Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Like the double Chocolate crinkle cookies, this is another holiday cookie  from Sally's holiday cookie collection. 

Ingredients

All-purpose flour - 2 and 1/2 cups
Cornstarch - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Unsalted butter - 3/4 cup, softened to room temperature
Granulated sugar - 1 cup + 2 TBSP
Egg - 1 large, at room temperature (used egg replacer)
Fresh lemon juice - 1/4 cup (60ml)
Lemon zest - 2 tsp
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, for rolling

Yield: about 30 cookies

Steps

1. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 1 minute. Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Mixture will appear curdled and that’s ok. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Dough is thick, creamy, and sticky.

3. Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this sticky cookie dough.

4. Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. This makes the chilled cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
6. Scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1 Tablespoon of dough each, into balls. (Each dough ball should weigh about 20g.) Roll each ball in a bowl of granulated sugar, and then very generously in the confectioners’ sugar. Place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.

7. Bake the cookies for 12–13 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. Tip: If they aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2–3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.

8. Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool. Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The dough can chill for up to 3 days, so this is a great make-ahead recipe. Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls (that are not coated in confectioners’ sugar) freeze well up to 3 months. When it’s time to bake the cookies, remove them from the freezer and thaw on the counter for at least 30 minutes. Roll into confectioners’ sugar as instructed and bake.

Pumpkin Dinner Roll

I followed this recipe to make it for Thanksgiving. It was soft and fluffy, well received.  

Ingredients

Cake flour - 1/2 cup
Bread flour - 2 and 1/2 cups 
Salt - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Pumpkin puree - 1/2 cup
Heavy cream - 2/3 cup, at room temperature
Milk - 1/3 cup , at room temperature
Active dry yeast - 1 TBSP
Egg - 1, substitute with 1/4 cup apple sauce
Sugar - 1/3 cup 
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water) (skipped for egg-free)
Pumpkin seeds - optional garnish
For optional glazing, the recipe uses simple syrup (2 teaspoons of sugar dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water), I used some butter

Steps

1. In a mixing bowl, mix the cake flour, bread flour and salt. Set aside

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add pumpkin puree, heavy cream, milk, egg (or substitute), sugar, yeast. Mix well, and then add the flour mixture. Turn the mixer on to the lowest setting, and let it go for 15 minutes until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. 

3. Cover the bowl with a damp towel, and place in a warm spot for 1 hour. The dough will grow to 1.5x its original size.

4. In the meantime, grease a 9x13” pan on all sides.
5. After first proofing, punch the dough to rid of air bubbles and divide the dough into equal pieces on a lightly floured surface, with the help of your kitchen scale. I divided into 18 of about 60g each. Shape each piece of dough into a smooth ball and arrange them on the pan with about half an inch of space between them on all sides. Once shaped, cover and proof for another hour until the buns grow to 1.5X their original size. Brush the risen dough with egg wash (skipped), and sprinkle with the raw pumpkin seeds.

6. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Take the buns out of the oven and immediately brush them with the sugar water to give them a really great shine, sweetness, and rich color. Serve warm! 

Apple Spice Cupcake

The cupcake recipe is from a friend, and the frosting is the cream cheese frosting. The cupcake is very moist with chunks of apple with every bite. 

Ingredients

Unsalted butter - 1 cup, at room temperature

Apple - about 2 lbs, peeled, coed, and cut into 1 inch chunks

Granulated sugar - 4 TBSP + 1 and 1/2 cup 

All purpose flour - 2 cups

Baking powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Ground cinnamon - 1 tsp

Ground allspice - 1/2 tsp

Ground nutmeg - 1/4 tsp

Egg - 4 large, at room temperature ( I used egg replacer)

Pure vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Sour cream - 1/2 cup

Cream cheese frosting 

Yield 24 cupcakes

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. 
2. In a sauce pan over medium high heat, melt 4 TBSP butter. Add the apple chunks and 4 TBSP of sugar. Cooke until the apple is translucent and soft, about 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Set aside. 

4. In the stand mixing bowl, add remaining butter and sugar, beat at medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg (or egg replacer mixture), vanilla extract and beat until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add sour cream and apple mixture, beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. 

5. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. 

6. Let the cupcake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack to cool completely.

7. Frost the cupcake with frosting and serve. 

Steak Sandwich

This was one of daughter's school projects. You can replace the dressing with any spread you like or skip it. 

Ingredients

Rib-eye steaks - 1 pound
Kosher salt

Lemon pepper seasoning

Olive oil - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1 large, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds

Sliced white cheddar cheese or other preferred kind - 6 oz

Lettuce - 1, leaves separated

Tomato - 1, sliced

Artisan roll, bun or bread

Optional mushroom to grill too

Optional Chips or Fries for serving

[Dressing] 

Sour cream - 1/4 cup

Vegan Mayonnaise - 1/4 cup

Prepared horseradish - 1.5 TBSP

Worcestershire sauce - 1/2 tsp

Black pepper - 1/4 tsp

Steps

1. Preheat grill pan over medium high heat.

2. Season both sides of the steaks with salt and the lemon pepper seasoning.

3. Oil the grill pan with olive oil, then lay the steaks and onions on the pan.

4. Grill the onion to your preferred tenderness. Grill the steak about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or 3 minutes per side for rare. Remove them and let rest under foil. 

5. In a bowl, whish the sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish, Worcestershire and black pepper until smooth. Set aside.

6. Slice the steak into strips and assemble your own sandwich.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

This is a cake perfect for fall season with a cup of black coffee. I compared two pumpkin cake recipe from Sally's and Mom's timeout and decided to follow Sally's because it is egg-free.

Ingredients

CRUMB-TOPPING

All-purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Light or dark brown sugar - 1/2 cup, packed
Ground cinnamon - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Unsalted butter - 1/4 cup, cold 

PUMPKIN COFFEE CAKE

All-purpose flour - 2 cups

Baking soda - 1 tsp

Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Pumpkin pie spice power - 2 and 1/2 tsp
Pumpkin puree - 1 cup
Light or dark brown sugar - 1/2 cup, packed 
canola or vegetable oil - 1/2 cup

Pure maple syrup - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. Make the crumb topping first: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or a fork. Mix to create clumps and crumbs. Set aside.
3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin piespice together in a large bowl until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, oil, maple syrup, and milk together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Avoid over-mixing the batter. Batter will be very thick. 

4. Spoon/pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread to make an even surface. Pour the crumb topping evenly on top and gently press them down into the batter.

5. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Note: 

Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The cake may be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie

I made this for Halloween following Sally's recipe. The cookies were soft, chewy, and very sweet. 

Ingredients

All-purpose flour - 2 cups+1TBSP
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Ground cinnamon - 2 tsp
Pumpkin pie spice - 2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Old-fashioned rolled oats - 1 and 1/2 cups
Unsalted butter - 1 cup, melted and slightly cooled
Pure maple syrup - 3 TBSP
Light or dark brown sugar - 3/4 cup, packed 
Granulated sugar - 1/2 cup
Egg yolk - 1
Pumpkin puree -3/4 cup 
Pure vanilla extract - 2 tsp
Semi-sweet chocolate chips - 1 and 1/2 cups

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and oats together in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. Blot the pumpkin puree by squeezing the puree with paper towels.

4. Whisk the melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg yolk, blotted pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour into dry ingredients and mix everything together until completely combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Scoop cookie dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie, and place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Flatten slightly. Bake for 13-14 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft.

6. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Notes
Make Ahead Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 5. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. 

Bacon Scallion Milk Bread

This is a variation of Hokkaido Milk Bread. I used all purpose flour and it worked fine.

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 4 1/2 cups
Active dry yeast - 1 TBSP
Sugar - 1/3 cup
Salt - 1.5 tsp
Egg - 1
Warm milk - 1 cup (about 110F)
Whipping cream - 2/3 cup

Bacon - 8oz (cooked, and cut into small pieces)
Green onion - 2 cups (chopped)

Optional simple syrup for glazing (2 teaspoons sugar, dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water)

Or butter for glazing

YIELD: two 9" round bread

Steps

1. Grease two 9" cake pan

2. Add sugar, yeast to warm milk, and let it sit for 5 minutes. 

3. In stand mixer bowl, combine the egg and whipping cream. Add the yeast and milk mixture, mix well together.

4. Add salt and flour to the bowl, start at low speed then gradually raise speed to medium. Mix for 12-15 mins until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. If dented by your finger, the dough should spring back. Be careful not to overmix, since the gluten structure might be dwindled.

5. Grease a big bowl, and transfer the dough in. Cover the bowl and let proof until the dough has doubled in size, about 40-60min.

6. Transfer the dough to worktop, quickly knead for 1-2 mins. Divide the dough evenly into two. Roll out each into into a ¼ in thick rectangle or rough circle. Sprinkle the scallions and bacon evenly over the dough, and cut it into small 1.5 inch squares.

7. Fold each square in half like a taco with the bacon scallion filling on the inside. Nestle them in the pan standing up on one end of the taco. At this point, you can cover and refrigerate the dough overnight, if making this recipe in advance. The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator, let it come up to room temperature, and proceed with the next step.

9. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
10. Bake for approximately 22 – 25 mins until the top is golden brown. 

11. For the final glow and delicious aroma of the bread, you can brush the top of the bread with some melted butter or whipping cream or simple sugar syrup. Cool, and enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Pan-fried Chicken Breast

This is a home dish that most time we just put in the ingredient casually. This recipe documented the ingredients as a great guideline. 

Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken breast - 1 to 1.25 lb (about 2 chicken breasts)
Soy sauce - 2 tsp
Oyster sauce - 2 tsp
Cooking wine - 1 TBSP
Ground black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Garlic - 1 TBSP, finely minced (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
Water - 2-3 TBSP
Cornstarch - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 TBSP

Steps

1. Carefully butterfly each chicken breast, and then separate the two halves. Lightly pound the chicken breast on both sides to tenderize the meat.

2. Add the chicken pieces to a bowl, along with the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, cooking wine, pepper, and garlic. Use your hands to mix well. Then, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. Add 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with your hands after each addition until the chicken absorbs the liquid.

3. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 15 - 20 minutes. Just before cooking, mix the cornstarch into the marinated chicken until evenly coated.
4. Heat oil in a nonstick or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Arrange the chicken breast in the pan in a single layer. Pan-fry for a total of 8-10 minutes flipping them every 2 minutes or so for even cooking. Serve with rice or noodle. 

Hokkaido Milk Bread Bun

 This is a variation of Hokkaido Milk Bread. The recipe yields two 9" tray of total 16 pull apart buns.

Follow the recipe to first proof the dough, then divide the dough into 16 portions. Roll each dough into a rope and twist on itself and then into a knot. 

Place 8 knots in each 9" greased cake pan. Do the second proof. 

Bake at 350F for 22-25 min or until golden brown. Glaze with butter while it is hot.