Ube Bun (紫薯包)

Similar to the Hot Dog Bun, just different filling.

Ingredients

Heavy whipping cream - 2/3 cup
Milk - 1 cup + 1TBSP
Egg - 1 (I used egg replacer)
Sugar - 1/3 cup
All-purpose Flour - 4 cups
Active dry yeast - 1 TBSP
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Optional: Egg wash (beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water, skipped)
Optional : Simple syrup (1 tablespoon sugar, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water, skipped)

Purple yam - 3-4 medium

Condensed milk - 2-4 TBSP, to your taste

Sugar - to your taste

Yield 16 buns

Steps

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the ingredients in the following order: heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, all-purpose flour, yeast, and salt. Turn on the mixer to “stir,” and knead for 15 minutes. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add a little more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it pulls away from the sides (it should be sticking to the bottom of the mixing bowl, but not the sides). If kneading by hand, extend the kneading time by 5-10 minutes.
2. Cover the dough, and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size (1-2 hours). 

3. While dough is proofing, peel and steam purple yam. Then blend the purple yam, condensed milk, and sugar to your taste. 

4. After the dough has doubled in size, put it back in the mixer, and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. 

5. Dump the dough on a lightly floured surface, and divide into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a rectangle shape, and spread purple yam filling, leave 1/2 inch space around. And then roll up the rectangle dough along the long side into a log shape. Seal and tug both ends under the log. 

5. Once shaped, let the dough proof, covered, for another hour.

6. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat it to 350° F. Brush the risen dough with egg wash. (I skipped the egg wash to avoid allergy.) Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until golden brown. 

7. Remove from the oven and brush the warm bread with sugar water to give it shine and sweetness, if desired.

Hot Dog Bun (热狗包)

This is easy to make and convenient to eat as snack or simple lunch. 

Ingredients

Heavy whipping cream - 2/3 cup
Milk - 1 cup + 1TBSP
Egg - 1 (I used egg replacer)
Sugar - 1/3 cup
All-purpose Flour - 4 cups
Active dry yeast - 1 TBSP
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Optional: Egg wash (beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water, skipped)
Optional : Simple syrup (1 tablespoon sugar, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water, skipped)

Hot dog - 16
Yield 16 buns

Steps

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the ingredients in the following order: heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, all-purpose flour, yeast, and salt. Turn on the mixer to “stir,” and knead for 15 minutes. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add a little more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it pulls away from the sides (it should be sticking to the bottom of the mixing bowl, but not the sides). If kneading by hand, extend the kneading time by 5-10 minutes.
2. Cover the dough, and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size (1-2 hours). 

3. While dough is proofing, grill or air fry 16 hot dogs.

4. After the dough has doubled in size, put it back in the mixer, and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. 

5. Dump the dough on a lightly floured surface, and divide into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and wrap around a hot dog. 

6. Once shaped, let the dough proof, covered, for another hour.

7. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat it to 350° F. Brush the risen dough with egg wash. (I skipped the egg wash to avoid allergy.) Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until golden brown. 

8. Remove from the oven and brush the warm bread with sugar water to give it shine and sweetness, if desired.

Lemon Sweet Roll

These soft lemon rolls are like classic cinnamon rolls. You will love it with the caramelized lemon sugar. The frosting is optional if you want to reduce the sugar count. 

Ingredients

Dough
All purpose flour - 2 and 3/4 cups

Granulated sugar - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Lemon zest - 1 tsp
Whole milk - 3/4 cup
Unsalted butter - 3 TBSP
Dry yeast - 2 and 1/4 tsp
Large egg - 1, at room temperature (Used egg replacer)
Filling
Unsalted butter - 1/4 cup, extra softened
Granulated sugar - 3/4 cup
Pure vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Lemon zest - 1 TBSP, packed
Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
Cream cheese - 4 ounces, softened to room temperature
Unsalted butter - 1 TBSP, soften to room temperature
Confectioners’ sugar - 3/4 cup  
Lemon juice - 2 TBSP
optional: extra lemon zest for garnish

Steps

1. Whisk the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest together in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine the milk and butter together in a heatproof bowl. Microwave or use the stove and heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is warm to the touch (about 110°F). Whisk in the yeast until it has dissolved. 

3. Pour wet mixture into the dry ingredients, add the egg. Mix until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, knead the dough for 3–5 minutes. You should have a smooth ball of dough. If the dough is super soft or sticky, you can add a little more flour. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover loosely, and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes as you get the filling ingredients ready.

4. After 10 minutes, roll the dough out in a 14×8-inch (36x20cm) rectangle. Spread the softened butter on top. 

5. Mix together the sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest. Sprinkle it all over the dough. 

6. Roll up the dough to make a 14-inch log. Cut into 10–12 even rolls and arrange in a lightly greased 9- or 10-inch round cake pan, pie dish, or square baking pan.

7. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the rolls to rise in a relatively warm environment for 60–90 minutes or until double in size.

8. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 24–25 minutes, or until lightly browned. You might need to loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil at half time if the roll are getting browned too quickly. 

9. Remove pan from the oven and place pan on a wire rack.

10. In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add the butter and beat until smooth and combined, then beat in the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until combined. 

11. Using a knife or icing spatula, spread the icing over the warm rolls and serve immediately. If desired, garnish frosted rolls with a light sprinkling of lemon zest.

Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Mugwort Sticky Rice Ball (Green Rice Ball, 青团)

This is a traditional food to be consumed around Qingming festival, also known as Chinese Ancestors' Day. The rice ball is tinted green by mugwort. Mugwort is a flowering plant native to northern Europe, Asia, and parts of North America. The sage-colored plant is thought to prevent or treat health conditions like anxiety, digestion problems. The green color and refreshing taste is perfect to celebrate spring time.

Ingredients

Wheat starch (澄粉)- 90g

Boiling water - 150g

Glutinous rice flour (糯米粉) - 300g

Sugar - 45g

Oil - 15g, traditionally used lard

Mugwort Paste (艾草泥) - 270g

Red bean paste - 500g

Steps

1. I picked some Mugwort on a hike, only kept the young leaves, no stems. I collected about 75g worth. 

2.  Add washed Mugwort in a pot of boiling water, add 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, and cook for about 3 min; then soak in cold water for about 5 minutes; after rinse a few times, blend the grass into paste using Vitamix. Add some water if needed. I ended up with about 270g of green paste. 

3. In a small bowl, add 150g boiling water into 90g of wheat starch, mix until paste turns half translucent. Cover and set aside. 

4. In another mixing bowl, mix glutinous rice water with sugar and oil, add green paste, and mix with a chopstick. Finally add the half cooked wheat starch, and knead into a dough. Cover and set aside to rest.

5. Portion the red bean paste into 28g each, and dough into 45g each. Make the rice ball by wrapping filling inside the dough. Steam on high heat for about 10 minutes. 

6. Coat the rice balls with olive oil while they are hot. You can wrap each ball with shrink wrap and it will keep fresh for 3 days in room temperature. Or you can freeze them for up to 1 month.

Blueberry Scone

I tried scones for the first time following this recipe. I skipped the topping, used fresh blueberry. They were buttery fluffy delight with juicy burst of blueberry. 

Ingredients

All-purpose flour - 2 cups, plus more for hands and work surface
Granulated sugar - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 2 and 1/2 tsp
Ground cinnamon - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup, frozen
Heavy cream - 1/2 cup, plus 2 TBSP for brushing
Egg - 1 large (used egg replacer)
Pure vanilla extract - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw) - 1 heaping cup
Optional topping: coarse sugar and vanilla icing

Steps

1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. 

2. Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add it to the flour mixture and combine with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs. Place in the refrigerator or freezer as you mix the wet ingredients together.
3. Whisk heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the flour mixture, add the blueberries, then mix together until everything appears moistened.
4. Pour onto the counter and, with floured hands, work dough into a ball as best you can. Dough will be sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour. If it seems too dry, add 1-2 more Tablespoons heavy cream. Press into an 8-inch disc and, with a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 wedges.

5. Brush scones with remaining heavy cream and for extra crunch, sprinkle with coarse sugar. (You can do this before or after refrigerating in the next step.)
6. Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. (I left it in the fridge overnight so that I can bake it fresh in the morning)
7. Preheat oven to 400°F.
8. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. After refrigerating, arrange scones 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet(s).

9. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before topping with vanilla icing.

Leftover iced or un-iced scones keep well at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Notes

• Freeze Before Baking: Freeze scone dough wedges on a plate or baking sheet for 1 hour. Once relatively frozen, you can layer them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the bake time. Or thaw overnight, then bake as directed.
• Freeze After Baking: Freeze the baked and cooled scones before topping with icing. I usually freeze in a freezer-friendly bag or container. To thaw, leave out on the counter for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Warm in the microwave for 30 seconds or on a baking sheet in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 10 minutes.
• Overnight Instructions: Prepare scones through step 4. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Continue with the recipe the following day.
• Over-spreading: Start with very cold scone dough. Expect some spread, but if the scones are over-spreading as they bake, remove from the oven and press back into its triangle shape (or whatever shape) using a rubber spatula.

Japanese Soufflé Pancakes

Gram cafe & Pancake just opened in San Francisco and they are famous for their premium soufflé pancakes. So I found the recipe online to try.

Ingredients

Eggs - 4 large
Whole milk - 3  Tbsp
Pure vanilla extract - ½ tsp
Cake flour - ½ cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 4 Tbsp
Vegetable oil - 2 Tbsp, for greasing the pan
Water - 4 Tbsp, for steaming
Toppings & Fillings
powder sugar - 2 Tbsp
Fresh berries
maple syrup

Whipped cream

Steps

1. Gather all the ingredients. You will also need a 12-inch non-stick frying pan (large enough to cook 3 pancakes at the same time) with a lid.
2. Separate egg whites and egg yolks into two different bowls. Put the bowl with egg whites in the freezer for 15 minutes. 

3. In the meantime, add milk and vanilla to the egg yolks and whisk until thick and frothy. Sift the cake flour and baking powder into the bowl. Whisk to combine thoroughly (but do not over-mix). Set aside.
4. After 15 minutes, take out the bowl with egg whites from the freezer. The egg whites should be half frozen. Now start beating egg whites. When the egg whites turn frothy and pale white, gradually add in sugar (roughly ⅓ at a time). Continue to whip the egg whites. The egg whites will become glossier and firmer. Stop beating when you lift up the hand mixer and the egg whites stand right up with stiff peaks slightly bending over.

5. Heat the large non-stick frying pan over the lowest heat. Brush with cooking oil and lightly remove any visible oil (otherwise the pancakes will have a spotty pattern). Keep the heat on while you combine egg whites and egg yolk mixture.
6. Take ⅓ of egg whites and add to the egg yolk mixture. Whisk together. Next, take half of the egg whites and add to the egg yolk mixture. Using a whisk, gently fold in without breaking the air bubbles in the egg whites.  Now transfer the egg yolk mixture into egg whites. Carefully fold in two mixtures together without breaking the air bubbles. Make sure to gently mix the batter thoroughly!

7. Since I was not skillful enough to do this freehand. I used a mousse ring lined with parchment paper to help cooking the pancake. Place the rings on the frying pan, and then scoop the batter to make a tall pancake. Set timer for 6-7 minutes, add 1 Tbsp water in empty spaces inside the pan and cover with the lid. Water keeps the pancake moist. 

8. After 6-7 minutes passed, remove the rings and parchment paper, flip the pancake VERY GENTLY. Add water in empty spaces, cover the pan, and set a timer for 4 to 5 minutes to cook the other side on the lowest heat.

9. Once they are nicely browned, transfer the pancakes to your serving plates. Place fresh cream on the pancakes and top with berries. Dust the pancake with confectioners’ sugar and drizzle with maple syrup. Enjoy!

Argentinian Beef Empanadas

Empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Latin American. The name comes from the Spanish verb empanar, and literally translates as "enbreaded", that is, wrapped or coated in bread. After my trip to Patagonia where I had tried different type of empanada, I figured to give it a try. I found this recipe for Agentinian Beef Empanadas, and modified to use the wrapper from this recipe. 

Ingredients

【Wrapper】
Flour - 3 cups
Lard - 1/2 cup (used ghee)
Water - 2/3 cup, very warm
Salt - 1 ½ tsp
【Filling】
Ground beef - 2 lbs, 20% fat
Olive oil - 3 TBSP
Onion - 2 medium, chopped
Red bell peppers - 2 small, seeded, chopped
Ground cumin - 3 TBSP
Paprika - 2 TBSP
Dried oregano - 1 TBSP
Cayenne pepper - ¼ tsp
Low-sodium chicken stock or broth - 1½ cups
Sugar - 2 tsp
Raisins - ½ cup
Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

【Prepare the Filling】

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large pot over high. Cook beef, breaking up with a spoon, until browned but not completely cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving as much fat in pan as possible.

2. Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, bell peppers, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, stirring, until tender but not browned, 6–8 minutes; season with salt and black pepper. Add cumin, paprika, oregano, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and reserved beef along with any accumulated juices to pot. Stir in sugar, 4 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until most of the liquid is evaporated, 15–20 minutes; taste and season with salt and black pepper, if needed. Stir in raisins. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover, and chill at least 3 hours.

【Prepare the wrapper】
1. Melt lard in a small saucepan over low heat. Immediately mix with salt and 2/3 cup very warm water.
2. Add lard mixture to flour and knead into a smooth dough. Refrigerate until cool, at least 30 minutes.

3. Roll out the dough and cut out disks.Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

【Assembly】

1. Preheat oven to 375°C. 

2. Let dough sit at room temperature 15 minutes to temper.

3. Place some filling in the center of each round. Brush water around half of outer edge of each round. Fold round over filling and pinch edges to seal. Using a fork, crimp edges.

4. Transfer empanada to a parchment-lined sheet tray, spacing 1" apart. Repeat with remaining rounds

5. Bake empanadas, rotating tray halfway through, until golden brown and slightly darker around the edges, 25–35 minutes.

Do Ahead: Filling can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled. Unbaked empanadas can be made 3 months ahead; freeze on sheet tray, then transfer to freezer bags and keep frozen.