2011年的团圆饭 Reunion Dinner

今年的团圆饭比较特别，第一次在自己家里吃的团圆饭，第一次三个人的团圆饭 （Lucius不算，就D，我和家婆）。

除夕前一晚才突然接到通知今年家婆那里没有煮团圆饭，我问D那家婆在那里吃，电话里D哥哥说打包给她吃好了？？!! 是这样的吗？当下D和我马上决定就在家里弄一顿简单的团圆饭然后接家婆过来一起吃。

当时我们刚从托儿所接了Lucius，因为隔天还要上班，于是只好临时带着随时要喝奶和睡觉的小孩到超市和大家抢货。

团圆饭丰俭由人，最重要的是背后的意义。最简单的就是弄火锅了，家里已买了一些料，就再多买一些。

我不会买鱼，就用罐头鲍鱼代替吧! 希望还是年年有余。

第一次用新鲜带子当火锅料，试吃了还是觉得带子煮菜比较好吃。我们只烫了两三粒其余的都没动到，隔天我拿来和吃剩的虾一起用干贝XO酱炒，好吃极了。

当天只煮了一道菜，就是过年一定要吃的蒜（算）。想到主要是吃火锅，就只准备小小一盘。

用了热乎乎刚出炉的自制烧肉（用200C烤，最后转上火220C把皮烤到脆脆，烤好的皮有点黑焦趁热用刀子刮掉）和XO腊肠来焖。第一次煮蒜不知道原来煮了会变少很多，只用了两棵，结果肉比蒜多，但是这道真的好好吃，一定要再煮来吃（巴剎开市后赶紧去买多一点蒜来收）。

还要记录一点当天Lucius特别乖，下午睡午觉特别久，让我们有更充裕的时间准备。晚上吃团圆饭时他竟然也乖乖坐在高椅一个小时看着我们慢慢享用火锅。明年的团圆饭应该有他的份了！

Lucius来拜年

大年初五派Lucius向大家拜年。

各位爷爷奶奶，叔叔婶婶，uncles aunties，哥哥姐姐们，

恭喜发财 万事如愿 心想事成

（不知道绿茶公司有没有兴趣找Lucius代言？）

Happy Rabbit Year 2011! 兔年大吉

Sharing some festive plants’ pictures taken in a garden centre which I visited recently (pardon me for the poor quality pictures as they were all taken by my mobile phone).

These were what I brought home - Hyacinth (风信子) (left is before, right is after). Aren’t they pretty? They are highly fragrant too!

Wishing all readers and blog pals Happy Lunar New Year. May the year of the rabbit brings you lots of joy, happiness and prosperity.

祝贺大家兔年大吉，好运连连，兔飞猛进！

加入了肉松的德国酥饼 Melt-in-the-mouth Pork Floss Cookies

不知道为什么过去的一整个月脑海里一直在想吃加入肉松的饼干，应该是看不惯家里肉松消耗得很慢。哈哈

在追加这好吃的德国酥饼时，我突然想不如就直接用这个食谱来改良成肉松酥饼，反正就一次过打多一点面团。

这当红不让的酥饼（现在还红到英文部落格）加入了肉松后还是入口即化，只是多了点口感和脆度，撒在面上的芝麻也为它加分不少。我也做了一些没有撒上芝麻的，觉得有芝麻的比较香，吃的时候也比较有层次感。

接下来，我是不是要打家里肉干的主意呢？。。。。呵呵

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 3: My Favorite CNY Cookie (Jan 2011) hosted by j3ss kitch3n.

Ingredients:
125g salted butter, soften at room temperature
40g icing sugar (see note)
125g potato starch (马铃薯粉/上等生粉/风车粉/太白粉)
80g superfine flour (can be replaced by plain flour)
8 - 9 heaped tbsp pork floss (replaced with chicken floss as you wish)
3 - 4 tbsp water (or slightly more)
Some sesame

Method:
1) Beat butter and icing sugar till fluffy and lighter in colour, sift in potato starch and flour, mix to incorporate with the butter mixture.
2) Fold in pork floss and 2 tbsp water, mix well, slowly adds the remaining water to form soft dough (if more pork floss is used, you will need more water, so adjust the amount accordingly).
3) Roll into small ball of ½ level tbsp each, lightly flatten in palm, arrange on lined baking pan. Tap little bit of water on top with a wet fork/spoon/finger, add some sesame and press lightly. Bake in preheated oven at 150C for 20 mins, upper rack.

Note:
1) I think the sugar can be slightly reduced since pork floss is also sweetened. If I were to bake this again I will reduce the icing sugar to 30g.
2) There is more than one type of pork floss in the market; the type I used is the traditional type (not the crispy one), same as the type used in pork floss bun sold at Breadtalk (bakery shop).
3) For variation, I think can also add in some chopped seaweed, the taste shall blend in well.

Crunchy Melting Almond Cranberry Cookies 【又脆又溶入口里的】杏仁蔓越莓酥饼

看到J3ss Kitch3n的这款简单手拌式杏仁饼时我就被吸引了。我最喜欢吃酥酥的杏仁饼了，外形方面我追求白白，我喜欢白色的杏仁饼。

后来看到很多博客朋友也尝试做了，而且大获好评，受欢迎程度似乎只在德国酥饼之后。

奈何我一直买不到杏仁粉，所以就只好搁着。前个星期天午后，已经准备好材料要追加双份的德国酥饼的，但心里却一直挂念着这杏仁饼。不管啦，没有杏仁粉就用别的代替，暂时解一解馋。

虽然没有用杏仁粉，成品还是酥酥脆脆的，只是杏仁味比较没那么浓郁，我觉得排斥杏仁的人（例如鲸鱼的家人）可以尝试这款小饼干。另外我还添加了剪到小小块的蔓越莓干，蔓越莓干的酸和咬劲带给了这酥脆小饼另一层次的味道和口感，挺不错的组合。

饼干一出炉会粉粉的，这时如果马上食用会很容易碎掉，冷却一会儿后就会变实。我一口气吃了好几颗，停不了口。我觉得这饼干吃了还蛮会发热气的，所以酌量吃就好。

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 3: My Favorite CNY Cookie (Jan 2011) hosted by j3ss kitch3n.

Almond Cranberry Cookies
(Inspired by Crunchy Melty Almond Cookies from J3ss Kitch3n)

Ingredients: (yield 50+ pcs)
150g self-raising flour
50g icing sugar
80g cornflour (replace with ground almond for intense “almondy” taste)
80g diced almonds
50g dried cranberries (cut into small pieces)
100g corn oil
½ tsp vanilla extract (use almond extract if you like)

Method:
1) Toast diced almonds at 130C (need not preheat the oven) for about 15 – 20 mins until the fragrance is released (toss in between if needed), set aside to cool down.
2) Sift flour, corn flour and icing sugar in a mixing bowl, add diced almonds and dried cranberries, mix well.
3) Stir in vanilla extract to oil, gradually add into the flour mixture until soft dough is formed (if it is too dry, add extra oil).
4) Shape into small ball of ½ level tbsp each, place into small paper case and bake in preheated oven at 170C for 15-20 mins until slightly brown.
5) Cool completely on wire rack before storing in airtight container.

Bite-size Pineapple Ball 凤梨一口酥 / Lucius Turns 11-Months Today 宝贝今天满11个月

The “ball” shape is the easiest and fastest way to make “closed” type pineapple tart. My pineapple ball is made to bite-size, each ball is only made up of ½ level tablespoon.

The pattern looks simple (and boring?) but it can be dressed up instantly with small paper case that comes with different colours and designs.

I used to stick a clove to each ball to resemble a tangerine (with the star shape sticking out) or an apple (with “stem” sticking out). Both patterns are just as pretty. But the apple-shaped tart is more difficult to pack/stack in cookie jars because the “stem” tend to come off when the jars are moved around a lot. So I packed them single layer with shallow container.

Besides the lovely look, I think this is a brilliant idea to instill the fragrance of cloves to the tarts as no spice is added in the store-bought pineapple jam I used.

This year I omitted the clove as friends and family members don’t seem to appreciate it. The most they would say, “it looks cute…. what is the black colour thing?” then added, “It’s troublesome to eat, still need to take it out” except D’s sister, she ate the clove as well.

....................(Packed with recycled chocolate box)

Furthermore, my family members who have low acceptance of spice generally dislike the hint of clove flavour in the tart (but I like it, sometimes I am the odd one in my family in terms of taste buds).

Without sticking the clove it’s even faster and simpler to make these tarts. I think it’s three times faster than making these “pineapple” shape tart.

I adapted the same recipe as the “pineapple” pineapple tart here.

By the way, today Lucius turns 11-month old. Happy 11-month old to my darling boy!