There are a few types of pineapple tarts. From the appearance, there are those enclosed type, rolled up type and opened type; texture-wise, there are those melt in the mouth type, milky type, and those with slight crunch. Which type do you love most? 

For me, the enclosed melt in the mouth type. However, for variety and also aesthetic purpose (I love those flower shapes!), I have made these open faced flower shape pineapple tart. The texture of these cookies are rather crumbly. There are only 3 ingredients used for the base cookies, i.e. flour , butter and egg, rendering the quality of the butter into the limelight. If you think your butter is not fragrant enough, you may add a few drops of vanilla essence to bring the taste up a notch.

Open Face Pineapple Tarts
Make around 37 tarts

Ingredients

• 160g flour
• 96g butter
• 1 egg
• 150g pineapple filling

Cooking Directions

1. Divide the pineapple filling to 37 portions, 4g each and roll round. Set aside.
2. Rub butter and flour until sandy.
3. Add in egg and mix well.
4. Roll the dough into 5mm thickness. Use a fluted cookie cutter to cut out the dough.
   
   
5. Place the pineapple ball on top.
   
   
6. Bake at preheated oven at 180C for 15-20 minutes.

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开面菠萝挞

做37挞

材料

• 160克面粉
• 96克黄油
• 鸡蛋1个
• 150克菠萝馅

做法

1. 将菠萝馅分成37份，每份4克，撮圆。
2. 黄油和面粉用手撮至沙粒状。
3. 加入鸡蛋，拌均。
4. 面团擀成厚度5mm。使用模型印出喜爱形状。
   
5. 将菠萝球放在洞口上面，轻轻压下。
   
6. 在已预热烤箱中180℃烤15-20分钟。

When I was small, my mom used to make cashew nut cookies during Chinese New Year. I helped out once in a while and I remember myself being the 'fast-handed' one (fast-handed in both making and eating the cookies). Topping the cookies with cashew nut was both the most fun and the easiest part. Crowning those 'bald' cookies kind of gives you a sense of achievement, well, at least to a child. Now? I think popping in those cookies in the mouth is the most fun part!

Those cookies are nutty, fragrant and baked to a nice golden hue. In contrast with my melt in the mouth pineapple cookies, these are for people who are looking for tasty crunch!

Cashew Nut Cookies

Ingredients

• 100g butter
• 60g icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 tsp vanilla essence
• 180g flour
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 100g cashew nut, blended and toasted
• 70g cashew nut, halved
• 1 egg yolk for egg wash

Cooking Directions

1. Cream butter and sugar together
2. Add yolk and vanilla essence, mix well.
3. Add flour, baking powder, cashew nut (blended) and mix well.
4. Roll the dough into 3mm thickness.
5. Cut the dough using your choice of cookie cutter, egg wash the cookie, then top with a halved cashew nut (gently press down) and egg wash again on the cashew nut.
   
   
6. Bake in preheated oven at 150C for 15-20 minutes.

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腰果曲奇

材料

• 100克黄油（牛油）
• 60克糖粉
• 1粒蛋黄
• 1/3茶匙香草精
• 180克面粉
• 1/8茶匙发粉
• 100克腰果，搅碎和烤香
• 70克腰果，每粒掰开成两半
• 1粒蛋黄（用来刷蛋液在饼干上）

做法

1. 黄油和糖打发
2. 加入蛋黄和香草精拌匀。
3. 加入面粉，发粉，腰果（搅碎和烤香）拌匀。
4. 面团擀成厚度3mm。
5. 用饼干模型印出饼干，刷蛋液，放半颗腰果（轻轻按下）在上面，然后再刷一层蛋液。
   
6. 在已经预热烤箱中以150℃烤15-20分钟。

Does a bowl of Japanese ramen without Char Siew sounds incomplete to you? Pork belly, rolled up and tied with cooking twine to preserve the juiciness of meat, cooked for many hours in the boozy gravy so that it can absorb the taste right into every inch of the meat, thinly sliced and laid on top of a bowl of piping hot ramen. Great! Now we are talking...

The delicious char siew and the soft boiled ramen egg brings a package of instant ramen to a totally different level, just like a restaurant-bought one (of course, you gotta choose a good quality instant ramen too). Although the preparation time is short, it took many hours for the char siew to be cooked, so please make more, freeze them, and stock up more instant ramen at home. 

Recipe adapted from Seriouseat

Japanese Char Siew

Ingredients

• 1kg pork belly

(A)

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup sake (substitute: sherry)
• 1 cup mirin
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 stalks spring onions, cut into 1 inch length
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 inch ginger, sliced
• 1 shallot cut half

Cooking Directions

1. Lay pork belly flat with skin facing down, roll up and secure with cooking twines. Tie cooking twine at a 2cm length interval.
   
   
2. Combine ingredients (A) in a pot and heat up until boiling, add in pork belly.
   
   
3. Cover the pot with a lid left slightly ajar, heat with gentle heat and cook for 5 hours. If you have a thermometer, test that the temperature of the sauce should be around 80C - 90C (the sauce shouldn't be boiling, or else the meat can get dry and tough).
   
   
4. Turn the pork occasionally.
   
   
5. To serve, slice the pork thinly.
   
   

Tips: 

1）I find it easier to slice the pork if it had been refrigerated for 1-2 hours.

2) As the cooking time is long, you can make more and keep the rest in the freezer. There is no need to thinly slice those that you plan to keep in freezer, just divide to 2-3 portions and keep together with the sauce. To reheat, defrost the char siew, reheat with gentle heat together with the sauce before slicing. Otherwise, you can also slice the meat and reheat in the noodle soup.

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日本叉烧

主料

• 1公斤三层肉

（A）

• 1/2杯酱油
• 1杯清酒（代替：雪利酒）
• 1杯日本料酒 mirin （米琳）
• 1/2杯黄糖 （白糖也可以）
• 6条青葱，切成1寸长
• 6瓣大蒜
• 2英寸的生姜，切成片
• 1粒葱头切半

做法

1. 五花肉持平皮肤朝下，卷起，用烹饪绳缠绕固定。每间隔2公分长绑条绳。
   
2. 在一个锅里结合材料（A），加热至沸腾，再加入五花肉。
   
3. 锅盖上盖子，盖子微开，用文火煮，煮5小时。如果你有一个温度计，测试酱汁的温度应保持在80℃ - 90℃（酱汁不应沸腾，不然肉会变得干燥）。
   
4. 不时翻转猪肉。
   
5. 要吃的时候，将猪肉切薄片。
   

温馨提示：

1）我觉得已经被冷藏1-2小时的猪肉更容易切。

2）因为要煮很久，可以一次做多些放入冰冻。冰冻的不须切薄片, 只要把叉烧分成两三份，连同一些浆汁一起冰冻就可以了。要吃时早前解冻，连同浆汁以低温加热。否则，也可以将叉烧切薄片放入面汤里加热。

Ever staring at an egg cutting into half, watching the liquid yolk wobbling within the soft white, and just can't wait to gobble up the whole thing in one bite?

This soft boil egg is perfect for ramen together with few slices of Japanese char siew, for side dish, supper, or... whatever comes to your mind.

Recipe adapted from Just One Cookbook

Ramen Soft Boil Egg

Ingredients

• 4 eggs (AA grade, around 57g-60g shell inclusive)

(A)

• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp mirin
• 3/4 cup water

Cooking Directions

1. Mix ingredients (A) together in a ziplock bag.
2. In a pot, bring enough water to boil, lower the heat until the water is not bubbling and gently put in the eggs.
   
   
3. Increase the heat slightly, set a timer for 6 minutes and 30 seconds. The heat should be enough for the water to sizzle gently (but not bouncing the eggs around).
   
   
4. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of ice water.
5. Once the timer is up, remove the eggs from hot water and place them into the ice water.
   
   
6. Once the eggs had cooled to the touch, peel the shell and place it in the ziplock bag together with the sauce.
   
   
7. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours. Shift the position of the egg once in the while to ensure even coating of the sauce.

Tips:
1) To serve, remove the eggs from the fridge 1 hour before serving and soak the whole ziplock bag in a bowl of water of body temperature (be careful not to let the water sip in to the bag). By doing so, the eggs won't be cold when served.
2) The egg looks nicer by cutting it using a dental floss

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拉面软蛋

材料

• 4个鸡蛋（AA级，各57克-60克）

（A）

• 4汤匙酱油
• 4汤匙料酒
• 3/4杯水

做法

1. 混合成分（A）一起在自封袋。
2. 在一个锅里，把足够的水烧开，降低温度，直到水不起泡，轻轻放入鸡蛋。
   
3. 增加温度，设置一个计时器6分钟和30秒。热度应该足以使水微微起气泡（但不使蛋蹦跳）。
   
4. 同时，准备一碗冰水。
5. 一旦定时器已到，从热水中取出鸡蛋，并将它们放入冰水。
   
6. 一旦鸡蛋冷却，剥离外壳，并将其连同酱汁放置在自封袋。
   
7. 冷藏至少5小时。在同时转移蛋的位置一次，以确保均匀的涂层的酱。

温馨提示：

1）要吃的前一个小时，将蛋从冰箱取出，把整个自封袋放在和体温同温的水里，不时换水 (小心别让水渗入袋里），这样吃的时候蛋就不会冷冰冰的。

2）为了使蛋切得美，可以使用牙线。

I love sausages but due to health concerns I always refrain myself from buying them. Processed food isn't at the top of my food choice, well, at least most of the time. However, whenever I see those mini pretzel dogs from Auntie Annie's, that is the time I let my guards off and... succumb to the temptation. After all, those are tiny, and they can be shared. 

The distinctive aroma of pretzel while they are baking is both enticing and irresistible. It made it almost impossible not to grab one or two while you are pulling them out of oven. When freshly baked, they are a little bit crunchy, and a little bit chewy, but still retain a fluffy texture. Pretzel is something best eat warm and fresh. It doesn't keep well as it will get hard and dry. However, with the smell and taste so good, I bet it will be gobbled up in a blink of an eye. 

*Blink

See... they are gone!

Pretzel Dogs
Make 6 standard size pretzel dogs / 18 mini pretzel dogs

Ingredients

Dough

• 5.5 oz water
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 - 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp instant yeast
• 280g all purpose flour
• 27g butter, unsalted

Baking soda solution

• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp baking soda

Egg wash

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp water

Others

• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 6 sausages, each cut into 3

Cooking Directions

1. Mix the ingredients for dough together, knead well.
2. Let the dough proof for one hour or until double in size.
3. In a pot, boil 2 cups of water, add baking soda, set aside.
4. Prepare the egg wash by mixing one yolk with one tbsp of water.
5. Divide the dough to 18 portions.
6. Roll each portion of dough long, wrap the dough around the sausage and tuck the end in.
   
   
7. While the soda water still boiling hot, gently put the pretzel dog in the water. Let it stand for 30 seconds and then remove it from water with a fork. Place the pretzel dog on a baking sheet. Reheat the water if it has cooled down.
   
   
8. Brush pretzel dog with egg wash.
9. Bake in preheated oven at 220C for 20 minutes or until golden brown. 
10. Brush melted butter over pretzel dog while still hot.

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香肠Pretzel

做6个普通尺寸的/18个迷你的

材料

主面团

• 5.5oz水
• 1/2汤匙白糖
• 1/2 - 1茶匙盐
• 3/4小匙即食酵母粉
• 280克面粉
• 27克奶油，无盐

小苏打液

• 2杯水
• 2汤匙小苏打

蛋液

• 1颗蛋黄
• 1汤匙水

其他

• 1汤匙黄油（牛油），融化
• 6条香肠,每条剪成3段

做法

1. 混合主面团材料，揉好。
2. 让面团发酵一小时，或直到两倍大。
3. 取一个锅，煮沸2杯水，加入小苏打。备用。
4. 准备蛋液-1颗蛋黄与水1汤匙一起打散。
5. 将面团分成18份。
6. 将一份揉长，环绕香肠，收口。
   
7. 乘水还滚烫，轻轻把面团放在水中，让它静置30秒，然后从水中用叉子将其拿出，放在烤盘。如果水已经冷却下来，再加热水。
   
8. 刷蛋液。
9. 在预热好的烤箱以220℃，烤20分钟至金黄色。
10. 趁热刷上融化的黄油。

Ondeh-ondeh is a traditional dessert in Malaysia, characterized by balls of bite-size filled with Gula Melaka and coated with shredded fresh coconut. Its pleasant chewy texture comes from the use of glutinous rice flour and if well made, the Gula Melaka should burst out in the mouth once you sink your teeth in. Pandan juice (screwpine leaves juice) is also used to impart a mild fragrant and a tint of green to the fuzzy ball. 

The key of making delicious ondeh-ondeh lies in the quality of Gula Melaka. I got my supply all the way from Melaka because I could really tell the difference! Gula Melaka is made of the coconut flower and well known with its distinctive caramel-like flavor. A good quality one is not only more fragrant but also easier to cut/chop into small chunks, whereas a low quality one tends to be harder like hard candy. Sinking your teeth down the chewy ball just to meet with some hard rock candy is utterly disappointing... and at times, painful to your gum.

Ondeh-Ondeh

Ingredients

A

• 100g glutinous rice flour
• 60g pandan juice
• 25g coconut milk (2 heaping tablespoon of coconut mix with 6 tablespoon hot water, sift out the juice)

Others

• 50g gula Melaka
• 80g shredded coconut + 1/8 tsp salt, steamed

Cooking Directions

1. Mix A together until form a dough.
2. Divide the dough to 20 portions, each around 9g.
3. Cut and divide gula Melaka into 20 portions, each around 2.5g. Cut each portion into 2-3 smaller pieces.
   
4. Wrap a portion of gula melaka into a portion of dough, seal up.
   
5. In a pot boil some water.
6. Cook the glutinous rice ball in the water. When the balls started to float up, keep a timer for 4 minutes and then drain the balls.
7. Immediately coat the balls with shredded coconuts.
   

Tips: 

1) Alternatively, to reduce the cooking time, chop the gula Melaka finely, then roll the dough round and make a dent with your finger. Fill in the gula Melaka and seal up the edges. When cooking, after the glutinous rice balls float up, let it boil for another 1.5 minutes before drain it.

2) Use good quality gula Melaka, a good quality one (I bought from Melaka) shouldn't be as hard as a hard candy.

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材料

A

• 100克糯米粉
• 60克香兰汁
• 25克椰奶（2大汤匙椰子混合6汤匙热水，筛出汁）

其它

• 50克椰糖
• 80克椰丝+1/8茶匙盐，蒸5分钟

做法

1. A混合在一起，直到形成一个面团。
2. 将面团分20份，每份9克。
3. 将椰糖切割成20份，每份2.5克。将每份椰糖切成2-3枚
   
4. 将一份椰糖放入一份面团里，收口撮圆。
   
5. 在一个锅里煮些水。
6. 将糯米球放入水中煮。当球开始浮起，计时4分钟，然后取出沥干球。
7. 马上裹上椰丝。
   

温馨提示：

1）如果要减少烹调时间，将椰糖切成小块，然后将面团撮圆，并用手指钻个凹痕。凹痕里填满椰糖，密封起来，撮圆。将糯米球放入水中煮。当球开始浮起，计时 1.5分钟，取出沥干球。马上裹上椰丝。

2）使用优质椰糖（我的是从马六甲买的），优质椰糖不会过度硬性。