I started making edible crystals last summer, when my friend Jacky developed an obsession with it after he got placed in some edible crystal algorithm on TikTok. When you’re stuck in a specific niche algorithm on a social media app, it makes something feel so much more commonplace than it really is. It seemed like everyone was able to easily access these crunchy (very ASMR-friendly) candies but in reality it was actually quite difficult to source locally. So I made some, recorded a video of the process, got Jacky to record some very satisfying crunching (or cronching) sound clips of himself biting into these candy gems, and shared the process in this Instagram Reel. Apparently being fascinated by edible crystals is not just a common interest between Jacky and myself, because so many of you wanted to make them too. Making edible crystals is a multi-day process but trust me, it’s a very hands-off process and the most important ingredient is just patience.

Edible crystals, also known as traditional Japanese confectionary ‘kohakutou,’ is a vegan candy made of agar agar. Agar agar is a thickener derived from seaweed — it’s a great alternative to gelatin and I like using it to set jellies and puddings… and now edible crystals! What makes edible crystals special and different from regular candy is that they have a thin shell with a firm jelly-like texture on the inside. If you grew up in a Chinese household, I would say the jelly texture of the candy is really similar one of my favourite candies I ate growing up, Smith’s Melon Candy.

Edible crystals only require four ingredients: sugar, agar agar, water, and your flavouring of choice. First, the agar agar is combined with water (much like blooming gelatin in water), and is brought up to a boil. Sugar and candy flavouring is then added to form a thick, translucent mixture. While the candy mixture is still hot, it gets poured into a heatproof dish. Before the candy mixture sets, food colouring (you can use as many colours as you like) is swirled in to create beautiful gradients that resemble real gemstones. Unlike gelatin, agar agar sets relatively quickly at room temperature so you can start carving the gemstones soon after you make the mixture. The candy mixture sets in about 15 – 20 minutes in the refrigerator and is ready to carving immediately after. Carving each individual crystal is by far my favourite part of the process. Using a small knife, remove small pieces from the edges of a crystal. There is no real technique to it — all gemstones are uniquely shaped and no matter how you carve it, it will turn out beautiful!

After all the crystals have been carved, it is simply a waiting game. On the first day, the candies are sticky to the touch and see through. Place the carved crystals on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate, leaving a few centimetres between each candy. Loosely cover the crystals, it is important to not place plastic wrap directly onto the candies. I used a second baking sheeting to cover the pan of candies, leaving a small gap between the two baking sheets so the candies are able to dry. A thin crust will start forming on the second and third day, and this is when I like to flip each crystal over so the other side has a chance to form an even crust. The crystal will become less translucent and vibrant during the drying process. On day four and five, an even crust will have formed on all surfaces of the crystal. The crystals are ready to be enjoyed now but personally I found letting the crystals dry for one full week to created the best texture. Using edible gold paint and gold leaf to decorate the crystals is optional, but make the crystals even more jewel-like! Crystal candies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks at this point.

Here is a separate batch with a different colour palette. I omitted edible gold paint and gold leaf on these ones, but they are just as beautiful. The photos show the crystals on the first day and on the fifth day after drying:

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Edible Crystals (Kohakutou)

Edible crystals, or kohakutou, is a Japanese candy made from agar agar. Besides looking like real jewels, what makes these crystal candies so special is the texture — they have a crisp exterior shell while the interior of the candies are soft and jelly-like. The candies are a great blank canvas for any flavouring or colours of your choice. Because the base of these gummies is agar agar, these edible crystals are vegan!

Servings 50 pieces

Author Amy

Ingredients

• 350 ml (1 1/2 cups) cold water
• 10 g agar agar powder
• 550 g (2 3/4 cups) granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp candy flavouring
• Several drops of food colouring

Instructions

• Lightly grease a 8 x 8 square baking pan. Set aside.
• Fill a medium-sized pot with cold water and add agar agar powder to the water. Allow the agar agar powder to absorb the water for 5 minutes.
• While whisking, bring the mixture to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat until all the agar agar powder has dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• Add granulated sugar and mix until all the sugar has dissolved. The mixture will be thick at this point. Add flavouring of choice.
• Pour the sugar mixture into prepared baking pan.
• Before the mixture sets, add a few drops of food colouring throughout the mixture, spacing out the food colouring. Using a butter knife or a spoon, run it through the mixture to gently swirl the colours into the sugar mixture.
• Transfer the pan to the refrigerator. Allow candy mixture to chill until it has fully set, at least one hour.
• Once mixture has set, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the candy. The candy should come out as one sheet.
• Using the same knife, cut the sheet of candy into strips (I did 10) then cut each strip into 5 – 6 rectangular pieces. Shape each piece of candy by cutting off the straight edges at an angle.
• Place the crystal candies onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet or large plate. Loosely cover the cookie sheet (without touching the top of each candy) and let dry at room temperature for 5 days (flipping the candies halfway through) until a hard crust forms on the outside. I like using a second cookie sheet to cover the first one while leaving a crack for air to get inside.
• Optional: Using a small paint brush, brush edible gold paint along the edges of the candies and add edible gold leaf on the last day of the candy drying process.

The post Edible Crystals (Kohakutou) appeared first on Constellation Inspiration.

[Edit: I drafted this post back in the beginning of 2022 (!!) and forgot to publish it. So I have had my taiyaki pan for quite some time now and I still love it!]

A taiyaki pan has been on my to-buy list for the longest time. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a piece of bakeware for such a long time without acting on it. But that has recently changed and I’m now a (very) proud owner of a taiyaki pan. Since getting it two weeks ago, I’ve made about 8 – 10 batches of taiyaki in attempts to perfect my ideal taiyaki batter. I’ve been working on a classic taiyaki recipe and a mochi one and I must tell you that the recipe development process has been delicious and has brought me so much joy. The joy definitely is worth more than the $25 I spent on the pan itself.

What is taiyaki?
If you’re not familiar with taiyaki, I’m here to tell you that once you’ve had it, you will never pass up the opportunity to get a fish-shaped waffle. Despite being Japanese in origin, I had my fair share of taiyaki growing up. A taiyaki is a fish-shaped waffle (or cake… depending on who you ask) that’s usually filled with sweetened red beans, though custard, cheese, and sweet potato fillings are also commonly found. The taiyaki gets its name from tai, which is a sea bream fish which its shape resembles. Tai fish are considered a symbol of luck and fortune in Japan, and at a time was a fish enjoyed exclusively by the higher classes or on special occasions due to its high price point. The owner of the store that created the first taiyaki, decided to shape their waffles into tai fish so ordinary people can get a taste of the expensive fish at a lower price. Since it’s invention, the taiyaki has evolved and you can now find many variations of this fish-shaped treat. Besides the classic, I love taiyaki made with croissant dough. The layers of buttery pastry with pearl sugar caramelizes so beautifully in the pan.

A classic taiyaki batter is made with either all-purpose flour or cake flour, much like a classic pancake batter. I’m sure if you wanted to use your true and tried pancake recipe in the taiyaki pan, it would make a wonderful fish waffle.You can use whatever filling you like because this batter recipe is a great blank canvas. I chose to use cookie butter because a) cookie butter and b) I had an impulse buy moment at the store and bought way too many jars. The cookie butter is actually a perfect filling for taiyaki — it’s sweet, has a great consistency, and most importantly tastes like nostalgia, which is exactly what I want to experience when eating a taiyaki.

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Cookie Butter Taiyaki Waffles

A taiyaki is a fish-shaped waffle that's usually filled with sweetened red beans, though custard, cheese, and sweet potato fillings are also commonly found. Cookie butter is actually a perfect filling for taiyaki — it's sweet, has a great consistency, and most importantly tastes like nostalgia, which is exactly what I want to experience when eating a taiyaki.

Author Amy

Ingredients

Taiyaki Batter

• 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• 24 g (3 tbsp) cornstarch
• 26 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 175 ml 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

Filling

• 5 tbsp cookie butter

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In a large measuring cup, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla.
• Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix until no streaks of flour remain.
• Heat up taiyaki pan over medium heat. Once both side of the pan is hot, grease the inside of the pan with vegetable oil.
• Pour batter into one side of the taiyaki pan until the 3/4 full. Add one table spoonful of cookie butter to the centre (the "belly" of the fish) and cover the filling with a bit more batter. Close the taiyaki pan and flip it, so the batter inside covers the entire pan.
• Cook taiyaki on each side over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until it is golden and releases from the pan easily. If taiyaki is sticking to the pan, cook the taiyaki on the same side for an addition 30 seconds – 1 minute.
• Remove from pan and transfer to cooling rack. Repeat will remaining batter and filling.
• Taiyaki are best enjoyed right away. The waffles can also be reheated in an airfryer or oven.

The post Cookie Butter Taiyaki (Fish-Shaped Waffle) appeared first on Constellation Inspiration.

I started making this cherry blossom jelly cheesecake about three or four years ago. Every year when cherry blossoms start blooming, I would revisit the idea of this cheesecake but it never turns out perfect enough for me to share the recipe. I share a photo of each year’s version on Instagram but it never successfully becomes its own blog post. After a few years of less-than-perfect cherry blossom cheesecake (often due to a murky jelly layer), I’m happy to report back that we did it. We figured out why the cheesecake never sets firm enough (too much whipped cream), why the jelly would turn murky (the cheesecake layer wasn’t set yet), and cherry blossoms wouldn’t stand out in the jelly (the jelly was too red). Besides the many trials and tribulations (thought they were tasty ones), this no-bake cheesecake is actually quite easy to make if you give yourself enough time for each layer to set fully before assembling and serving.

What is a no-bake cheesecake?

As its name suggests, a no-bake cheesecake is a cheesecake that doesn’t have to be baked in the oven. Traditional cheesecakes have eggs in the batter which would help the cake set during the baking process. No-bake cheesecakes in the other hand relies on being chilled to help it become a firm, sliceable cake. The first few versions of this cake only had whipped cream, cream, cheese, and sugar as the main components, and it heavily relied on the whipped cream for its structure. Often times, the cheesecake would still not be stiff enough to create a clean slice that would hold its shape on its own. After adding the jelly layer, the weight of the jelly would cause the cheesecake layer to squish out. After the first few cakes, I started adding a bit of gelatin to the cheesecake layer, which helped the whipped cream to create a sturdy (but still fluffy and cloud-like!) texture. Compared to traditional baked cheesecakes, no-bake cheesecakes are lighter and smoother, almost like a mousse in texture. Similar to baked cheesecakes, this no-bake version also has cookie-based crust. Instead of the traditional graham cookie crust, I opted for speculoos cookies, which added a nice sweetness and a hint of spice to the cake. You can use whatever cookie you like.

Where can I find edible cherry blossoms?

Cherry blossoms have a subtle sweetness but do not have too much of a distinct flavour like other flowers. Cherry blossoms are edible, but you want to make sure there are no pesticides on the flowers you choose to use for baking and desserts. My favourite way to incorporate cherry blossoms into cakes and cookies is to use cherry blossom tea or pickled cherry blossom flowers from my local Japanese market. The latter is usually pickled in salt, so I would recommend rinsing the flowers in warm water to get rid of some of the salt before adding it to baking. Letting the flowers sit in warm water will also help the flowers ‘blossom’ and look fuller in the jelly layer of the cheesecake.

Do I pour the jelly directly onto the cake?

The jelly layer can be made with a store-bought jello mix but I wanted to be able to control the colour of the jelly, to make sure it’s not too dark and the cherry blossom flowers will still be apparent in the layer. The jelly layer is a simple mix of gelatin, sugar, water, and flavouring (I chose peach!). It is important to allow the gelatin to bloom in a bit of cold water before adding hot water and sugar to it — the gelatin is more likely to clump up if it is mixed directly into a large amount of hot liquid. Once the jelly mixture has been made, it is crucial that we allow the mixture to return to room temperature. If we add a hot or even warm jelly mixture to the top of the set cheesecake, it will cause the cheesecake to start melting into the jelly layer, creating a murky jelly. Through the many cheesecake tests, I also found that it’s equally important to gently ladle in the jelly mixture because pouring the jelly mixture, can easily break the surface of the cheesecake and cause the centre of the cheesecake to start melting into the jelly. Before returning the cheesecake with the jelly layer to the refrigerator to chill, add the cherry blossom flowers. I have tried making this jelly layer with agar agar instead of gelatin, and it was not as succesfully as using the latter. Because agar agar sets at room temperature, the agar agar jelly would start to set before all the flowers were added.

How long does the cheesecake need to be in the fridge?

The jelly cheesecake can be served once the jelly layer has set, which takes around 4 – 5 hours in the refrigerator, but I like to let the cheesecake set overnight to make sure everything is sturdy enough to be sliced. I’ve cut into many cheesecakes too early and regretted it!

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No-Bake Cherry Blossom Jelly Cheesecake

A no-bake cherry blossom cheesecake to celebrate spring's most beautiful flower! A light and smooth cheesecake sits on top of a speculoos cookie crust. The highlight of this cheesecake is the jelly layer, which is studded with cherry blossom petals.

Servings 6 inch cake

Author Amy

Ingredients

Speculoos Crust Layer

• 185 g (15 cookies) speculoos cookies
• 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 50 g unsalted butter melted

No Bake Cheesecake Layer

• 150 ml heavy whipping cream
• 250 g (1 block) full-fat cream cheese room temperature
• 80 g (2/3 cup) powdered sugar
• 6 g (1 envelope) unflavoured gelatin
• 40 ml water
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt

Cherry Blossom Jelly Layer

• 6 g (1 envelope) unflavoured gelatin
• 315 ml water divided
• 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• Few drops red food colouring
• Few drops flavouring of choice
• 10 – 15 cherry blossoms

Instructions

Prep

• Optional: create a 6-inch cake ring with a sheet of acetate to line the inside of a 6-inch spring form cake pan. If omitting acetate, line the inside of the pan with parchment paper.

Speculoos Crust Layer

• In a food processor, blitz speculoos cookies until it reaches a fine crumb. Some larger pieces are okay. Transfer cookie crumbs into a medium bowl.
• Add granulated sugar and salt to cookie crumbs. Mix well.
• Add melted butter and mix until the mixture resembles wet sand.
• Transfer the cookie mixture to the cake pan. Using a spoon, pack the cookie mixture tightly. The tighter it’s packed, the less likely it will fall apart when cutting the cheesecake.
• Transfer the cake pan to the freezer to chill while you make the cheesecake layer.

No Bake Cheesecake Layer

• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip heavy whipping cream on medium-high speed until it reaches stiff peaks, about 3 – 4 minutes. Set aside.
• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 – 2 minutes.
• Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt to the cream cheese mixture and mix until very smooth.
• In a small bowl, add water and gelatin. Allow the gelatin to bloom for 5 minutes. It will become a thick gel. Microwave for 30 – 45 vseconds and give it a stir until the gel becomes a clear liquid.
• Add gelatin mixture to the cream cheese mixture and mix well.
• Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture without deflating the whipped cream. This takes several turns with your rubber spatula.
• Remove the cake pan from the freezer and and spread filling into crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth down the top as much as you can.
• Cover the top of the cake pan with plastic wrap and allow it to chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Cherry Blossom Jelly Layer

• Add a large measuring cup, combine gelatin and 1/3 cup of room temperature water. Allow gelatin to bloom for 5 minutes.
• Once gelatin as thickened, add 1 cup of hot water to the measuring cup. Stir to until gelatin has dissolved.
• Add sugar, red food colouring, and flavouring of choice. Stir to combine.
• Allow the jelly mixture to return to room temperature before transfering to cake pan.
• Remove chilled cheesecake from refrigerator and take off the plastic wrap.
• Gently ladle the cooled jelly mixture on top of the cheesecake layer.
• Add cherry blossoms to the jelly layer.
• Cover the top of the cake pan with plastic wrap and return cake to the refrigerator to chill overnight.

Serving

• Remove cake from the springform pan. Gently peel away acetate/parchment paper.
• Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. Wipe the knife clean between each slice.

The post No-Bake Cherry Blossom Jelly Cheesecake appeared first on Constellation Inspiration.

Cherry blossom season is in full bloom here and I can’t think of a more beautiful time of the year. The soft pink petals flutter in the wind and everything looks so effortlessly romantic. Having a hanami (Japanese for “flower viewing”) picnic under the cherry blossom trees has not become an annual tradition yet, but I’m making more of an effort to make bento boxes filled with springtime sweets and sakura snacks for enjoying under the blossoms. People in Japan take their hanami bentos very seriously but for my first all-homemade bento, I thought I would start with something for manageable and least likely to cause any mental breakdowns. I’ve only had one and a half breakdowns so far.

The first thing I had to do was get a bento box! I knew I wanted a multi-layer one but didn’t expect to find most perfect four-tiered Rilakkuma box at the mall. It has three deep compartments and one shallow one, which was perfect for small sweets and cookies. It also came with matching utensils. I can’t find the exact one I used but these San-X or pastel-coloured lunch boxes would be just as cute. After finding the box, it was time to design the menu:

• First savoury layer: sakura onigiri
• Second savoury layer: sakura inari sausage octopus
• Third sweet layer: hanami dango
• Final sweet later: assorted butter cookies

Creating the first layer: sakura onigiri

One of my favourite snacks of all time: onigiri. Onigiri are Japanese rice balls made of steamed rice that have been compressed into a rounded triangular shape that are usually wrapped in a nori seaweed sheet. I love plain onigiri, I love ones filled with tuna, and I especially love ones filled with a piece of shrimp tempura. These sakura onigiri are coloured pink with Japanese plum rice seasoning (I found this at my local Japanese market) and is speckled with ebi furikake throughout. I used a strip of nori for each onigiri because I didn’t want a full sheet of seaweed to hide the beautiful pink rice. The pink plum powder is very easy to use. The instructions on the back of the packaging said to use 1 tablespoon of plum powder for every 320g of cooked rice. After adding the plum powder to the warm rice, I then added a generous sprinkle of furikake to the rice and mixed until everything was distributed. Onigiri can be formed with just your hands (wetting hands with water will prevent the rice from sticking to your fingers!) but you can also use an onigiri mold.

Creating the second layer: sakura inari & sausage octopus

Inari is a traditional sushi made with a vinegared rice ball tucked inside a seasoned deep-fried tofu pocket. Inari is quite common at sushi restaurants and is one of the easiest sushi dishes to make at home. Most Japanese grocery stores will have packets of the sweet and salty tofu pockets in the refrigerated section of the store and some will even come with the vinegar seasoning for the rice. To make the inari pockets more festive, I topped each one with a salted cherry blossom flower.

Sausage octopus is something I’ve always loved (despite not being something I’ve grown up eating), so I knew it had to go in my sakura bento box. I used vegetarian sausages but you can use your favourite kind. First, cut each sausage in half. Then cut an ‘X’ halfway down the sausage, this will create the first four ‘legs.’ Rotate the sausage and carefully cut another ‘X’ between the slits. In a frying pan, heat a little bit of oil and cook sausages on medium heat. The octopus legs will start to flare outwards as it begins to cook. Once thoroughly cooked, remove the sausages from the heat and pack in the lunch box.

Creating the third layer: hanami dango

If you like mochi, you will love dango! Hanami dango, as its’ name suggests, is dango that is enjoyed during cherry blossom season. It features three chewy, tender rice balls on a stick. Each skewer will have a green rice ball, a white one, and a pink one, in that order. Each colour has a special meaning: the pink to symbolize the cherry blossoms, the white to symbolize the melting snow, and the green represents the green colours that come with spring. I’ve made hanami dango many times using many different recipes, but I’ve recently started incorporate soft tofu into my dango rice dough (thank you for the wonderful tip, Okonomi Kitchen!) and it’s my favourite version yet. You can find the updated hanami recipe dango here.

Hanami dango can also be purchased at Japanese grocery stores (when it’s in season) or some Japanese restaurants will offer it a special during this time of year!

Creating the final layer: assorted sakura cookies

For the final sweet layer, I made strawberry, vanilla, and matcha shortbread dough and shaped them three different ways to make three different types of cookies. First, the doughs were rolled out and I used a small round cookie cutter to cut out circles. Once baked, half of the cookies were filled with a matcha cream cheese buttercream. I placed a skewer in the middle and topped each cookie with its corresponding coloured cookie to form a cookie hanami dango skewer.

The next two cookies were variations of checkerboard cookies and layered cookies. Rolled out dough was stacked on top of each other, cut in half, and stacked again. Cookies were baked until golden brown around the edges. You can find a tutorial on how to create checkerboard cookies here. Any type of shortbread or sugar cookie dough (no leaveners) will work with this technique.

Assembling the bento box

Once all the food has been prepared, pack it in the bento box. I like to pack the food items tightly in the box. Not only does this make a more beautiful box, but it also prevents the food from shifting around when be transported. If you are bringing different dipping sauces for items in your bento box, pack it separately in it’s own little container so it doesn’t spill inside the box. Bento boxes are also meant to be eaten at room temperature so keep that in mind when planning your menu!

After I packed all four layers of my bento box and made sure everything is secure, I headed to the park in my neighbourhood that has the best cherry blossoms. It was very busy at the park but we were able to find a shaded spot under a big blossoming tree. The bento box might’ve taken five hours to create and only five minutes for us to consume, it was such a lovely experience to enjoy the blossoms this time of year.

The post Hanami Cherry Blossom Picnic 🌸 appeared first on Constellation Inspiration.

I’ve never had fried chicken from Jollibee (I haven’t had chicken in almost five years!) and it wasn’t until a few months ago that I had my first fried peach and mango pie (don’t roll your eyes at me!). Vancouver got it’s first Jollibee location a year ago but I wasn’t ready to brave the crazy long lines just for the pie. The line eventually died down so I’m here to report back that I’ve finally had the pie and we’re going to recreate it today so you can have peach mango pie at home whenever the craving hits. I’m not going to start claiming that this homemade recipe is a “copycat recipe” or is “better than Jollibee,” but I will say that we’re making the filling from fresh fruit, our own all-butter pastry, and then deep frying it. I might prefer deep fried pie dough more than baked pie dough now?!

To make these peach mango pies, we’re first going to make the filling. The filling is exactly what the name suggests — diced fresh peaches and mangoes are cooked down with sugar, cinnamon, a bit of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt until it becomes jammy. Unlike making a traditional baked fruit pie, we want to cook the fruit before filling the pie. The deep frying process for the assembled hand pies is a quick one, so the filling has to be cooked first. We fill homemade all-butter pie dough with the cooked fruit filling, seal the edges, and then they’re ready to be fried. You could bake the pies (like how I made these brown sugar hand pies) but deep frying it makes the outer layer of the pie pastry extra crispy and more similar to the original Jollibee pie. Deep frying can be intimidating but when you fry the pies one at a time, it’s quite easy to control the temperature and prevent any splatters of hot oil.

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Peach Mango Pies

I'm not going to start claiming that this homemade peach mango recipe is a "copycat recipe" or is "better than Jollibee,"  but I'lll say that we're making the filling from fresh fruit, our own all-butter pastry, and then deep frying it. I might prefer deep fried pie dough more than baked pie dough now?! Deep frying can be intimidating but when you fry the pies one at a time, it's quite easy to control the temperature and prevent any splatters of hot oil.

Author Amy

Ingredients

Peach Mango Filling

• 200 g (1 cup) peaches diced
• 200 g (1 cup) mangoes diced
• 65 g (5 tbsp) granulated sugar *see instructions below
• 8 g (1 tbsp) cornstarch
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

All-Butter Pie Dough

• 300 g (2 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
• 13 g (1 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 227 g (1 cup) very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
• 120 ml (1 1/2 cup) cold water
• 110 g (1 1/2 cup) ice cubes
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

Egg Wash

• 1 large egg

Instructions

Peach Mango Filling

• In a medium saucepan over medium heart, combine peaches, mangoes, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. I like to start with 3 tablespoons of sugar and add more if needed. If the fruit you're using is very ripe, you might only need 3 tablespoons but I found 5 tablespoons to be the perfect amount. Cook until filling becomes jammy, while stirring often, about 10 minutes.
• Once mixture has thickened, remove saucepan from the heat. Transfer fruit filling to a small baking sheet or bowl to cool. Allow filling to cool while you make the pie dough.

All-Butter Pie Dough

• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add the butter. With a pastry cutter or a fork, quickly cut the butter into the flour mixture until mostly pea-size pieces of butter remain (a few larger pieces are okay).
• In a large measuring cup or a small bowl, combine the water, ice, and vinegar. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons (15 ml) of the ice-water mixture over the flour mixture and mix with a spatula until the water is fully incorporated. Add more of the ice-water mixture, 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) at a time.
• Using the spatula or your hands, mix until the dough comes together in a ball with some dry, shaggy bits remaining. Squeeze and pinch the dough with your fingertips to bring all the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of the ice-water mixture, if necessary, to combine.
• Divide the dough into 2 portions. Shape each portion of dough into a flat disk, wrap each disk in plastic, and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, to give the dough time to rest.

Assembly

• Once pie dough has had a chance to rest, remove from fridge. Roll out the pie dough to 1/8-inch in thickness. Cut sheet of pie dough into 8 equal rectangles. Repeat with second sheet of pie dough.
• Fill half of the pie dough rectangles with the cooled fruit filling, leaving 1/4-inch on each side to seal the pie.
• Brush on a thin layer of egg wash to each of the four sides. Top with another rectangle of pie dough and use a fork to crimp and seal the edges. Repeat with remaining pies.
• Place the assembled pies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in freezer as you heat up frying oil.
• Heat a heavy-bottomed pot of neutral oil to 375F.
• Carefully lower chilled pie into the hot oil.
• Fry one or two pies at a time, turning halfway, until golden brown, about 3 – 5 minutes.
• Once ready, remove pies from oil and place on a wire rack or paper towel to drain for 10 minutes. Enjoy hot.

The post Peach Mango Pies appeared first on Constellation Inspiration.

Find yourself a friend that would spend their Saturday morning lining up for fresh mango mochi for you because that is the true testament to true friendship. This isn’t just normal mochi you can get at the grocery store, but whole mango mochi that when you search ‘mango mochi richmond’ on TikTok, you will notice that it has more than 620K views. It is being sold at the most unassuming place — a food court stall in a somewhat neglected (*neglected in it’s pre-mochi era) Chinese mall that specializes in… rice bowls? This rice bowl stall generates a ridiculous line every day that weaves throughout the entire food court and upper level of the mall it is in. I haven’t braved this line myself because the disappointment of lining up for the mochi and being told it has sold out would crush my soul. Last weekend, one of my closest friends decided it was time I tried this viral mochi so she spent a good amount of time lining up for the mochi before the stall was even open to get it for me. (I love you, Jen!!!)

It may sound like a bold statement but mochi is the superior treat. Out of all Asian desserts (or maybe even desserts in general), mochi has been and always will be my favourite. The tenderness! The chew! The elasticity! It has all the textures that I love. I grew up making mochi via the steaming method but recently I’ve been converted by the convenience of microwaving mochi. Microwave mochi has the same ingredients — glutinous rice flour, sugar, and water — making this mango mochi a naturally gluten-free and vegan dessert. The mochi component of this dessert comes together easily and quickly. It takes about five minutes to prepare the mochi and a couple of minutes to assemble the treat. Because there are only two parts to this dessert — mango and mochi — choosing a ripe, fragrant mango is key to making the perfect mango mochi.

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Whole Mango Mochi

Whole pieces of ripe mango is wrapped in a thin layer of homemade, soft mochi. The mochi can be made in the microwave with just three ingredients — glutinous rice flour, sugar, and water. Mango mochi is vegan and gluten free!

Servings 2 pieces

Author Amy

Ingredients

• 43 g (1/3 cup) mochiko or glutinous rice flour
• 26 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 80 ml (1/3 cup) water
• 1 large mango
• 43 g (1/3 cup) mochiko or glutinous rice flour toasted, for dusting

Instructions

• In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, whisk to combine glutinous rice flour and sugar.
• Add water and whisk until mixture is smooth.
• Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate that is slightly larger than the bowl. Microwave mochi mixture for 1 minute, stir with a wet spatula, and return to microwave. Repeat two more times. The mixture will turn slightly translucent as it cooks. Allow mochi to cool.
• Peel mango and remove flesh from pit into two pieces. Set aside.
• Dust work surface with toasted glutinous rice flour. Transfer cooled mochi to work surface and dust the top of mochi with more toasted glutinous rice flour.
• Divide the mochi into two equal portions.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out mochi to a thin layer, about 1/8-inch in thickness. Adding more toasted glutinous rice flour if mochi is sticking to rolling pin.
• Place a piece of mango to the centre of the rolled out mochi and wrap the mochi around the mango, using your fingers to pinch the mochi seams to create a seal. Repeat with second portion of mochi.
• Enjoy the day the mochi is made.

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Happy almost Lunar New Year to all of you who celebrate it! Like many Chinese holidays, Lunar New Year is celebrated with a lot of food. Most of the food eaten during this time is symbolic of things you would like to have more of in the new year, whether the symbolism is conveyed through the name of the dish of the shape of the food item. On Lunar New Year’s Eve, my family gathers around the table to feast on fish (the word fish means that there will be a surplus for next year, whether it is a surplus of wealth, luck, or anything positive), oysters with fat choy (a vegetable whose name sounds like ‘fortune’), noodles (for longevity), and tang yuan (circular rice balls, whose shape represents family connection, togetherness and reunion). The next morning on New Year’s Day, my parents would start frying up new year cake (nian gao) early in the morning. The characters nian gao 年糕 translates to ‘year higher,’ meaning that those who eat the cake will have a year better than the last. Nian gao has always been the highlight for me. Traditionally it is made with glutinous rice flour, sugar, water, and flavouring of choice, though in more recent years there have been more creative version of this traditional sweet treat. I like the classic brown sugar or white sugar nian gao the best, especially when my parents dip slices of the cake in an egg batter before pan frying it. I think it is the texture of nian gao that makes me love it so much — it is pretty identical to eating mochi, but with a crisp exterior.

I shared a nian gao sugar cookie a few years back but after making it a few more times and continuing to tweak the recipe from year to year, I’ve arrived at this recipe just in time for Lunar New Year celebrations. This cookie dough is quite like a classic chocolate chip cookie dough (minus the chocolate)! and I prefer this over the previous version with a rainbow-specked sugar cookie dough because this dough creates a crisper cookie, which provides such nice contrast to the soft and tender nian gao centre. I used white sugar nian gao for these cookies but feel free to use any type of nian gao for the centre. I think brown sugar or coconut-flavoured nian gao would be just as good in these cookies. Any nian gao from you new year’s day celebrations will do!

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Nian Gao Cookies (年糕曲奇餅)

These nian gao-stuffed cookies are chewy, tender, and crisp! I used white sugar nian gao for these cookies but feel free to use any type of nian gao for the centre. I think brown sugar or coconut-flavoured nian gao would be just as good in these cookies. Any nian gao from your new year's day celebrations will do!

Servings 8 large cookies

Author Amy

Ingredients

• 140 g (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp) unsalted butter room temperature
• 126 g (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp) brown sugar
• 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 220 g (1 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 8 pieces nian gao cut into (1-inch cubes, 1/2-inch thick)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until they are smooth, about 1 minute.
• Add the vanilla and egg to the butter mixture and mix on medium speed until they are fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two batches to the butter mixture, and mix until the ingredients are just combined, about 1 minute.
• Divide the dough into 8 balls of dough.
• Using you thumb, create an indent at the centre of the ball of dough. Place a piece of nian gao and the centre, and lightly pinch the dough to cover up the nian gao.
• Place filled dough balls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Top each dough ball with flaky salt
• Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the cookies are caramelized along the edges and the centres are just set. If you would like your cookies to have the crinkled edges, give the pan a few taps on the oven rack before you take them out of the oven.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Cookies are best served the day they are baked. You can reheat the cookie (to soften the nian gao) the next day in the microwave for 10 – 15 second after the first day.

The post Nian Gao Cookies (年糕曲奇餅) appeared first on Constellation Inspiration.

My favourite thing about Lunar New Year is all the food, especially all the sweet treats that are shared among family and friends. What makes Lunar New Year sweets superior to all the other types of desserts out there is that everything! is! so! chewy! The main character of Lunar New Year celebrations is the nian gao (年糕), or new year cake, which is a steamed glutinous rice flour-based cake (which you then pan fry!) and it is the chewiest of them all. New year cake symbolizes progress and growth, making it a popular gift to give when visiting family and friends during the holiday. My family usually eats nian gao leading up to the big day but we always have a big breakfast revolving around nian gao the morning of Lunar New Year. Next is the tang yuan (湯圓) glutinous rice balls. Tang yuan have a chewy yet tender wrapper and the filling can vary from sesame paste, peanut, or custard. The circular shape of the rice balls symbolizes one’s family coming together and the name of the rice balls sound like Chinese word for reunion (tuanyuan 團圓). My love for nian gao and tang yuan knows no bounds and if I could have it my way, I would eat nian gao all year round.

Growing up, I only liked tang yuan for their wrapper. I ate tang yuan solely for the mochi-like wrapper and would scoop out the nutty fillings so that they wouldn’t “ruin” the perfect texture of my beloved chewy rice ball. As I got older, I learned to appreciate how the different fillings complemented the wrapper and ate the rice balls in its entirety. I still had a preference for the the fillings though: custard reigned supreme, followed by peanut, then sesame. Tang yuan are traditionally served in a warm ginger broth, but my mom always served the rice balls in a warm, sweetened milk. I still prefer it to this day.

Now that I make my own tang yuan, I get to be creative with the fillings of the rice balls. My go-to filling to make has been taro or purple yam because I love a creamy filling, but after making these salted honey pistachio tang yuan, they might be my new favourite. Coarsely ground pistachios are combined with honey and sea salt to create a vibrant green filling. I love pairing pistachio with floral flavours so I made a osmanthus broth for the rice balls. Dried osmanthus flowers can be found at some Chinese supermarkets but you will be able to find them easily at the shops in Chinatown.

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Salted Honey Pistachio Tangyuan 湯圓 Rice Balls

Tang yuan are my favourite Lunar New Year dessert. Traditionally, glutinous rice balls are filled with sesame paste or peanuts. For these rice balls, coarsely ground pistachios are combined with honey and sea salt to create a vibrant green filling. I love pairing pistachio with floral flavours so I made a fragrant osmanthus broth for the chewy rice balls.

Author Amy

Ingredients

Pistachio Filling

• 40 g (1/4 cup) roasted pistachios
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt *if the pistachios you are using are salted, decrease salt amount to 1/4 tsp

Rice Ball Dough

• 130 g (1 cup) glutinous rice flour plus more as needed 
• 120 ml boiling water

Osmanthus Broth

• 480 ml (2 cups) water
• 80 g (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) rock or granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp dried osmanthus flowers

Instructions

Pistachio Filling

• On a food processor, blitz pistachios until it reaches a coarse crumb, some larger pieces are okay. 
• In a bowl, combine blitzed pistachio, honey, sugar, and salt. Mix until filling comes together. The filling will be loose but should form a ball when your squeeze it.
• Portion filling into 12 equal balls. transfer balls to a plate and place in freezer to set while you make the wrapper

Rice Ball Wrapper

• In a medium-sized bowl, combine glutinous rice flour and boiling water. Using a spoon or spatula, mix until it forms a cohesive dough.
• Once the dough is no longer too hot to the touch, knead the dough for 3 minutes. If dough is sticking to your hands, add an extra tbsp of glutinous rice flour.
• Portion the dough into 12 equal portions, keeping the balls under a damp towel to prevent the dough from drying out,

Assembly

• Remove the filling from the freezer. Take a piece of dough and using your fingers, press the dough until it becomes a 2-inch round disc. Place a piece of the filling into the centre and pinch seams shut and roll between palms of hands until smooth. Repeat with the remaining filling and dough.
• In a large pot of boiling water, cook rice balls over medium until they float to the top, about 8 minutes.

Osmanthus Broth

• While the rice balls are cooking, bring water to boil in a medium size pot. Add osmanthus flowers and sugar. Mix until sugar has dissolved. Allow flowers to steep for an extra 5 mins. Strain flowers before serving.

The post Salted Honey Pistachio Tangyuan 湯圓 Rice Balls appeared first on Constellation Inspiration.

A pumpkin recipe! Rarely do I share pumpkin recipes because I get overwhelmed by all the pumpkin recipes that surface the internet during the fall months and pumpkin just isn’t my favourite ingredient. Don’t get me wrong, I love using kabocha squash (or Japanese pumpkin) in a lot of my cooking and baking — kabocha cheesecake cream puffs, kabocha salted egg yolk sesame balls, and kabocha mooncakes —but I’ll always choose kabocha over pumpkin for both flavour and texture. These pumpkin mochi cakes might be the only exception.

These 3-ingredient mochi cakes call for canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling) that one would use to make pumpkin pie or muffins. It’s a great way to use up any pumpkin purée you have leftover from other fall baking projects. Because there are no eggs involved, you can easily scale the recipe up (to make 20 mochi cakes) or down (to make 4 mochi cakes). Glutinous rice flour, or sweet rice flour, is added to the pumpkin purée to create the base of the mochi dough. It’s important to get glutinous rice flour and not just regular rice flour so you get the chewy, sticky mochi texture. Granulated sugar is added to the mixture for a bit of sweetness and you can leave it at that if you like. I normally make it a plain pumpkin mochi but if I’m feeling fancy, I will make a simple 4-ingredient brown sugar filling (making this a 7-ingredient recipe!) for the mochi. The brown sugar filling is warm and sweet, much like the filling for a brown sugar pop tart. The mochi cakes are pan fried, giving them a crispy, golden exterior while the centres remain soft and chewy. Mochi cakes are best consumed right after they are made by you can reheat them on the pan until they get soft again.

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Crispy Pumpkin Mochi Cakes (3-Ingredients)

These pumpkin mochi cakes are crispy, tender, and chewy! They only require 3-ingredients: pumpkin purée, glutinous rice flour, amd sugar. The mochi cakes are pan fried, giving them a crispy, golden exterior while the centres remain soft and chewy. Because there are no eggs involved, you can easily scale the recipe up or down.

Servings 12 mochi cakes

Author Amy

Ingredients

Pumpkin Mochi

• 300 g (1 1/4 cup) pumpkin purée
• 260 g (2 cups and 3 tbsp) glutinous rice flour
• 50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar

Brown Sugar Filling (Optional)

• 67 g (1/3 cup) brown sugar
• 3 g (1 1/2 tsp) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Brown Sugar Filling (Optional)

• Whisk together ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Pumpkin Mochi

• In a large bowl, combine pumpkin purée, glutinous rice flour, and sugar with a rubber spatula, mixing until smooth. The mixture will resemble play-doh. If the mixture is too sticky, add more glutinous rice flour, one tablespoon at a time.
• Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball between the palms of your hands.
• Using your knuckle, create an indent at the centre of mochi dough. Add 1 – 2 teaspoons of filling to the centre and pinch the dough to seal the filling.
• Flatten the filled dough ball between the palms of your hands. Using the dull side of a butter knife, create marks on the side of the mochi to create the shape of a pumpkin. Repeat with remaining dough balls
• Heat up a nonstick pan on medium heat. Brush on a thin layer of vegetable oil to the pan.
• Add mochi cakes to the heated pan. Fry mochi cakes until golden, about 2 – 3 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the mochi cakes over.
• Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and add a lid to the pan, this will allow the mochi to steam and get tender. Leave lid on for 2 minutes. Remove lid and allow any remaining water to evaporate. Fry the mochi for additional 2 – 3 minutes until mochi cakes are golden and crispy.
• Optional: add a pumpkin seed or pistachio for the 'stem' of the pumpkin mochi.

The post Crispy Pumpkin Mochi Cakes (3-Ingredients) appeared first on Constellation Inspiration.

Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival! Happy early Mid-Autumn! I’m done all my mooncake making for this year (I made close to 10 batches!) and I did a little recap over on Instagram last night. Besides making mooncakes leading up to Mid-Autumn and having a family dinner the night of, I don’t do too much for Mid-Autumn. When I was younger, my family would join my friends’ families for a lantern walk around the neighbourhood but unfortunately that was a tradition we grew out of as we grew up. This year, however, I tried my hardest to add more Mid-Autumn festivities — tonight I’m going to a show at the planetarium (!!) where they’ll be projecting Mid-Autumn folklore onto the Star Theatre (!!!!!!) and tomorrow I’ll visit the Chinese Garden to enjoy all the lanterns and artwork. Apparently there will also be a mooncake tasting at the gardens, so I will finally be able to eat mooncakes made by someone else other than me. I always enjoy other people’s baking more than my own.

I feel like every Mid-Autumn I develop some new mooncake obsession. Three years ago, I was trying to perfect the traditional baked mooncake, while snow skin mooncakes were all I could think about the last two years. This year’s mooncake obsession is sablé. I know what you’re thinking… “Really Amy, sablé in mooncakes? That’s not traditional.” Traditional mooncakes have a softer, oil-based dough and I love that. I made several batches of mooncakes with a more traditional dough recipe but my favourite mooncakes that I made this year has to be the ones with a crisp, buttery sablé dough. The golden butter cookie crust gives such nice contrast to the creamy and jammy centres whether its bean paste, lotus paste, or pineapple.

This recipe combines a traditional white lotus filling with my new found love of sablé as mooncake pastry. You could make your own white lotus paste but I love going to the local Chinese bakery to ask if they sell their housemade lotus paste. Most Chinese grocery stores sell sweetened lotus paste too.

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White Lotus Mooncakes with Sablé Crust

This recipe combines a traditional white lotus filling with my new found love of sablé as mooncake pastry. The crisp, butter cookie crust provides wonderful contrast to the creamy lotus paste. You could make your own white lotus paste but I love going to the local Chinese bakery to ask if they sell their housemade lotus paste.

Servings 16 mooncakes

Author Amy

Ingredients

Sablé Dough

• 113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter room temperature
• 30 g (1/4 cup) icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 165 g (1 cup + 6 tbsps) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt

Filling

• 480 g sweetened white lotus paste store bought or homemade (sweetened bean paste will work too)

Egg Wash

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp water

Instructions

Sablé Dough

• In a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and icing sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add egg yolk and mix until smooth.
• Add flour and salt to the bowl and mix on low speed until combine, about 1 minute.
• Divide the dough into 16 equal (20-grams) portions, using a scale if possible. Set aside

Assembly

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Divide the white lotus filling into 16 equal pieces (use a digital scale if you have one) and roll each portion of filling into a ball.
• Working with one piece at a time, roll the sablé dough into a smooth ball. Place the dough ball on a lightly floured work surface, gently flatten with the palm of your hand, and roll out to a 3-inch round with a rolling pin.
• Place a portion of the filling onto the rolled out dough, pull up the edges, and pinch together to seal. If the dough is too sticky, flour your hands when assembly.
• Place the filled cake inside the mooncake mold, seam side down, and gently press down with the plunger until it evenly fills the mold. Remove the plunger and transfer the mooncake onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pastry and lotus filling.
• Brush the tops of each cake with egg wash.
• Bake mooncakes until golden, about 20 – 25 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

中秋節快樂!

The post White Lotus Mooncakes with Sablé Crust appeared first on Constellation Inspiration.