Year of the Dragon... Celebrate with Almond Tea Cookies!

I was suppose to do a posting on Chinese New Year's day to show off my Almond Tea Cakes - a delicate crumbly cookie - that I made to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. But I got lazy (2 weeks later lazy... but hey, it's better late than never huh?).  Here they are!

I know... they're suppose to have a little almond sliver in the middle but I got lazy... but I thought... if I make a little indentation they can look like coin medallions!!! And the Chinese love it when things resemble money!  They'll eat it up (haha... get it?).  Ummm... hee hee? 

Took me about 4 tries to get these cookies right, the first time had too much oil in it (generally, these cookies call for lard, but I don't have it in my heart to use lard in my baking... not even in my pies) and the icing sugar didn't quite dissolve well into the dough.  The second time I added too much almond powder in them and they were just too dry and crumbly (although still good, reminded me of the peanut cakes I used to have as a kid).  But the last and final try... mmmm... a not too sweet and tender crumbly cookie with a big kick of almondy goodness (thanks to the almond powder and extract) - a perfect bite size treat with tea or coffee.  It's heaven with tea... hence I added the "tea" in the name of this cookie.

I know... I'm so creative.  Please stop... I know I'm brilliant to come up with "Almond Tea Cookies"... please stop... I insist.  eh-hem.

I haven't introduced them quite yet to my loyal customers, mainly because most of my family members gobbled them up.  I made a whole batch for my father (I gave him 24 cookies) to give away to his friends for good luck... but he never gave them away and kept eating them for a whole week after CNY.  I mean, I'm flattered considering my father is one of my biggest critics and he's from the typical Chinese older generation (this group generally does not like North American sweets instead favouring desserts such as the lightly sweetened Anna's Cake house sponge cake with fruit and whip cream). 

Anyways.... so my passion is what I call "North American Nostalgic Comfort" and I'm most comfortable in preparing these types of bake goods in my kitchen.  But for the past year or so, I've been interested in re-connecting with my Chinese roots.  I think this is mainly due to the fact that ever since my mom passed away 1.5 years ago, she was the only one that tried to keep me in touch with the Chinese culture.  Even my already bad Cantonese is getting worse as time goes on and I'm to the point where I don't even want to speak Cantonese to anyone beyond ordering from the push trolley dim sum carts.  So with this in mind, I've been a bit more curious in Chinese cooking and dessert making (I foresee making egg tarts in the near future... made without lard!) - I suppose you can say my mom has inspired me to take the initiative to rediscover my roots as one of my fears is that I won't be able to pass on what my culture has to offer to the next generation in my family. 

Question is... is Main Street ready to get a bit of Chinese bakery fusion?  I think so... especially if they have it with a delicious cup of North American styled tea (with cream and sugar anyone?).  Can't wait!

the scientist

Whew!  Now that the holidays are over I can start working on my business again.  After all the anxiety and worry about what to do next during the holidays I can finally start.... after I lose 10lbs from stuffing my face every day for the past 3 weeks.  Okay...maybe not... but the thought of recipe testing and development this month gives me a lot of anxiety.  How am I suppose to taste and consume everything I bake and lose weight?  It's stressful... it really is!!!


I know...

I know what your thinking...

"you have a tough job" 

or

"I'll help you with eating your baked goods!" 

- which is great, but can you imagine having to taste about 6-8 different versions of the same product?  It can be daunting AND, wait for it... wait for it......

I get a bit sick of sugar. 

Whhhhhhaaaa??? How can that be when I {heart}sugar!!!???  But how many times can you eat coconut cream pie or cinnamon buns or cookies?  Sometimes I can't even look at a bake good (poor things...).  But alas, I know it comes with the territory and when I open, I'll never have to eat a tested recipe ever again (... mmmm hmmmmm....).

So over the holidays, I was busy baking my butt off with a few orders from friends.  My "almost famous" peanut butter pie went to a entrepreneur buddy of mine who was off sugar, for like, 3 months (?? I know!!  O. M. G - she must have been bouncing off the walls after that sugar shock).  And then I made some mini black and white cupcakes for another friend's Christmas staff party.... See??? How pretty they are????

Devils Food and Vanilla Yellow Cake with Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream and Luscious Chocolate Buttercream (and yes, I always use real butter!!!).  I even sprinkled on iridescent glitter (if you can see it!). 

Anyhoo.... opening up a bakery + cafe is always conversation starter with new people I meet.  They always tell me how they can't bake but can cook and go on about the differences between the two.  I can see it because I can't cook (that's what my man's for!) but because I'm coming from the baking side... it's hard for me to see because I do it.  But then a couple of my Australian friends (who are leaving me to go back home before my bakery + cafe opening.... sniff) reminded me of what a science baking is (which is weird because I hated science and almost failed chemistry in high school!).  There is a lot to think about including not to  over beat or over whip or over crowd your precious cookies or cakes.  The tender loving care I do put in is to ensure the best product created... because as a good reminder if I don't, my cookies would turn out like this:

So yes, my friends, here is a sad example of a science experiment gone all wrong.  Over burnt, over crowded and over mixed Anzac Cookies.  Makes me shake my head in shame.  

Thanks James for reminding me that I really am a scientist at heart (take that Chem 11!)

my peanut butter baby....

Yah... I haven't made this one in a while, but I think this is what really started me going on the notion of opening up a bakery + cafe.  I was inspired to make this through reading a variety of blogs, cook books, Martha Stewart (yes, I know... but she does do some damn good stuff, Donna Hay and Better Home and Garden magazines. 

I think I did about half a dozen of them before I really got exactly what I wanted (and it included a peanut butter pot belly on me too).  First it was too much butter in the chocolate cookie crust, made it too hard and it also had a layer of melted chocolate just below the overly sweet peanut butter mousse - it was like trying to break chocolate cement with your teeth. 

That doesn't sound so bad...you say? 

Not when your about to get lock jaw and wanting to brush your teeth at the same time when eating it!

From there it was minor tweaks here and there, additions of other types of flavourings to bring out the peanut buttery goodness and give it a melt in your mouth texture. 

It was heaven.  Even my picky-palated brother-in-law thought it was the best thing EVER.  And my friends.  And me (that's the most important, non?).  An Oprah "ah-ha" moment came to me after that... what if... this could be on the in Vancouver Magazine's annual 100 best things to eat in Vancouver?  Ummmm, yeah!  I mean, if the lemon meringue pie from Acme Cafe can be awarded this title, why not "my precious" (now, say it like Gollum from LOTR)?  Can't wait to share it with my customers (and btw, I do custom orders now...just sayin').

hugs.

to post or not to post....

So, I was encouraged by a entrepreneur friend of mine to post my adventures in opening my first bakery + cafe, due to open in Mount Pleasant (on Main Street at 15th Ave), in Vancouver, BC - Spring of 2012 (cross fingers).  Do you really want to read about my dizzying adventures of opening a retail space and developing recipes? 

I actually don't know where to start, it's so far an overwhelming experience where I need to pinch myself a number of times over the course of a day and have occasional panic attacks of  "OMG, what the *bleep* am I doing??" followed by extreme vertigo, hyperventilation and fainting spells.  Over dramatic?  Maybe (but not really). 

Hmmm... where do I start?

You see, I don't know anything about the restaurant industry, just that I love food (I have a pretty picky palate) and have traveled quite a bit visiting bakeries and cafes locally, USA and Europe.  I started my passion for baking when I was a kid.  Growing up in a Chinese family in Vancouver that focused mainly on Chinese village food and Cantonese cuisine, we had the occasional frozen pepperoni pizza thrown in as a side with a bowl of plain congee or the grocery store apple pie and/or strudels for breakfast.  My parents didn't know really how to bake, except for my mom, who lovingly tried her best to create egg tarts, sponge cakes and savoury pies on occasion  which were definitely a treat for us.  I remember her orange sponge cake where she would 1/2 the sugar amount found in whatever recipe she used, but it was still so good - because she made it from scratch.  I used to wish so badly that she would make cookies, brownies and cakes - sweets that I saw at the Quality Bakery (no longer on Dunbar and 29th Ave), Stong's Grocery and in the lunch bags of my friends during recess and lunch.  Ooooo and those "fried" cherry hand pies covered in an overly sweet icing that you could buy at the grocery stores - I can still remember the red/white/green packaging in my mind.  I loved those. OMG did I love those... and the black forest cakes from Safeway!

My first attempt at baking when I was about 4 years old.  My grandmother was home but either taking a nap or around the house when I was inspired to make Rice Krispie squares.  I remember my sister making them so how hard could it be?  Seemed easy enough!  So I climbed onto the counter top, turned on the yellow coloured electric stove and put a big box of Rice Krispies on the red hot element - the box began to burn and smoke filled the kitchen.  Boy, did I cause a kerfuffle (but then again, I almost burned down the house) but I remember that moment etched in my mind like it was yesterday. 

My next attempt at baking was about 5 years later, I was around 9 when I made my first batch of brownies.  I think I got the recipe from the Home Maker's magazine booklets that were sent for free to the households.  From then, it was love.  I made my own birthday cake for a few years after that, and most notably, a brownie ice cream cake in my teens where I literally ate 3/4s of it on my own.  But from then on, I have been obsessed with what I call "North American Nostalgic Comfort" that encompasses brownies, old fashion cakes (especially chocolate), cookies and bars.  I have countless baking recipe books which I pour over for hours and hours just reading the ingredient lists, the stories behind them, gorgeous pictures and -  the most important - the techniques. 

Here my journey begins towards my new life as a bakery + cafe owner - I hope you enjoy my posts and follow the journey with me.

hugs.