Chinese New Year Baking : Almond London Cookies

Chinese New Year is once again around the corner (February 8th)! For this year, I thought aside from the staple pineapple tart, I should try my hand at another favourite cookies for the festival. When I saw a recipe for Almond London Cookies during my blog surfing, I knew I want to make these. These did not originate from London and I have no idea why this cookies exists in Malaysia. The cookie is basically a toasted almond wrapped with short cookie dough, bake lightly, then dipped into melted chocolate and finish off with a sprinkle of chopped/nibbed almonds.

For step-by-step tutorial, please go to Nasi Lemak Lover.


Almond London Cookies
Source : Nasi Lemak Lover (linked above)

150g whole almonds

30g nibbed almonds

170g butter (salted)

60g icing sugar, sifted

20g egg yolk (used 1 yolk)

300g cake flour (used plain flour)

300g chocolate

Method

1. Toast whole almonds in oven at 180°c for 13-15mins, and toast nibbed almonds at 180°c for 1-2mins. Set aside to let it cool completely before use.
2. Cream butter and icing sugar till light and pale.
3. Add in egg yolk, beat well to combine.
4. Add in cake flour, mix until it come together to form soft dought. Do not over work it.
5. To weight dough 6g each, wrap up a whole almond, and shape into oval shape.
6. Bake cookies at 160°c (fan forced) for 15mins or until golden brown, set aside to cool completely.
7. Melt chocolate over double boiler or microwave oven. Dip cookie in melted chocolate. Use a small fork, transfer coated cookie into a mini paper cup.
8. Sprinkle some toasted nibbed almonds on top. Chill in the fridge (~10mins) to set the chocolate before storing in air-tight container. Store in cool place to prevent chocolate from melting.

Beetroot Soup

The beetroot I got was more red than purple. So, when I serve this soup, my husband said it looks like its for dracula :D If you love beetroot you'll love this soup. It's simple (once you get the beef stock ready) to make and great to warm the tummy during this winter weather.


Beetroot Soup
source : Poh's kitchen

Ingredients

50g butter

1 large brown onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

500g beetroot, peeled and diced into 1cm cubes

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thinly

1 ½ litres beef stock* (pre-made)

3 tbs plain flour

180ml (¾ cup) passata / tomato puree or tinned crushed tomatoes

300g desiree potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly

3 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp table salt OR to taste (double if using sea salt flakes)

¼ tsp freshly cracked white or black pepper

250ml (1 cup) sour cream or crème fraiche

4 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley

Beef Stock

2 kg beef bones

2 carrots

2 medium brown onions, with skins roughly chopped

3 litres water

2 sticks celery, with tops and roughly chopped

1 bouquet garni (2 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme and 1 bay leaf)

10 - 12 black peppercorns

Method

1. Heat butter in a large non stick saucepan on medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until soft but not coloured. Add beetroot and carrot and sauté until tender, then pour in beef stock. While this is heating up on the stove, whisk plain flour into three tablespoons of the tomato puree. Whisk with the remaining tomato puree and combine with rest of soup mixture. Cover and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes, balsamic and sugar. Simmer until potatoes are tender and then add the salt and pepper. Blend in a blender or with a stick blender until silky smooth. Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche, sprinkle of parsley and pirozhki.

Beef Stock
1. Preheat over to 200ºC and bake bones in a roasting dish for half an hour. Add the carrots and onions and bake for another 20 minutes. Transfer the contents of the roasting dish into a large stock pot and pile in the remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, then lower to a simmer, for four hours, skimming the frothy impurities off the top as you go along. Strain the stock through a fine sieve to remove then discard all the solids. Cool and refrigerate so all the fat solidifies and is easily removed and discarded.