Korean movies

Not much to write except that I have been busy with my day to day activities one of which working full time and watching my korean movies. I know I have not written anything constructive lately but hey, this girl needs a rest :P I promise to be good and try to update this site. My camera has been collecting dust and I think it is about time I put it to work again. Let's hope we get some nice weather soon and maybe get the spring fever bug will do it.

Sugar cookies

Frangipane Buns

Recipe Source: Canadian Living Magazine

Frangipane is a sweet almond paste and the dough is sweet yeast dough

Sweet Yeast Dough

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 package active dry yeast or 21/4 tsp or 11 ml

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

4 cups all purpose flour (approx)

In a large bowl, stir 2 tsp of the sugar with 1/4 cup warm water until dissolved. Sprinkle in yeast; let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small saucepan, heat milk, remaining sugar, butter and salt until butter is melted; let cool to lukewarm. Stir into yeast mixture along with eggs.

Stir in 31/4 cups of the flour, about 1 cup at a time, to form shaggy dough.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding enough of the remaing flour as necessary.

Transfer to large greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in bluk, about 1 1/2 hours. Makes 2 lb (1 kg)

Frangipane:

1 cup whole unblanched almonds

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tb all purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

3/4 tsp almond extract

Topping:

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1 tb icing sugar

Line 13 x 9 inch metal cake pan with double thickness parchment paper set aside.

In a food processor, finely chop almonds. Add sugr and flour; pulse to combine. Add butter, egg and almond extract; pulse until smooth paste, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl. (Make ahead cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours if you like)

Punch down dough. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough into 18 x 14 inch rectangle.

Leaving 1 inch border, spread frangipane evenly over dough, mounding slightly on 1 long side. Starting with mounded side, tightly ropp up; pinch seam to seal.

With serrated knife, cut roll into 12 slices. Place, cut side up, in prepared pan. Cover slices and let rise in warm draft free place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Topping: Brush with egg; sprinkle with almonds. Bake in centre of 375F oven until golden and rolls sound hollow when tapped on bottoms, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool completely. Sprinkle with icing sugar if you wish.

Cereal Prawns

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Kolachys

These traditional Eastern European cookies are made with cream cheese and pureed prunes. I found this recipe here Essential-Baker. The dough is definitely a challenge I had problems rolling it out to 12 inches wide. I ended up rolling the dough into cylinderical shape, put it back into the fridge to harden a bit then cut it up into rings and then rolled out a bit and filled it. I also noticed I had to bake the cookies a little longer than what was stated in the book. Initially when I took the dough out of the fridge after chilling for 12 hours the dough was quite hard. Once taken out from the refrigerator it doesn't take long to soften and dough can be quite sticky and difficult to handle. The end result the cookies are great! Hubby loves it and so do I.

Martini Chicken with Ginger

I think we are getting the cold weather again soon. I can feel my bones are a bit sore. The wind outside has started to pick up and more leaves are falling on the ground. I think I have to take my thick woollies out soon and my mitts!!! One of my home remedy is to warm up a pot of nice Martini Chicken with Ginger. This will definitely getting my bones warm up and put me to sleep too :) Very funny, ya. My family doesn't care for this soup so I have to slowly finish it up or maybe one of my sister will come and finish it up for me. Ingredients: Some sesame oil, a bowl of ginger which I smashed it up into bites with a mortal and pestle, 1 whole chicken washed and cut up to bite pieces, 2 - 3 Tbs dried black fungus soaked, washed, and drained, half a bottle of Martini Rossi, 1/4 bottle of home-made glutinuous rice wine, some salt and sugar to taste. (Sugar is optional)