Latte Coffee 2

中文： 拿铁咖啡

Both my husband and I like to enjoy a cup of good coffee from time to time.  Sometimes we go to local coffee shops, and sometimes I make the coffee for us.  They may not be as good as the ones in store, but we have so much fun making and drinking them together. O(∩_∩)O~

Latte coffee is one portion of espresso, one portion of steamed milk plus another portion of frothed milk.  You can make them look good by pouring frothed milk into espresso or by creating artistic patterns with chocolate sauce or caramel sauce.  Both of them are available in store, but I like to make my own from scratch. 

For chocolate sauce:

1 single shot espresso
1 to 2 tablespoon sugar
coco powder

Make one single shot espresso (I use this machine from AMAZON); stir in sugar and coco powder when it is still hot.  Set aside to cool down.  I didn’t write down how much coco powder is needed here because espresso shots are different from machine to machine.  Just keep stirring in coco powder until the espresso thickens like syrup. 

My favorite coffee is latte with caramel sauce on top.

For caramel sauce：

1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons butter

Directions：

Combine brown sugar and water in a pot; heat over medium heat.  Stir from time to time.  I add water to make sugar melt fast and evenly.  After all the water evaporates, the syrup will turn amber color.  Add butter.  When butter hits hot syrup, it may splatter.  Be careful not to burn yourself.

After the butter melts into syrup, keep cooking for another couple minutes until the syrup becomes dark amber color.  Add heavy cream while stirring.  It is going to splatter more vigorously, so please be extra careful.

Cook caramel sauce for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  When it cools down, you can bottle the syrup.  It is good to go onto coffee, ice cream, cake, cookies or any dessert of your choice.

As for me, I like to top my latte coffee with caramel sauce.  It is indeed heavenly. 

Chicken Noodle Soup

中文： 鸡汤小面

The chicken noodle soup I am talking about is most likely completely different from what you are thinking about.  Our chicken noodle soup is made with long thin noodle, chicken stock, and a variety of toppings and seasonings.  What is in common with American chicken noodle soup is that it is also our comfort food.

I use egg and water to make noodle dough which can make noodle more elastic and al dente.

Ingredients for noodle dough：

1 cup of bread flour
1/4 cup liquid: half egg + half water
a pinch of salt

Seasonings and toppings：

Chicken stock (either homemade or store bought one is fine)
Sichuan style pickled vegetable (available in Asian grocery store)
Sichuan style chili sauce (also available in Asian grocery store but I prefer to use homemade one )
smashed garlic
Sichuan peppercorn oil (available in Asian grocery store)
sesame oil
soy sauce
sugar
salt
chopped green onion
chopped cilantro
fried soy beans
dry roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Directions:

Combine flour, salt, water and egg in a medium bowl, knead until a smooth dough forms.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least an hour.

Run the dough through kitchen aid （AMAZON link) pasta roller (AMAZON link) several times. 

Set the thickness to 4 and run the dough for one last time.

While making the noodle dough, heat a large pot with water over high heat.  bring it to boil.

Use the pasta cutter to make long thin noodle.

Tadah! Freshly homemade noodle!

Spread them out a little bit.  

Cook the noodle in boiling water for about 40 to 50 seconds, drain well and place the noodle into soup bowls.  Add chicken stock, pickled vegetable, chili sauce, garlic, Sichuan peppercorn oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, salt; and then top with green onion, cilantro, soy beans and peanuts.

Isn't it beautiful?

Time to enjoy! O(∩_∩)O~

Blueberry yogurt

中文： 蓝莓果酱酸奶

The best yogurt goes to…tadah…my homemade blueberry yogurt!  I literally can’t get enough of them.  With a yogurt maker, I make seven or eight jar of yogurt at a time.  They are always gone in three days.  So I make yogurt and blueberry jam/sauce twice a week. 

Ingredients:

1 quart organic / regular whole milk (4 cups)
 1 small box of plain greek yogurt （5.3 oz, 150 g per box）

Notes:

I have tried both organic and regular whole milk.  The difference between them is not quite noticeable.  However, the yogurt made with whole milk tastes so much better than the one made with non-fat milk.  Please do use whole milk if you want your yogurt taste good.

Remember to read the ingredients list on the package before you buy any plain yogurt as starter.  It must contain live culture to make it work.

I don’t like to use homemade plain yogurt as starter to make another batch yogurt because the live culture will get weaker.  I always buy Meijer store brand or fage greek yogurt as starter.  

Directions:

Microwave the milk on high until it boils.  It might take 6 to 8 minutes give or take depending on the microwave oven. 

When the milk cools down, remove the milk skin on top.

Empty the plain greek yogurt to a large clean bowl; whisk until it becomes smooth and runny.  

Gradually add milk while whisking.

Distribute evenly into the glass jars that come with yogurt maker.  Or you can use any small glass jars as long as they can fit in the yogurt maker. 

Cover with lids and place them in the yogurt maker.  Turn it on.  In 5 to 7 hours, transfer them to refrigerator to settle down overnight.  You will have 7 jars of tasty plain yogurt the next day.

Leave them in the yogurt maker (buy from AMAZON) longer if you prefer firmer yogurt texture. 

I like to top it with homemade blueberry sauce.  It is way better than any blueberry yogurt I can find in the store, O(∩_∩)O~

I make one jar at a time. My husband and I were quite busy during summer time.  We camped, we hiked, we biked, and we went to farms to handpick blueberries and cherries and freeze them for later use.  I guess that is what makes it taste so good.  The secret ingredient is indeed love! 

For blueberry sauce：

3 cups frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 to 2/3 cup packed brown sugar (use more if prefer sweeter taste)

Place blueberries, lemon juice and brown sugar in a pot.  Heat over medium heat until it thickens.  Stir occasionally to prevent burning at the bottom.  Blend with a food processor (Buy from AMAZON) or hand blender (Buy from AMAZON) to make it smooth sauce. You can skip it if you prefer chunky blueberry sauce. 

When it cools down, cover with a lid and store in the refrigerator. 

How wonderful is this！O(∩_∩)O~ 

Sometimes I make yogurt in these cute pudding jars.  My sister sent them to me last year.  I just love them!

I can fit 8 of them in the yogurt maker at a time. 

You can also stir the yogurt and blueberry sauce together and then use a straw to enjoy them. O(∩_∩)O~  

Mixed Berry Smoothie

中文：草莓水果冰沙

I don’t usually make fruit smoothies because they are always too sweet for my taste.  But I like to stock up all kinds of berries to make mixed berry smoothies.  They are refreshing, nutritious, and packed with vitamins and great berry flavor.  O(∩_∩)O~ 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds strawberries
1/2  cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup frozen blackberries
1/2  frozen banana
1/3 to 1/2  cup apple juice /water

Remove strawberry calyx, cut into quarters.  Add strawberries into the vitamix (AMAZON this one), along with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and banana.

Add apple juice / water, and cover with the lid. 

Turn on Vitamix (Amazon linl).  Gradually increase speed from 1 to 8 or 9, and then switch to high. Blend for another 30 to 45 seconds. You might need to use the temper to push fruits down. 

Flower Shape Bread with Red Bean Paste Filling

中文： 红豆豆沙花朵面包

Doesn’t this bread look amazing and gorgeous?  It’s actually really easy to make.  I have baked it several times, and I get the same amazing flower shape bread every time.  That is how easy it is! 

Please do remember to use dark color filling like chocolate or red bean paste like I do.  The contrast between golden brown bread and dark color filling is what makes the bread pop.

Bread ingredients:

300 g bread flour
165 to 180 g whole milk
1 large egg
20 g butter, soften and diced
30 g sugar
1 teaspoon yeast
1/8 teaspoon salt
egg wash

Red bean paste filling ingredients:

1/2 cup small red beans (available in Asian grocery store)
5 to 6 tablespoon brown sugar (use more if prefer sweeter taste)
2 to 3 tablespoon butter
3 cups water

Tips：

Dry red bean and ready to use red bean paste are both available in Asian grocery store.  I like to make my own red bean paste from scratch.  Sometimes I make a big batch and divide them into small regular portion, pack in Ziploc bags and freeze them.  When I need red bean paste for baking or cooking, I can just thaw one portion. 

Directions：

Start with the red bean.  Soak the beans for at least two hours or overnight. 

Place the beans in a small stock pot; add water to fill the pot about half inch above the beans.  Cook over medium heat until the water boils, cover and reduce the heat to simmer for 60 to 90 minutes or until the beans is soft to touch.

 Drain the cooked beans.  Transfer into a food processor (AMAZON product link).  Process the beans on high speed for 30 to 40 seconds into silky smooth red bean paste.

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat.  Add red bean paste, and add butter and brown sugar, 1/3 at a time.  Stir constantly to prevent sticking to the bottom and burning.  Cook until the paste is very thick.  It should have the constancy like pumpkin pie filling, maybe even a little thicker than that.

Get ready to make the dough.

Microwave the milk on high for 20 to 30 seconds.  Add to the stand mixer (AMAZON this one) container, along with yeast.  Wait for 5 minutes or until the yeast dissolves.

Add egg, flour, sugar and salt.  Knead on speed 2 for 12 to 18 minutes.  Add soften butter, and knead another 10 to 18 minutes. Kneading time depends on the dough.  The dough should pass the window panel test. It means you should be able to stretch a little piece of dough with your fingers into a really thin panel.  It can be so thin that you can see through it like a window.  That is why people call it window panel test. 

Cover the dough.  Proof it until double in size. It takes 60 to 90 minutes.  

Transfer the dough to a well dusted wooden board.  Punch down and knead gently into a ball.  Cover and proof it for another 10 minutes. 

Divide the dough into four. 

Divide the red bean paste into three. 

With a rolling pin, roll a piece of dough to a quarter inch in height.  Spread the red bean paste evenly onto the top. 

Roll out another piece of dough, and place it on top of previous one. 

Repeat the process twice.

Now we should have four layers of dough.

With a sharp knife, cut the edge into 16 pedals, leave out the center part. 

Twist each pedal towards opposite direction twice. 

Seal the edges. 

Cover and proof another 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. 

Brush with the top with egg wash.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes.  Cover with a large piece of foil so that the bread doesn’t get too brown in the oven. 

Ta-dah!  Now you have a gorgeous bread flower! O(∩_∩)O~

Cool on a cooling rack.  Store it in a bread/ plastic bag when bread is lukewarm.  Or, you can just eat it up! O(∩_∩)O~