Cashew Nut cookies

Chinese new year. The time of festivity, fun and loads and LOADS of food. Seriously. It's an opportunity to meet my distant relatives again, indulge in delicious snacks and meals. Of the wide array of snacks, my favourites are bak kwa(roasted pork slices), love letters and nut cookies.
I have tried, without success, to recreate nut cookies that have this salty-sweet taste, where the saltiness of the cookie cuts through the sweetness, bringing about a new dimension to the cookie. It is absolutely delicious, yet, I have not achieved this taste in my nut cookies yet.

This year, I baked pineapple tarts and tried out this new recipe for cashew nut cookies. Although they do not have this sweet-salty taste, they were well received by my sisters and cousins, so do give it a go.

Cashew Nut cookies, recipe adapted from Small Small Baker
Ingredients:
110g butter
70g castor sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 egg (about 25g)
40g ground cashew nuts(toast whole, raw cashew nuts at 160C for 10-15 minutes, then grind the nuts)
180g plain flour
20g cornflour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg white

Method:
1. Cream butter and sugar till pale and creamy.
2. Add in pure vanilla extract. Add in egg slowly, Beat until well-mixed.
3. Fold in grounded cashew nuts. Fold in sifted flours and baking powder gradually. Knead to form dough.
4. Roll the dough into 3/4 cm thickness. Cut the dough into crescent shapes (or any shape you like) and place them on the baking tray. Brush a layer of egg white on the cookies and top each cookie with one halved cashew nut. (Brushing egg white helps the cashew nut to stick to the cookie well.) Brush a layer of egg yolk on top of the cashew nuts for a nice golden brown colour.
5. Bake at 180C for about 15 minutes till light golden brown. 

chocolate pumpkin brownies

 I'm back! With a healthy brownie recipe! Enjoy!

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies recipe, adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie
Ingredients:
60g  unsweetened cocoa powder
128g white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
100g maple syrup (you may increase it up to 240g, my brownies were VERY dark and bitter)


1 cup pureed pumpkin
3 tbsp oil
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup cacao nibs

Method:
1. Combine dry ingredients(except cacao nibs), and mix very well.
2. Combine wet ingredients, then mix into dry.  Add in cacao.
3. Pour into a greased pan loaf tin.
4. Cook for about 23 minutes at 170C.
NOTE: The brownies to taste much sweeter only after they have cooled down after baking, so don't finish them once they've cooked! Give them some time to rest and develop their flavours.