Yields 36 cookies

 Shortbread Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini-muffin pan.
Beat together the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the flour and continue beating until the mixture has the appearance and texture of sand.


Heap the dough into the muffin cups. Press firmly into the cups. Make a circular indent with your thumb to make a nice pocket for the caramel.    Bake shortbread cookies for 15 minutes, no more no less. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before moving to a cooling rack.

Caramel
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

(I accidentally burned the first batch of caramel.  Be careful not to have the stove up too high).  
To prepare the caramel, heat the sugar in a thick-bottomed large saucepan on a moderately high heat. As the sugar begins to melt, stir quickly to allow for even heating. Once boiling, do not stir the sugar. Once the sugar is a dark amber in color (like an old penny), add butter. Whisk until the butter is melted. Remove from heat.
Wait a few seconds before adding the cream. The sugar will boil, bubble, and steam like crazy (watch out for your hands) and whisk until caramel becomes smooth. Let cool.
Fill the cooled shortbread cookies with caramel and allow to settle.

While I was making the caramel, it reminded me of my Grandma's house.  She would often make caramel candies or use a caramel icing on top of zucchini bread. 

Irresistible Mango Pie

  
     I never really understood what people's fascination with mangoes was all about.  It's not to say that I had a bad experience with mangoes.  I've had ones in the U.S., Taiwan, and the Philippines (supposedly the home of mangoes).  And yet, none were anything special.  Oh well...
     This year we had a Friday vespers/dedication for the upcoming school year.  Along with the dedication came an agape feast.  For some reason I wasn't too hungry that night.  I did notice some enticing chunks of mango lying on Zach's plate.  I have a habit of sampling the food from Zach's plate, but I don't see this as being a terrible habit.  I return the food items that I don't want to eat anymore.  :)
    I was completely surprised at the flavor of this mango.  It tasted like candy.  I kept wandering back up to the table to get more even though I wasn't hungry in the first place.  Eating that delicious mango made me excited for the intense flavors of fruit that we'll have in heaven.  I can give up cookies for fruit even better than that.
     After eating such delicious mango, I was now on the hunt to find some for myself.  I bought 3 different kinds of mangoes, and all have proved to be delicious.  I have, however, preferred the larger, yellow ones.   They seem to be a little less sweet.
      Mango season doesn't last too awfully long in Taiwan, and I had a great idea.  I'm going to make mango pie!  I had tried mango pie in Hawaii at a friend's house, and I loved it.  I just had never thought about making it.  I looked up lots of recipes and wasn't too satisfied with anything that I was finding.  So, I mixed and matched a few recipes.  I think mangoes are pretty unforgiving fruit, and it's real easy to experiment with them.  With all that said, here's my Irresistible Mango Pie!


Irresistible Mango Pie
- Pastry for 9" two crust pie - I used the recipe from Better Homes and Garden cookbook Pie crust recipe
- 4 cups fresh mango, sliced (about one really large yellow mango)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3/4 cup of sugar (you can add more if you like your pie to be quite sweet)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon (I didn't feel like using cinnamon, so I used almond extract.)

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Prepare the pastry as directed.  Mix the mango and lemon juice.  Stir together sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Mix with mango.  Turn into pastry lined pan.  Cover with the top crust.  I made lattice top pie crust since I was running out of pie dough.  Cover the edges of the pie with tin foil to keep it from browning too much/too quickly.  Remove the foil in the last 15 minutes of baking.  Bake the pie for 35 to 45 minutes or until the crust is brown.  And don't forget, serve the pie ala mode. 

The crumbles of my pie crust.

This is my favorite type of mango.  

Cut the mango horizontally and then vertically. 

Next, gently slice the mango into your bowl.  As they say on Masterchef, let the knife do the work. 

Mmm... Hao Hao Chi. 

 

Ready for the oven!

Pie looks great, but don't you like my apron?  My mom and I made 4 aprons like this over the summer.

Finished product.  Just missing the ice-cream.

Isn't-It-Just-Easier-To-Buy-It

I'm never one to get into the whole new years resolutions.  Every so often I open up my journal and check off my accomplished goals and add new ones.   That's as close as I get to setting new years resolutions.  As I opened up my journal today, I realized that one goal which I haven't been able to check off is blogging more.  I have lots of ideas of things to blog about, but my mind is just lazy to have to find the words to express my thoughts.  I wish I could just take all my thoughts and transfer them directly to this blog.  Writing doesn't come easy for me, and no matter what I'm never satisfied with my style of writing.  I teach my students multiple writing strategies, but I rarely use them in my own writing as I'm just too lazy to try  

Twisting pretzels...what fun..

Zach got in on the action

Another goal I've had in my journal for quite some time now is..."Making Isn't-It-Just-Easier-To-Buy-It recipes."  The kind of recipes that my husband will say, "You can make that homemade?"  When Zach and I were dating, I told him of the many foods that Heinrichs made from scratch, things such as root beer, pasta, caramels...  To me, homemade root beer was completely normal.  Who doesn't make it?  Well, he made such a big deal out of it that I ended up tricking him into thinking that we also made banana gum and other seemingly impossible foods.   

    Since we live in Taiwan, there's even more of a push to make Isn't-It-Just-Easier-To-Buy-It recipes.   For example, graham crackers are a true find if you discover them here.  Who even makes their own graham crackers?  This is the type of challenge I like.

By the end of some recipes, I realized I will keep on buying it.  Ravioli was such a recipe.  It looked so easy, but I was sorely mistaken.  Whether it was the humidity or my lack of expertise, they turned into one big ravioli.  Zach liked it, but I chose not to eat them.  They looked so nice at first.  Notice, I took a before cooking picture, but I couldn't get myself to take an after picture.

Delicious gnocchi

Gnocchi, on the otherhand, was amazing.  Berry Strudel.  I thought making a berry strudel instead of an apfel would be yummier.  It didn't taste bad, but nothing to be proud of.  Still, Zach ate it.  Pretzels...hmmm...As the Chinese say, they were hai Hao, (so-so).  Zach enjoyed eating them. (starting to notice the pattern here?)   They certainly were fun to make.

Ravioli...you look so good here

This now brings us to my recent endeavor...pitas.  I will say this was a hit, which is the only reason why I'm taking the time to actually write the recipe out.  I got this recipe from Novel Eats, a vegan blog.  If you're interested in going vegan, this blog had some tasty looking recipes.

Pita Bread

• 3 cups flour (white or whole wheat, or a little of both.  I did half and half.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 packet yeast (or, if from bulk, 2 teaspoons yeast)
• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water, roughly at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, vegetable oil, vegan butter, or shortening

Directions:

Mix the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar.  Add the olive oil and 1 1/4 cup water and stir together with a spoon.  All of the ingredients should form a ball. If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water.  

Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place the ball on a work surface and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. If you are using an electric mixer, mix it at low speed for 10 minutes.

When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. Form a ball out of the dough and place it into the bowl, rolling the ball of dough around in the bowl so that it has a light coat of oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.

When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down and divide it into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it’ll be easier to shape.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to preheat as well. If you do not have a baking stone, turn a cookie sheet upside down and place it on the middle rack of the oven while you are preheating the oven. This will be the surface on which you bake your pita.

After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough.

You should be able to roll it out to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. (Make sure you don't roll them too thin. I rolled the first couple pitas too thin, and they didn't poof up.) They should be baked for about 3 minutes.

I also made a couple dips to put in my pita.  For the falafel, I cheated and used a mix.  Next time, I'll try to make my own falafel.

Tsatsiki (my all time favorite dip!)

1 large cucumber

1/2 t. salt

2 cloves garlic, minced  (If you're not a huge fan of garlic, do only 3/4-1 clove)

2 t. fresh mint, diced

2 t. fresh dill, diced

1 3/4 c. plain yogurt (I substitute this with soft tofu, and it's great)

2 t. lemon juice

1 T. olive oil

Directions:

Peel the cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise, andn scrape out the seeds with a spoon.

Dice the cucumber (as fine as desired).  Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 10 minutes.  Drain using coffee filters.  (The first time I made it, I drained it with a coffee filter.  I don't bother to do it as I feel it takes too much time for not much of a difference.)  Add the garlic, mint, dill, and yogurt (or tofu).  (If you're using tofu, I just put it all in the blender except for the cucumber.  It makes it nice and smooth.)   Stir in remaining ingredients.

Serve with chips, veggies, in pitas, or on sandwiches. 

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus

- This is a mixture of multiple recipes I found online.  The measurements are all approximations.  Season it to taste. 

16 ounces chickpeas (I cooked my own chickpeas, and I used about 2 cups)

6 ounces roasted red bell peppers

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice 

Pitas with dollops of hummus and tsatsiki

2- teaspoons oregano

1-2 tablespoons tahini (I didn't have any, but most hummus recipes call for it) 

salt to taste

  

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until pureed.  Let set up for 1 hour prior to serving.

Serve with toasted pita bread.

There you have it.  Delicious pitas and dips.

Persimmons

I had heard the word "persimmon" before, but I never really knew what type of fruit it was.  Just like when I'm reading a book to my students, and suddenly a hand goes up.  What does (fill in blank) mean?   Well, it's a ...um....it's...you know...let's see...we'll just keep reading.
I knew I had heard of a persimmon before, but if someone had asked me to describe them, I would have had a terrible time.  To be honest, the first 1 year here, I saw them in the grocery stores and just thought they were weird tomatoes.  It wasn't until another teacher had them in their home and suggested that I try one.  Not bad.  It didn't have a huge flavor, which in my book usually means it's good.
Shortly before our Christmas trip, I came across a vegan persimmon bread recipe.  I love making random baked goods that I've never heard of, and I was eager for the challenge.  I was impressed that even though this was a vegan recipe, it didn't call for any crazy vegan ingredients like carob, tofutti products, egg replaces, etc... I just don't have those things in my kitchen; nor are they available in Taiwan.  I'm always on the hunt for some simple vegan recipes, and this seemed to be just that.

I got the recipe from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen blog http://blog.fatfreevegan.com

Persimmon Bread 

1 1/4 cups persimmon, mashed or blended (about 2 Taiwanese persimmons...I hear they are much bigger here than the variety in the States)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons canola oil or unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup agave nectar (or substitute 1/2 cup plus 2 T. sugar and 2 T. water)- it was plenty sweet for me, if you like things not so sweet, cut out part of the sugar
2 cups whole wheat flour (I used 1 cup white and 1 cup whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ginger (since I dislike ginger, I substituted it with cinnamon)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup raisins- (I obmitted both the raisins and walnuts)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts


Preheat oven to 350. Oil or spray a loaf pan or bundt pan.

Mixing the batter

In a small bowl, mix the persimmon, lemon juice, oil or apple sauce, and agave nectar. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, except for raisins and walnuts. Pour the wet into the dry and mix just until all flour is moistened (do not over-mix). Fold in the raisins and walnuts, if desired.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes.   Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan. Cool completely before serving.

Note: Low-fat quickbreads like this really benefit from being allowed to cool completely, which is why they often taste better the next day. The crust, which is chewier than breads with oil, will gather moisture and softness over time.

Makes about 12 servings

Fall is here!

Over the last few years, fall has definitely become my favorite season.   Don't get me wrong.  I love summer, but there's nothing quite so cozy as cuddling up in a warm blanket or stepping out the door in a sweater and feeling just a little chilled.   I decided to compose a list to explain why fall is such a remarkable season:

• Sweaters
• Red, orange, yellow, brown...all the colors of the trees
• Apple cider
• Pumpkins - anything pumpkin flavored
• Crisp air 
• Cinnamon
• Leaves to play in or merely crunch
• Scarves!
• Leaving the windows open in the house 
• Getting out the warm blanekts
• Enjoying the warmth from an oven
• Candles
• Soup days-the days where feel the soup warming your entire body
• The Holiday season approaching
• Making autumn art with my students
• Pumpkin Patches
• Sweatpants
• Running outside and being cold afterwards
• Baking bread-specifically crescent rolls

The last one leads me to the reason for this blog.  I love crescent rolls!  It has been a tradition of mine at Thanksgiving to outdo the previous year's count for crescent rolls.  Currently, my record is 8 large ones, of course that includes gobbling down all the other Thanksgiving fixings too.  It still is over a month until Thanksgiving, but yesterday was the first cool day of the year here in Taiwan.  I celebrated by making crescent rolls.  

This recipe comes from my Aunt Connie.  She made it every Thanksgiving, and after years of practice, I think I have finally mastered how to make them.

Crescent Rolls
1 cup lukewarm water
3-4 Tablespoons yeast
3 cups water or milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
1 Tablespoon salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
Enough white flour to make a medium dough

Dissolve yeast in warm water.   Mix all ingredients and knead for 8-10 minutes.  Cover and the let the dough rise until it has doubled.  Take a handful of dough and roll into a 12 inch circle.  Spread with soft margarine, except for the center.  Cut into 12 wedges.  Roll each wedge, starting with wide end and tucking tip under.   (Sometimes I grab the wide end and rolling it up in the air).  Let rise on greased sheet for 30 minutes.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Brush with melted margarine if desired and cool.

Typhoon Fanapi

 Big Mac Veggie Burgers with Whole Wheat Buns

In Taiwan we don't get snow days, instead typhoon days.   I'd rather wake up to a world covered in snow than howling winds, but the excuse to stay indoors is always welcomed.  It only seemed right to bake some kind of bread on a cool and dreary day.  (I love rainy days!)  I just tried this bun recipe, and it turned out quite well.  I am always looking for ways to make things healthier, so next time I plan on omitting most of the sugar and adding more whole wheat flour.   I got the vegetarian patty recipe from Zach's Mom 2 summers ago, and they have quickly become our favorite veggie burger!

Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
2 Tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
1 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Warm Water
1/3 Cup Oil
1/4 Cup Sugar or less
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups All-Purpose
1 3/4 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the oil and sugar, and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.
Add the egg, salt, white flour, and 1 1/2 cups of the wheat flour, combining until it forms a soft dough.  Add the additional 1/4 cup of wheat flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes or so.
Divide the dough into 8 pieces, shape each into a thick disc, and place them on baking sheets about 3 inches apart.
Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Lightly cover the balls of dough and let them rest for about 10 minutes (or longer if you wish).
Pop them in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool on a wire rack.  Yields 8 buns.

Big Mac Veggie Burgers 

½ c. garbanzo beans (1/4 c before soaking)

½ c water

1 c uncooked rolled oats

1 c finely chopped walnuts

1 med. Onion, minced

1-2 t salt

1 t sage

Whiz in blender, transfer to a bowl.  Add and mix with spoon.   Form patties in oiled skillet, brown both sides over med. Heat.  Don’t rush- cover for 1^st side serve in buns or in casserole with gravy.   

Mixing up the ingredients after they've been blended.

Frying the burgers.