Honey Madeleine

In the past madeleines were somewhat unfamiliar with Korean people. In Korea there was a popular tv drama whose main character liked to eat madeleines. The main character is a baker and describes the sensual madeleines as plump and having plenty of wrinkles. As the popularity of the drama grows, so does the popularity of madeleines. So, people started to make and buy madeleines. The original shape is seashell but I did not have a madeleine pan, so I made them different. (I used a Nordic ware tea cake and candy mold)

Ingredients
1 and half sticks butter
2 eggs
3 T milk
3 T honey
1/2 C sugar
1 C + 2 T flour
3/4 t baking powder
1 t vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Melt the butter in the microwave for 1 minute.
Add honey to the milk and warm it up in the microwave for about 15 seconds until it is completely melted.
Mix egg and sugar together and add to milk mixture.
Add flour to milk mixture and mix slightly.
Add melted butter and vanilla extract and mix well.
Leave it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Spray oil on the pan..
Fill the pan 3/4 full and bake for 15 minutes.
While the madeleines are slightly warm put them in a container for one day to soften them.
Enjoy!

***

Ritz Bruschetta

This is a finger food made with Ritz crackers. I really like the idea of making such a tasty food in a simple way. Sometimes it's good to use the recipes on the back of the box. I think it will be a good appetizer to make when you have unexpected guests. 

Ingredients
3 plum tomatoes         chopped (1 cup)
1/2 cup                      Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 tops green onions    chopped
1 Tbsp.                      Italian Dressing
36                              RITZ Crackers
2 Tbsp.                      Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions
Heat oven to 400°F.
Combine first 4 ingredients.
Place crackers on baking sheet; top with tomato mixture and Parmesan cheese.
Bake 8 to 10 min. or until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

***

Glazed Lemon Cookies

My favorite lemon cookies are Lemon Heart Cookies at Trader Joe's.
I used to buy them often.  But, they no longer carry them. The cookies were a little sweet with a crispy texture and a fragrant smell of lemon. It was a lovely, rich cookie. I fell in love with the lemon scent and the lemon icing. I am sorry that I can not buy this cookies any more.
So while I was searching for lemon icing cookies I found a recipe from Martha Stewart and tried it. 
It will be for the true lemon lover, these crispy cookies will be a perfect treat.

Ingredients

2 cups                           all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon                 baking soda

1/2 teaspoon                 salt

1 tablespoon                 finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup (1 stick)            unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup                         granulated sugar (I reduced sugar a little bit in the original recipe)
1                                   large egg

1 teaspoon                    pure vanilla extract

For Lemon Glaze

2 cups                           confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons                finely grated lemon zest

1/3 cup                          fresh lemon juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
In a bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and lemon zest.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg, vanilla extract and lemon juice and mix on a low speed.
Drop dough by ice cream scoop onto baking sheet.
Bake until edges are golden, 15-20 minutes and cool completely.
Spread cookies with lemon glaze and let set until icing is firm.

***

Pad Thai

Pad Thai is one of my favorite Thai foods.
It is stir-fried rice noodles with crispy bean sprouts and delicious chopped peanuts. Sounds delicious! 
A few years ago, I got a recipe from my friend and I make it often.  It's not a regular Pad Thai, but it has a wonderful flavor. It's a perfect food for the taste of Koreans. Yummy!


Ingredients
1 bag                 bean sprouts
200 g                 rice noodles
half                    onion
3-4 cloves          garlic
4-5                     eggs
12                      shrimps (medium size)

sauce
2 T                     dubanjang sauce (Chili Bean Sauce) 
1 T                     fish sauce
2 T                     oyster sauce
1 T                     lemon juice
2 T                     sugar

2 T                     chopped peanut
1 T                     shredded coconut
2 T                     chopped green onions
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Soak the rice noodles in cold water for 2 hours.
Clean bean sprouts, chop the onion and slice garlic.
Marinate shrimp with salt and pepper.
Scramble eggs (don't cook too much) and set aside.
Slightly stir fry garlic and then mix in shrimps on a high heat.
Mix the sauce while they are cooking, add rice noodles and pour in 1/3 of the sauce. Lower heat to medium.
When the noodles are almost cooked, add bean sprouts, scrambled eggs and pour in remaining sauce. Mix well until bean sprouts cook a little.
Serve with chopped green onions and shredded coconut.

***

Cacao Nibs Cookies

I make Christmas cookies every Christmas. This year I tried cacao nibs cookies.
Why cacao nibs? Cacao contains a naturally rich supply of antioxidants and is an excellent source of dietary fiber. It is also known to be one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium and possesses many other essential minerals in significant quantities. The bitter taste is very attractive, too.
I love chocolate and coffee...  When I bite into it, the chocolate and coffee flavors blend perfectly and  make me happy.

Ingredients
400 g                    flour
90 g                      confectioners sugar
1 g                        salt
2 t                         coffee extract
3 sticks                 butter (room temperature)
700 g                    dark chocolate chips or Trader Joe's Pound Plus 72%,chopped
300 g                    cacao nibs (from Whole Foods)
2 shots                  espresso (decaf organic espresso bel canto from Whole Foods)

Directions
Mix butter and confectioners sugar in a bowl.
Add salt and coffee extract and mix. Add espresso and mix.
Add flour and mix.
Finally, add dark chocolate and mix.
Form dough into a 2-inch-round log - wrap tightly in plastic and freeze until firm (2 hours or more)

Preheat oven to 320 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cut the dough into 1/3-inch-thick-slices.

Bake until cookies are golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on sheet.

These are delicious, flavorful cookies. It will make you feel better when the coffee aroma spreads throughout the house.

***