By Trista Yo-Ting Hung For me, a Christmas without homemade desserts is unimaginable. Since childhood, I’ve been baking a lot with my mom during the holiday season. The pleasantly sweet smells never fail to trigger my olfactory memories. Here I would like to share two of my favorite dessert recipes. Make sure your stomach and the cookie jar is empty. Enjoy! #1: Butter M&M Animal Cookies Christmas is the season of sharing. When I was in kindergarten and elementary school, every time Christmas was around the corner, I made these cookies, decorated them, and brought them to school. I felt so accomplished to be able to present what I baked to my classmates, neighbors, and friends. It was sweet to remember gobbling up the cookies together with my loved ones, and how quickly the cookies disappeared. They taste soft and buttery, and are truly visually appealing. After all, how can bear-, cat-, or sheep-shaped cookies not be eye-catching? At the time, we kids fought for our favorite animal shapes. Still, we came to an agreement that the M&Ms made the cookies really stand out. I preferred to keep the M&Ms until the very end; saving the best for last has always been my ritual for eating cookies. This cookie recipe is my all-time favorite because it is so easy. The ingredients are common. Flour, butter, egg, sugar, vanilla…nothing unusual or daunting. Also, the instructions are simple. And the amount is large. Bring these adorable cookies to a potluck or family gathering and people will love you. On the basis of my years of experience, I can guarantee that they are crowd-pleasing! Ingredients: 450g butter, softened to room temperature 900g all-purpose flour 200g granulated sugar 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract pinch salt 250g mini M&Ms Yield: 5 dozens cookies Instructions: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together butter, sugar, and salt until creamed. Then add egg and vanilla. Add flour, mixing to combine. Flatten the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (*to prevent the dough from cracking) Use animal cookie cutters to cut the dough. Transfer the cookies to baking sheets. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C. Decorate the cookies with M&Ms Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges have set. Allow cookies to set on rack for 10 minutes. #2: Brownies Brownies are very special to me, since this was the first dessert I ever baked, at the age of 3. Whenever I am in a café or dessert store, I order brownies. I want to taste as many of them as I can, and to compare them with the ones I’ve seen my mom bake for so many years. In addition, I’ve tried many renowned brownie recipes on the internet, like “the best ever brownie” on BBC Good Food, and the “fudgy and chewy brownie” on Sally’s Baking Addiction. All these are yummy, satisfying, and decadent. Still, I realize that what I tasted in childhood will always remain incomparable. This is my mom’s recipe. I didn’t make these brownies myself until last year, and I am proud to duplicate them. These are neither “cake” brownies nor “fudgy” brownies. They are not so chewy. Nor do they resemble fluffy chiffon cakes. I would say they are something in between, rich yet not too dense. Only ½ stick of butter is needed for this recipe. Plus, brownies are suitable for beginning bakers. The instructions are foolproof. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, mix the wet ingredients in another bowl, and then mix dry and wet ingredients together. Pour the batter into a pan and that’s it. The rest is the oven’s business. The smell is tempting and the complete product is irresistible. Just make sure a cup of milk or coffee is handy. What could be better than a brownie with a cup of milk or tea? Ingredients:
60g butter, softened to room temperature 200g brown sugar 125g cake flour 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking powder 100g dark chocolate, chopped 60g walnut, chopped 60g semi-sweet chocolate chips Instructions: Melt the chopped chocolate in a saucepan on low heat, stirring constantly. Whisk butter and sugar until creamed. Then add melted chocolate, beaten eggs, vanilla extract, whisking until smooth. Fold in flour and baking powder to the wet mixture, mixing the batter gently. Once combined, fold in chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes. The brownies are done when a toothpick inserts in the center and comes out clean. Allow the brownies to cool on rack for 30 minutes. a
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May 2024
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